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Introduction

Nov. 23, 2016, © Leeham Co.: The 50-seat regional jet market is dead.

That’s the conventional wisdom.

Well, not quite.

Embraer ERJ-145 is finding new life with regional airlines.

Piedmont Airlines, a unit of American Airlines, is adding the 50-seat Embraer ERJ-145 to its fleet. Eleven joined so far and next year the company plans to add 24 more.

CommutAir, an operator for United Airlines, is adding the same aircraft type to its fleet. Forty of them.

Why the mini-resurgence?

Low fuel prices and cheap airplanes.

Summary

• 50-seat regional jets were considered economically obsolete with high fuel prices.
• Sustain low prices provided a boost to the Embraer ERJ-145.
• Bombardier’s CRJ-200 hasn’t seen a similar resurgence.