PAXWAY Regional Jet-Compatible Model

The PAXWAY Regional Jet-Compatible Model addresses a long-standing gap in covered-bridge boarding: narrow-body regional jets such as the Embraer E-family and Bombardier CRJ series have door sill heights significantly lower than those of mainline narrow-body and wide-body aircraft, and their door geometry differs from the standard cab interface. ShinMaywa developed a purpose-designed airstair-compatible cab floor that can align with the lower sill position, allowing the bridge to dock directly with regional-jet door types without requiring passengers to use freestanding airstairs on the open ramp.

The operational benefit is substantial: passengers board and disembark under cover regardless of weather, eliminating the weather disruption and delay penalty associated with open-ramp stair boarding. Wheelchair passengers can be transferred directly from the terminal through the bridge and to the aircraft door, removing the need for ambulift equipment at every regional-jet turn.

This model is particularly relevant at airports that handle a mixed fleet — trunk routes on wide-body jets and regional connections on smaller aircraft sharing common concourse gates, or where regional jet operations have expanded to a dedicated pier. In the broader Middle East and South Asia network, regional jets serve secondary city-pairs and connect smaller destinations into hub airports; the PAXWAY Regional Jet-Compatible Model allows these gates to offer the same covered boarding standard as mainline gates, improving both passenger experience and operational consistency across the terminal.