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JSX eyes more turboprops and new mountain routes after strong passenger response
Edward Russell is a contributor for TPG. An AvGeek at heart, he covered the airline business at FlightGlobal for eight years and previously covered finance in New York and Hong Kong.
September 24, 2026 • 7 min read
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Quick summary
JSX has introduced ATR turboprop aircraft to its fleet, aiming to offer upscale, convenient travel from private air terminals.
Customer satisfaction with the ATRs is reportedly higher than with the carrier's jets, despite initial skepticism about turboprop comfort.
Supply chain and maintenance delays have slowed the rollout of ATRs, affecting planned new routes to mountain destinations until at least 2027.
JSX is also investing in future hybrid-electric aircraft, placing a deposit for 50 Heart Aerospace ES-36 planes, which promise lower operating costs and emissions.
What to consider
Local restrictions at certain airports only allow turboprop operations, impacting JSX's ability to expand jet service.
The ATR takes about 10 minutes longer per flight than the jet on comparable routes, which may influence passenger preferences.
Decisions on further ATR purchases have been delayed to mid-2027 due to rollout challenges.
What you'll miss from the article
A detailed comparison of ATR versus jet service, including operational nuances and how these aircraft fit into JSX's broader strategy.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
JSX made its name selling upscale convenience: seating in a 1-1 configuration on most of its Embraer ERJ regional jets, with high-speed Starlink connectivity, flying from private air terminals at major airports or secondary airports in major cities.
Whether deserved or not, turboprops like the ATR carry a stigma in the U.S. that they are less comfortable than jets.
Nine months in, though, and Wilcox is happy with the results.
“People really love the airplane,” he said on the sidelines of the Regional Airline Association Leaders Conference in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday. “Once it works, people love it.”
A presentation by ATR at the same event estimated that the net promoter score — a measure of customer satisfaction — for JSX’s ATRs is 2.5 points higher than for its ERJs.
Onboard JSX's ATR 42. EDWARD RUSSELL/FOR THE POINTS GUY
The “works” part is the challenge. Despite plans to have four ATR 42-600s configured with 30 seats in a 2-1 layout flying by summer, supply chain and maintenance issues slowed the rollout, Wilcox said.
JSX’s fourth ATR entered service on Aug. 30, data from flight tracking website FlightRadar24 shows.
Those delays forced JSX to push off plans for new mountain service to Telluride Regional Airport (TEX) in Colorado and, potentially, Truckee Tahoe Airport (TKF) in California until at least summer 2027, Wilcox said. Local restrictions on jet operations at both airports mean JSX can only serve them with turboprops like the ATRs.
JSX currently flies its ATRs from the Santa Monica Airport (SMO) on the west side of Los Angeles to Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas, Napa County Airport (APC), Scottsdale Airport (SCF) near Phoenix and, as of Sept. 14, Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport (OAK).
Members of the Club JSX loyalty program can earn and redeem points on all of the air carrier’s flights, including those flown with ATRs. United Airlines' MileagePlus program members can also earn points on JSX flights and redeem them on select flights.
EDWARD RUSSELL/THE POINTS GUY
ATR versus ERJ
JSX began flying an ATR on one of its multiple daily flights between Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR) and LAS on Sept. 14 in what Wilcox described as something of an A/B test to see how the turboprop performs against the air carrier’s Embraer jets.
“The NPS is high but is that Santa Monica or that the ATR?” he said. “We don’t know. Now we’re going to find that out. We’re going to put it into regular rotation where the jets go.”
SMO is a more convenient airport for much of Los Angeles’ west side compared to either Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) or BUR in the San Fernando Valley.
JSX's website shows the BUR-LAS flight on the ATR scheduled at one hour and 20 minutes compared to the ERJ at one hour and 10 minutes.
FlightRadar24 data show the turboprop consistently takes about 10 minutes longer than the jet to complete the trip.
The results of the ATR versus Embraer test will inform JSX’s decision on whether or not to finalize a deal for up to 25 new ATR 42-600s from the manufacturer, Wilcox said. While he previously hoped to make a decision by the end of this year, he now anticipates one by the middle of 2027, citing the delays JSX experienced with its first four turboprops.
Onboard a JSX ERJ regional jet. (ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY)
JSX’s future Heart
JSX is not putting all its eggs in the ATR basket. The air carrier on Wednesday put down a deposit for 50 of the planned hybrid-electric Heart Aerospace ES-36 turboprops.
If the plane achieves certification by 2031, as hoped, it would be the first entirely new turboprop in decades and one with operating expenses roughly 40% lower than those of fossil-fuel-powered planes.
“Someone needs to build it,” Wilcox said. “No one’s building 30- to 50-seat airplanes anymore other than ATR. For something that’s going to have 40% of the energy costs, it could fly all electric with zero emissions if you had the right solar infrastructure and everything else, I think that’s the future. It’s also more reliable.”
Asked how confident he is in Heart achieving its development target, he cited the company's first flight of a demonstrator model in August as evidence that it was "more than a paper organization."
"Seeing is believing," Wilcox said.
The ES-36 will seat up to 36 passengers in a single-class layout, though JSX can only configure its planes with 30 seats under the public charter model it uses to operate its flights. The plane can fly up to 745 miles — far enough to fly nonstop from SMO to TEX.
JSX hopes to begin flying the ES-36 by the “early 2030s” if Heart is able to certify the plane in five years, said Wilcox.
Heart also has commitments for the ES-36 from Air Canada and United Airlines.
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
