Understand your flight

Are small regional planes safe?

Regional flights can feel different: smaller cabins, propellers, more noticeable bumps. But in the US, scheduled passenger flights in airplanes with 10 or more seats, and all scheduled jets, fly under the same airline rulebook as big jets. Here's what that means, without comparing anyone.

5 official sources, listed at the end Checked October 18, 2026
Photo: Michael, Public domain
In this article · 6 sections
  1. We won't rank or compare
  2. One rulebook for scheduled airline flights
  3. The same pilot requirements
  4. Why it can feel different
  5. If you're nervous about a small plane
  6. Keep reading

We won't rank or compare

You won't find a "safest airline" or "safest plane" list here, and that includes regional carriers. What we can do is explain the rules that apply to regional flights, so you know what's behind the smaller airplane at your gate.

One rulebook for scheduled airline flights

In 1995 the FAA issued a rule requiring certain commuter operators that had been flying under Part 135 (the rules for smaller commercial operations) to move to Part 121, the main airline rulebook. It covered scheduled passenger operations in airplanes with 10 to 30 seats and scheduled passenger operations in turbojets of any size. The FAA said the rule was intended to increase safety in scheduled passenger-carrying operations.1 Part 121 governs the domestic, flag and supplemental operations of certificated air carriers, including the maintenance of their aircraft.2

In practice that means the regional jet or turboprop on your route is operated under the same framework of training, maintenance programs and operating rules as the larger airliner at the next gate.

The same pilot requirements

In 2013 the FAA raised the bar for airline first officers. On US Part 121 flights, the second in command must hold an airline transport pilot certificate and a type rating for the airplane,3 which normally requires 1,500 hours of flight time (with a restricted version for some military-trained and aviation-degree pilots).4 Captains must have at least 1,000 hours in airline-type operations.3 Those rules apply regardless of the size of the airplane or the airline's brand.

Why it can feel different

One thing really is different, and it's about comfort:

  • Bumps feel bigger. A lighter airplane responds more to the same air. US turbulence forecasts even set different thresholds by aircraft weight class: air that counts as "moderate" for a light airplane is lighter for a heavy jet.5 That's about the feel of the ride, not about safety: the forecast thresholds exist so that each class of airplane gets warnings matched to how it responds.

If you're nervous about a small plane

Pick an aisle or a seat near the wing if motion bothers you (see Choosing a seat), keep your belt fastened, and use the in-flight pack for a breathing exercise. For the industry-wide picture of how rare accidents are, see Is it safe to fly right now?.

Keep reading

Quick answers

Are regional airlines held to the same rules as major airlines?

In the US, scheduled passenger operations in airplanes with 10 to 30 seats, and scheduled operations in any turbojet, were moved under Part 121, the main airline rulebook, by a 1995 FAA rule. Larger airliners already flew under it.

Are propeller planes less safe than jets?

We don't compare aircraft types or airlines. Scheduled turboprop flights with 10 or more seats fly under the same airline rules, with the same pilot certificate requirements, as jets on the same kind of scheduled service.

Why do small planes feel bumpier?

Lighter aircraft respond more to the same air. US turbulence forecasts even use different thresholds by aircraft weight: the same air counts as moderate turbulence for a light airplane before it does for a heavy jet.

Are regional pilots less experienced?

Since 2013, first officers on all US Part 121 airlines must hold an airline transport pilot certificate and a type rating, and captains need at least 1,000 hours in airline-type operations. That applies to regional and mainline airlines alike.

Sources

(5)
  1. Federal Register, Commuter Operations and General Certification and Operations Requirements (final rule, Dec. 20, 1995)
  2. 14 CFR § 121.1, Applicability
  3. 14 CFR § 121.436, Pilot qualification: certificates and experience requirements
  4. Federal Register, Pilot Certification and Qualification Requirements for Air Carrier Operations (final rule, July 15, 2013)
  5. NWS Aviation Weather Center, GFA help (turbulence thresholds by aircraft weight)

Facts last checked against these sources: October 18, 2026.