Difference between a Turboprop vs Jet Engine?

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Why aren’t low budget airlines, for example Ryanair using turboprop in short haul flights from Dublin to Liverpool (Just an example, it’s about 200km) not using Turboprop but optin in using a Boeing 737?

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Anonymous 0 Comments

In the case of airlines like Ryanair, it has almost nothing to do with benefits of any individual technology, and everything to do with economics of running a fleet. Ryanair aims for minimising any cost, up yo an including instructing it’s crew to steal pens from hotels, so they don’t have to provide them.

They run 737s because they were the cheapest second hand option. They have structured their whole business around the 737. All maintenance, pilot training, parts logistics, everything. And because the 737 is so ubiquitous, those are all easily available (and therefore costing less). They do not operate any other plane, because even if an individual plane was marginally more efficient on any particular route, even a single airplane of a different class requires a second set of training and logistics. And because planes, well, move around, you have to have that second set everywhere you make it go. And unlike the 737, turboprops aren’t ubiquitous. So it would be on them to organise it. That’s on top of the fact that people with more skills and certifications demand more pay. And then there’s also the issue that if you have a whole fleet of identical aircraft, you have a whole fleet of “spare” aircraft. You can redirect them to different routes as necessary. If you have a specialised aircraft for a route, and it goes out of commission… You’re screwed. Flight cancelled. And a spare aircraft that’s not flying is only cheaper than a flying one by the fuel and crew manhours. Ao that’s not an option for Ryanair.

Basically economies of scale. If you own one aircraft, you choose the best one for the route. If you have a fleet, you choose the best one for the fleet.

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