NEW YORK -- The 74-seat turboprop plane that crashed Thursday night near Buffalo was part of an expanding fleet of small regional aircraft that have become a vital part of the country's airline industry and are increasingly the only air link available to far-flung towns and smaller cities.
Three-quarters of the commercial airports in the country are served solely by these planes, which typically have 100 or fewer seats. At Newark Liberty International Airport, one of the nation's busiest, regional jets and turboprop planes make up 45 percent of all arrivals and departures, a percentage point higher than at Buffalo Niagara International Airport, where Continental Connection Flight 3407 was headed when it crashed, killing all 49 aboard.
Smaller turboprop and jet planes are not new to aviation, but they have grown in use since 9/11, which caused a steep decline in air travel. In response to that, as well as the economic downturn, many of the country’s largest carriers have been mothballing larger jets or using them on long-haul flights exclusively.
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