But Public Opinion Still Holds That 'Bigger Is Better'

Despite a tendency for air travelers to prefer larger jet airliners, the use of regional jets and turboprops has grown in response to reduced numbers of passengers and increased fuel costs in an unsteady economy.

Peter Belobaba, a researcher with the Global Airline Industry Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, observed, "As demand decreases because of the current economics, it doesn't make sense to fly larger airplanes. We have seen a renewed interest in turboprops for 50 and 70 seats because of their fuel efficiency."

The New York Times reports that 75 percent of the US's commercial airports are connected to the bigger hubs only by regional and commuter planes, usually having a seating capacity of 100 or less. And at busy airports like Newark Liberty International Airport, regional jets and turboprops account for almost half of the traffic.

Indeed, almost five percent of scheduled commercial flights utilize aircraft that are of the Bombardier Dash 8 series, the same type that crashed on approach to Buffalo Niagara International Airport last week.

Working against the popularity of the reduced-sized people-haulers is a continued sense of public distrust in the inherent safety of smaller, often propeller-driven airliners. Although built and operated to identical safety standards as larger jets, a shaky public perception of regional-class planes continues to be their biggest setback.

Mindful of the recent crash, Buffalo resident Sarah Sullivan, 23, flew to Newark on Friday anyway. "I thought of driving down here instead of taking the flight, but I figured they'd be doing extra safety checks because of the accident," Sullivan said. "I used to be nervous about flying but got over it, but now it's coming back a little bit."

Robert L. Sumwalt, vice chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, is concerned with improving the traveling public's impression of safety aboard regional planes.

"When a family gets on an aircraft at a small town for their annual pilgrimage to Disney World, they more than likely will get on a regional aircraft," Sumwalt told trade publication Air Safety Week. "I want to make sure that there is at least equivalent or higher levels of safety when they get on that regional aircraft."

FMI: www.ntsb.gov