Widerøe signs deal to extend service life of four Dash 8-100 aircraft
Widerøe will extend the life of another four Dash 8-100 aircraft through a service agreement with De Havilland Canada.
The deal, which falls under De Havilland Canada’s Extended Service Program PLUS (ESP+), extends the service life of its Dash 8-100s from 120,000 to 160,000 flight cycles.
Extending the life of Widerøe’s Dash 8-100
De Havilland Canada said this would give the aircraft, the workhorse of the Wideroe fleet which offers Short Takeoff and Landing (STOL) capabilities on rugged and remote runways, the longest flight-cycle life of any commercial aircraft.
Widerøe, Scandinavia’s largest regional airline, became the launch customer for ESP+ in 2022, initially enrolling 10 aircraft with options for an additional 10.
Announced at the Farnborough International Airshow on Monday, the latest agreement puts the total Wideroe fleet within the ESP+ programme at 14.
“We’re delighted to continue building on our long-standing relationship with Widerøe through the expansion of the ESP+ program,” said Rob Mobilio, chief commercial officer for De Havilland Canada.
“Widerøe has been a leader in the adoption of this programme from the beginning, and we’re proud to support them as they continue to maximise the value and service life of their Dash 8-100 fleet.”
Wideroe currently operates a fleet of 45 Dash-8s, including 21 -100s, four -200s, three -300s and 17 -400s.
Commenting on the deal, Werner Skaue, director of aircraft trading for Widerøe, added: “We are pleased to expand our participation in the ESP+ programme.”
“The Dash 8-100 remains an important part of our regional network, and ESP+ gives us a practical and cost-effective way to extend the life of these aircraft while maintaining the safety, reliability and performance our operations depend on.”
De Havilland Canada’s new Dash 8-400 A-Check programme
Separately, the two companies have signed an agreement to implement De Havilland Canada’s new Dash 8-400 A-Check Escalation programme across its fleet of 17 aircraft.
Widerøe will become the first Dash 8-400 operator to adopt the new maintenance programme, which extends the interval between scheduled A-Checks from 800 to 1,200 flight hours.
De Havilland Canada said the longer maintenance intervals would help Widerøe reduce aircraft downtime, increase fleet availability, and lower the labour and material costs associated with scheduled maintenance.
In 2021, the two companies introduced similar maintenance interval extensions for Widerøe’s Dash 8-100, -200 and -300 aircraft, increasing the time between both A-Checks and C-Checks.
