This single-turboprop-powered utility/passenger aircraft first flew in December 1982. Designed with the small-package delivery segment in mind, the two models currently in production are the Caravan 675 and the 208B Grand Caravan. Power for both aircraft is provided by a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-114A turboprop engine rated at 675 shp. Through 2011, Cessna produced 2,107 Caravans of all types and is forecast to deliver 1,015 during the 2012-21 period.

The An-28 and -38 are twin-turboprop utility/transport aircraft. First flight of the An-28 occurred in 1969, with temporary Soviet certification following in 1978 and full certification in 1986. Production was transferred to Poland's PZL-Mielec, now a Sikorsky company. A Westernized version of the An-28, the PZL M28, made its first flight in 1993 and received FAA certification in 2004. A stretched An-28 version, the -38, made its first flight in 1994 and received Russian certification in 1997.

The Irkut MS-21 is a twin-turbofan, narrowbody airliner family that comprises the 150-seat MS-21-200, 181-seat MS-21-300 and 212-seat MS-21-400. All three are to be available in both basic and extended-range versions; the -200 is also to be available in a long-range variant. Power will be provided by Pratt & Whitney PW1400G or Aviadvigatel PD-14 engines. First flight is planned for 2015, with a service entry target date of 2017. Primary competition is likely to come from the Boeing 737, Airbus A320 and Comac C919 families.

As Tom Enders tells employees in a letter, he is convinced that the planned merger of EADS and BAE Systems offers a “singular chance.” But there is a problem: Investors are notably uninspired and European governments lukewarm. There is a real possibility that the deal may still fall through.

The An-148 is a twin-engine regional jet designed to serve the 70-80-seat market. First flight took place in 2004, with type certification by Russia and Ukraine following in 2007. The An-158, a stretched, 99-passenger version, first flew in 2010. Power comes from two Ivchenko-Progress D436-148 turbofan engines. Ten An-148s were built through 2011, and an additional 143 are forecast for production through 2021.

The C212 made its first flight in March 1971, and deliveries began in May 1974. It is built under license by Indonesian Aerospace (IAe). Some 476 C212s (of all versions) were built through 2011. The C212 is an unpressurized, 21-28-passenger regional turboprop. The -200 model is powered by two Honeywell TPE331-10R-511C or -512C turboprop engines rated at 900 shp each. The -300 used two TPE331-10R-513C turboprops, also rated at 900 shp each. The latest model, the -400, uses two TPE331-12JR-701C engines rated at 925 shp each.

In the remaining months of 2012 and first part of 2013, attention in the commercial aircraft sector will be focused on narrowbodies, as Airbus and Boeing continue to rack up orders for their reengined A320NEO and 737 MAX families and Bombardier works to get the CSeries into the air.

Initially, the new ARJ21 regional jet from Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China (Comac) is to be available in the ARJ21-700 78-90-seat variant, while later introduction of the 98-105-seat ARJ21-900 is a possibility. Power is provided by two General Electric CF34-10A turbofans producing 18,500 lb. thrust each. Rollout of the first ARJ21-700 occurred in December 2007, followed by first flight in November 2008. The ARJ21 faces competition from Bombardier and Embraer.