Gregory Polek has spent his entire career in aviation journalism with AIN, starting as a proofreader and assistant to then-managing editor Mary Mahoney in 1995 after serving an internship with&nbsp;New Jersey Monthly&nbsp;magazine and completing his B.A. degree in English/Writing at New Jersey’s William Paterson College. By 1997 Polek accepted a position as an associate editor, covering the regional airline beat for&nbsp;Aviation International News&nbsp;in place of retiring industry veteran Don Anderson. The assignment took Polek across North America and Europe to profile regional airlines varying in size and mission from the likes of floatplane operators Kenmore Air and Chalk’s Ocean Airways to regional jet operators such as SkyWest and American Eagle. Today, in his dual role as Air Transport Editor and International Airshow Editor, Polek writes, edits, and manages AIN’s commercial aviation content while overseeing each of the company’s daily international air show publications in Paris, Farnborough, Singapore, and Dubai. Most recently Polek has assumed oversight of daily coverage of the Helicopter Association International’s annual Heli-Expo convention.

Senior Editor

Gregory Polek

Signaling an apparent decision to abandon any immediate plans for a new large turboprop, Bombardier has found a way to squeeze another six seats into its Q400 by offering an option to convert the airplane’s forward baggage door into a passenger exit. The new interior design would replace cargo capacity with as much as another row and a half of passenger seats, raising the Q400’s total seating capacity to 86.


“We have various options where we can play with galley and wardrobe configurations,” explained Bombardier Commercial Aircraft marketing vice president Philippe Poutissou. “So we’re turning the existing airframe’s baggage door into a passenger exit on the right-hand side of the aircraft.”


Still, to gain enough room for the 86 seats, designers needed to limit seat pitch to 29 inches. “If you look at the layout configurations, we can also do a comfortable 82-seat configuration with a 30-inch seat pitch,” said Poutissou.


Thai low-fare carrier Nok Air has agreed to serve as the launch customer for the new option with a firm order placed at November’s Dubai Airshow for a pair of Q400s along with an option for another two. It also reserved purchase rights on four more airplanes.


Now flying a pair of ATR 72-500s, Nok Air plans to replace its Franco-Italian turboprops with the larger Q400s.

News and developments about airplanes, helicopters and unmanned air vehicles used in all varieties of operations, including airlines, military, business, commercial, general aviation and private.

Bombardier Squeezes More Capacity From Q400

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Chad Trautvetter

News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

Four-week strike will affect aircraft deliveries in the fourth quarter

Textron Aviation Ships 41 Bizjets in 3Q Despite Strike

New developments and products in avionics, specifically about aircraft electronics in the cockpit.

Essential news and analysis on the defense aerospace business. Your trusted source for new and ongoing programs and requirements in military aircraft (manned and unmanned), engines, avionics, weapons and associated systems, including ground-based air defense.

Flight testing on the first of three Bombardier jets is being conducted in Wichita

Global Starts Flight Tests for German Army Surveillance Role

Sarah Rose

Upgrade aims to enhance performance and reliability

Blackhawk's Upgrade To Increase Power of King Air 360

Jessica Reed

News and issues about aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), covering all segments of the aviation industry; and modifications for aircraft and engines. Subjects include product support of aircraft, engines and avionics, MRO company mergers, acquisitions, announcements and personnel, Airworthiness Directives, Supplemental Type Certificate approvals and other topics.

The 850 Series SKYscapes Effect Finishes offer a high-performance polyurethane base coat 

Sherwin-Williams Paints the Sky with Coating Upgrades

Curt Epstein

Experts say the market is reaching equlibrium after Covid boost

Aircraft Brokers Enjoying Healthy, Stable Market

News about bills, laws, regulations and other governmental decisions affecting aviation and aerospace. Topics include FAA re-authorizations, taxes on fuel and aviation activities, environmental legislation, ICAO decisions, governmental mediation of labor conflicts and World Trade Organization disputes and decisions.

More In Aircraft

Textron Aviation Ships 41 Bizjets in 3Q Despite Strike

Four-week strike will affect aircraft deliveries in the fourth quarter

Global Starts Flight Tests for German Army Surveillance Role

Flight testing on the first of three Bombardier jets is being conducted in Wichita

Blackhawk's Upgrade To Increase Power of King Air 360

Upgrade aims to enhance performance and reliability

Sherwin-Williams Paints the Sky with Coating Upgrades

The 850 Series SKYscapes Effect Finishes offer a high-performance polyurethane base coat

Aircraft Brokers Enjoying Healthy, Stable Market

Experts say the market is reaching equlibrium after Covid boost

Industry Leaders Share Insights on Scaling AAM Operations

Executives from Lilium, Beta Technologies, Electra, Atlantic Aviation, and Signature Aviation participated in the discussion

Electra Aero's Nine-passenger eSTOL Set for Reveal

Hybrid-electric design works within existing infrastructure

Camp Systems Launches Pricing and Quoting Solutions

SalesEdge Quoting is a web-based module for Quantum and Corridor

AIN Products

SUBSCRIPTIONS

RESOURCES

ABOUT AIN