commercial    regional aviation
faced by airlines is controlling fuel costs and that turboprops
offer the best solution for regional aircraft.
Basically, both turboprops and jets are turbine powered,
except that turboprops have bigger fans on their wings, while
the pure jets have fans encased. The turbine used on a turboprop is designed specifically for the application and burns
much less fuel. Technology-wise the two are in a neck and neck
race. Some of the turboprop airliners are fitted with radar, GPS,
heads-up display, noise reduction equipment, etc.
states that the turnaround began when crude rose above $35 a
barrel in the years following the Iraq war. Planes powered by jets
are faster, but for flights of less than around
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