I recently read an article from Ch-Aviation stating that the Philippine government is urging airlines to end turboprop operations at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Manila and to move them to Clark and other hubs around the Philippines. While Sunlight Air has already moved to Clark, other airlines like CebGo, PAL Express, and AirSwift still operate turboprops from NAIA. This move may affect air connectivity from Manila to high-traffic airports in the Philippines, such as Siargao, which can only accommodate turboprop planes. Is this the time for airlines in the Philippines to consider buying regional jets?
Regional jets, such as the Embraer E190-E2 and the Comac ARJ21, are smaller than typical narrowbody aircraft like the Airbus A320 and the Boeing 737, but they are usually larger than turboprops. They carry a similar or slightly larger number of passengers to longer destinations. These planes, known as “RJs” (Regional Jets), have a capacity of fewer than 100 passengers. Essentially, they fall between turboprops and narrowbody jets. The Airbus A220 (formerly the Bombardier CS100), which fits around 100 passengers, may or may not be considered an RJ, as it is smaller than the A320 family but larger than the Embraer E-jets. Some view RJs as potential replacements for turboprops, but are they?
Based on a commercial market outlook by Boeing, regional jets remain lagging in orders compared to narrowbody aircraft. By 2043, narrowbody aircraft will account for 77% of the total aircraft needed by Southeast Asian airlines, while RJs will only represent 9% or a total of 20 units. This indicates that RJs are not selling well in Southeast Asia, and the demand favors more flexible narrowbody planes.
NAIA to No Longer Have Turboprops
Given the current situation where turboprops may no longer be allowed to operate to high-traffic airports at NAIA, is it time for regional jets to take their place in Manila routes?
Not all airports in the Philippines can accommodate jets like the Airbus A320, such as Siargao, Busuanga, El Nido, Batanes, and Naga. These high-traffic airports are serviced by turboprops from airlines like PAL Express, CebGo, and AirSwift. Many foreign tourists use Manila to connect to these destinations since Clark and Cebu don’t receive as many international flights compared to NAIA. Transferring these connecting passengers from NAIA to Clark would be too complicated.
Using regional jets will allow airlines to operate jet services to these smaller, high-traffic airports from Manila, given the recent directives to move all turboprop operations away from NAIA. Additionally, regional jets like the A220 may be perfect for international routes that do not require the capacity of the A320 but offer better range than turboprops.
However, the move to transfer turboprop services is still in the planning stages and is not yet final. More consultations with the airlines are needed. Currently, turboprop flights in Manila operate from NAIA Terminal 4, except for PAL Express, which continues to operate from Terminal 2.
Is it Time to Bring Back RJs?
Transportation Undersecretary Timothy John Batan mentioned that there was “no policy” to phase out turboprop operations at the airport. However, the government “encourages” transferring turboprop flights to Clark.
No airline currently uses regional jets in the Philippines. The last airline to use them was Royal Air, which utilized the Avro RJ100 before transitioning to an Airbus fleet. No airline operates the Embraer E-jets or the Airbus A220 series yet. While Sunlight Air is considering purchasing regional jets to expand their operations, this is still under consideration. Other factors to consider include MRO support, crew training, and parts availability. Will airlines in the Philippines eventually operate regional jets? Although there are rumors, I will only believe it once an order is made.
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It’s about time that PAL/PAL Express, Sunlight Air, AirSwift, Cebgo, and Royal Air should consider buying Embraer E2 and Airbus A220 to be part of their fleet to replace the older turboprops.