Home › Aircraft › Regional Jet Guide
Regional Jet Guide
Every regional jet in Tailwinds compared: seats, range, lease cost, fuel burn, and per-seat economics. Build profitable thin routes and hub feed.
Regional jets solve a specific problem: routes with real demand, but not enough of it to fill a 150-seat narrow-body. In Tailwinds that describes a huge share of the map — secondary cities, short cross-border hops, and above all hub feed, the short flights that funnel connecting passengers into your hub for onward long-haul travel.
Per-seat costs run higher than larger jets; that is the price of right-sizing. A regional jet is not competing with an A320 on cost per seat — it is competing with the empty seats the A320 would fly on a thin route. Judged that way, the category is one of the most reliably profitable in the game.
How to choose
The E-Jet and CRJ families cover the 70–130 seat band; the E2 generation offers materially better burn for a higher lease. At the small end, 50-seaters only make sense on very thin or very short missions where nothing bigger could break even. As always: pick the seat count the route can fill, not the one with the prettiest efficiency number.
All 26 aircraft at a glance
Figures are the game's actual values. Fuel cost assumes the base fuel price of $1.20/litre — the live market price in your save drifts between roughly half and nearly double that, which is why fuel hedging matters.
| Aircraft | Seats | Range | Lease/wk | Price | Fuel/100km | Fuel/seat-km |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dornier 328JET | 34 | 1,665 km | $14K | $7M | 234 L | 8.27¢ |
| Embraer ERJ-135 | 37 | 3,241 km | $13K | $6M | 138 L | 4.46¢ |
| Yakovlev Yak-40 | 40 | 1,800 km | $7K | $3M | 280 L | 8.38¢ |
| Embraer ERJ-145 | 50 | 2,870 km | $17K | $8M | 175 L | 4.20¢ |
| CRJ-200 | 52 | 3,048 km | $11K | $5M | 165 L | 3.80¢ |
| CRJ-700 | 78 | 3,716 km | $26K | $12M | 220 L | 3.38¢ |
| Embraer ERJ-170 | 80 | 3,735 km | $30K | $18M | 207 L | 3.10¢ |
| Fokker 70 | 85 | 4,074 km | $15K | $7M | 224 L | 3.16¢ |
| Fokker F28 Fellowship | 85 | 2,700 km | $11K | $5M | 389 L | 5.49¢ |
| Embraer E175 | 88 | 3,735 km | $52K | $30M | 232 L | 3.16¢ |
| Antonov An-148-100B | 89 | 5,100 km | $28K | $18M | 251 L | 3.38¢ |
| CRJ-900 | 90 | 2,876 km | $38K | $18M | 250 L | 3.33¢ |
| Embraer E175-E2 | 90 | 3,735 km | $61K | $35M | 221 L | 2.94¢ |
| Mitsubishi SpaceJet M90 | 92 | 3,770 km | $69K | $40M | 235 L | 3.06¢ |
| Tupolev Tu-134 | 96 | 3,000 km | $9K | $4M | 453 L | 5.67¢ |
| COMAC ARJ21-700 | 97 | 3,700 km | $66K | $38M | 256 L | 3.16¢ |
| CRJ-1000 | 104 | 3,004 km | $44K | $22M | 281 L | 3.25¢ |
| Sukhoi Superjet 100 | 108 | 4,578 km | $49K | $28M | 264 L | 2.93¢ |
| Sukhoi Superjet SJ-100 | 108 | 3,000 km | $66K | $38M | 294 L | 3.27¢ |
| Avro RJ85 | 112 | 3,300 km | $17K | $8M | 274 L | 2.93¢ |
| BAe 146-200 | 112 | 3,650 km | $15K | $7M | 288 L | 3.08¢ |
| Embraer E190 | 114 | 4,537 km | $48K | $24M | 293 L | 3.08¢ |
| Embraer E190-E2 | 114 | 4,537 km | $69K | $40M | 275 L | 2.89¢ |
| Fokker 100 | 122 | 3,170 km | $19K | $9M | 267 L | 2.63¢ |
| Embraer E195 | 124 | 4,260 km | $52K | $26M | 302 L | 2.92¢ |
| Embraer E195-E2 | 146 | 4,800 km | $78K | $45M | 324 L | 2.66¢ |
Type-by-type notes
Dornier 328JET
Jet-powered 328 — one of the smallest regional jets ever in airline service.
Fuel efficiency: #25 of 26 in its class (8.27¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — toward the thirstier end per seat. Weekly lease works out to $412 per seat.
Embraer ERJ-135
Smallest ERJ family member. Good for very thin jet routes.
Fuel efficiency: #22 of 26 in its class (4.46¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — toward the thirstier end per seat. Weekly lease works out to $338 per seat.
Yakovlev Yak-40
Tiny three-engine regional jet that opened jet service to small Soviet towns.
Fuel efficiency: #26 of 26 in its class (8.38¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — toward the thirstier end per seat. Weekly lease works out to $163 per seat.
Embraer ERJ-145
Small regional jet, good for thin routes that need jet speed.
Fuel efficiency: #21 of 26 in its class (4.20¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — toward the thirstier end per seat. Weekly lease works out to $340 per seat.
CRJ-200
The backbone of North American regionals. Low capacity but ubiquitous.
