Turboprop and jet transport aircraft entered commercial air service at about the same time. However, the higher speed of the jets and the relatively low cost of fuel made the turboprop non-competitive, first on the long-haul routes and subsequently on all but the very shortest range passenger routes.
All this has changed dramatically with the rise in fuel prices and the advent of deregulation.
The paper deals first with the cost of fuel and its effect on turbofan and turboprop aircraft operating costs and a forecast of future equipment applications to short-haul traffic is made. This is followed by projections of how the technology of the 1980's will be used and how the turboprop airplane resurgence will occur.
