Avro Business Jet is Non-Starter After BAE Pulls Plug on Program

Among the no-shows at NBAA are the Avro Business Jet and BAE Systems Regional Aircraft staff, following cancelation of the RJX program last month.

BAE Systems' surprise decision to pull the plug on the program followed a slowdown since September 11 in demand for regional aircraft in general, and especially for the RJX, which had been slow to attract orders anyway.

Indeed, the RJX program grew out of the need to rescue and then bring up to modern standards of economy and reliability first the Lycoming-powered BAe 146, and then the RJ regional jet.

Key to the upgraded RJX were the new Honeywell AS977 engines which brought a 17% improvement in range, 15% less fuel burn and 20% lower operating costs than earlier RJ models.

Honeywell Aerospace president Bob Johnson said his company's business plan saw a bright future for the RJX, but that BAE Systems was probably unable to realize a return on the aircraft in a reasonable enough timeframe, especially since the worldwide slowdown in airline demand.