Qantas to modernise turboprop fleet with extra 14 Dash 8-400s
Qantas is to modernise its regional fleet through the acquisition of 14 mid-life Dash 8-400 (Q400) aircraft, with 19 smaller turboprops to be gradually phased out.
The arrival of the…
June 25, 2024
Qantas is to modernise its regional fleet through the acquisition of 14 mid-life Dash 8-400 (Q400) aircraft, with 19 smaller turboprops to be gradually phased out.
The arrival of the new aircraft (with the first unit set to join the fleet by the end of 2024) will bring the total number of QantasLink Q400s from 31 to 45. Through the incremental replacement of 19 smaller Q200 and Q300 models, the consolidation of three sub-fleets into a single unit will also bring further scale benefits and efficiencies.
Net investment in the fleet will be predominately spread across 2025 and 2026, primarily in the former. Investment in full year 2025 will be managed within existing net capital expenditure guidance of $3.7 billion to $3.9 billion.
QantasLink turboprops carry more than 3 million customers to over 50 regional destinations every year, with the new 78-seat Q400s to have 28 and 42 more seats than the outgoing Q300s and Q200s respectively. The newer aircraft are also, on average, over a decade younger than their predecessors.
“As the national carrier, we are proud of the role we have played for more than 100 years keeping regional communities connected, and this investment ensures there will be ongoing reliable air services across many parts of regional Australia,” said Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson.