Fuel efficiency: #20 of 26 in its class (3.80¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — toward the thirstier end per seat. Weekly lease works out to $202 per seat.
CRJ-700
Stretched CRJ with better economics per seat than the -200.
Fuel efficiency: #18 of 26 in its class (3.38¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — toward the thirstier end per seat. Weekly lease works out to $327 per seat.
Embraer ERJ-170
First of the E-jet family. Comfortable twin-aisle-style interior.
Fuel efficiency: #11 of 26 in its class (3.10¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — mid-pack on per-seat fuel efficiency. Weekly lease works out to $375 per seat.
Fokker 70
Short-body Fokker 100. Fuel-efficient and popular in European regionals.
Fuel efficiency: #12 of 26 in its class (3.16¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — mid-pack on per-seat fuel efficiency. Weekly lease works out to $176 per seat.
Fokker F28 Fellowship
Dutch short-haul jet with built-in airstairs — forerunner of the Fokker 70/100.
Fuel efficiency: #23 of 26 in its class (5.49¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — toward the thirstier end per seat. Weekly lease works out to $124 per seat.
Embraer E175
Versatile E-jet. Great range-to-size ratio for regional networks.
Fuel efficiency: #13 of 26 in its class (3.16¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — mid-pack on per-seat fuel efficiency. Weekly lease works out to $591 per seat.
Antonov An-148-100B
Ukrainian regional jet with exceptional range for its class. Suited to CIS networks.
Fuel efficiency: #19 of 26 in its class (3.38¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — toward the thirstier end per seat. Weekly lease works out to $315 per seat.
CRJ-900
Popular regional jet bridging the gap between turboprops and mainline aircraft.
Fuel efficiency: #17 of 26 in its class (3.33¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — mid-pack on per-seat fuel efficiency. Weekly lease works out to $422 per seat.
Embraer E175-E2
Next-gen E175 with improved fuel burn. Better economics than the original.
Fuel efficiency: #7 of 26 in its class (2.94¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — among the most fuel-efficient per seat. Weekly lease works out to $672 per seat.
Mitsubishi SpaceJet M90
Japan's regional jet entry with modern technology and efficient design.
Fuel efficiency: #8 of 26 in its class (3.06¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — among the most fuel-efficient per seat. Weekly lease works out to $750 per seat.
Tupolev Tu-134
Soviet short-haul jet, glass-nosed navigator station and all. A Cold War regional staple.
Fuel efficiency: #24 of 26 in its class (5.67¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — toward the thirstier end per seat. Weekly lease works out to $89 per seat.
COMAC ARJ21-700
China's first domestically produced regional jet. Growing presence on domestic routes.
Fuel efficiency: #14 of 26 in its class (3.16¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — mid-pack on per-seat fuel efficiency. Weekly lease works out to $680 per seat.
CRJ-1000
Largest CRJ. High seat count in the regional jet class.
Fuel efficiency: #15 of 26 in its class (3.25¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — mid-pack on per-seat fuel efficiency. Weekly lease works out to $423 per seat.
Sukhoi Superjet 100
Russian regional jet with competitive specs. Strong presence in CIS markets.
Fuel efficiency: #6 of 26 in its class (2.93¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — among the most fuel-efficient per seat. Weekly lease works out to $449 per seat.
Sukhoi Superjet SJ-100
Import-substituted update of the Superjet 100 with Russian systems and engines.
Fuel efficiency: #16 of 26 in its class (3.27¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — mid-pack on per-seat fuel efficiency. Weekly lease works out to $611 per seat.
Avro RJ85
Upgraded BAe 146 with FADEC engines. Quieter and more reliable than its predecessor.
Fuel efficiency: #5 of 26 in its class (2.93¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — among the most fuel-efficient per seat. Weekly lease works out to $152 per seat.
BAe 146-200
Quiet quad-jet with exceptional short-field performance. Perfect for city airports.
Fuel efficiency: #9 of 26 in its class (3.08¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — mid-pack on per-seat fuel efficiency. Weekly lease works out to $134 per seat.
Embraer E190
Larger E-jet with solid range, perfect for medium-thin routes.
Fuel efficiency: #10 of 26 in its class (3.08¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — mid-pack on per-seat fuel efficiency. Weekly lease works out to $421 per seat.
Embraer E190-E2
Re-engined E190 with 17% better fuel burn. Best-in-class regional economics.
Fuel efficiency: #3 of 26 in its class (2.89¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — among the most fuel-efficient per seat. Weekly lease works out to $605 per seat.
Fokker 100
Dutch narrow-body workhorse. Still flying on many regional routes worldwide.
Fuel efficiency: #1 of 26 in its class (2.63¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — among the most fuel-efficient per seat. Weekly lease works out to $156 per seat.
Embraer E195
Largest of the original E-jet family. Bridges regional jets and narrow-bodies on medium-thin routes.
Fuel efficiency: #4 of 26 in its class (2.92¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — among the most fuel-efficient per seat. Weekly lease works out to $419 per seat.
Embraer E195-E2
Next-gen E-jet with improved fuel efficiency. Bridges regional and narrow-body.
Fuel efficiency: #2 of 26 in its class (2.66¢ per seat-km at base fuel price) — among the most fuel-efficient per seat. Weekly lease works out to $534 per seat.