Fairchild Dornier 328JET

The Fairchild Dornier 328JET is a regional jet aircraft developed by Fairchild Dornier as a jet-powered derivative of the Dornier 328 turboprop. It retains the same fuselage cross-section and general airframe as its predecessor but is fitted with Pratt & Whitney Canada PW306B turbofan engines, significantly increasing speed and cruise altitude performance. The aircraft entered service in the late 1990s and was aimed at thin regional routes where a small, fast jet offered advantages over turboprops. Seating up to 34 passengers in a standard configuration, it provided operators with a comfortable, pressurized cabin and competitive operating economics for its class. Production ended when Fairchild Dornier filed for insolvency in 2002, limiting the total number of airframes built. A modest fleet entered service globally, and while many have been retired, some examples continued operating with smaller regional and charter carriers for years after production ceased.