Several current examples show how airlines continue to invest in the DHC 8-400, popularly known as “Dash”, relying on them in their regional operations and speak in favor of the fact that the time of the Dash is certainly not over.
The news that Air Canada will soon provide free WiFi to passengers is not surprising. What is interesting is that the service will also be available in DHC 8-400 aircraft. This will make Air Canada the first carrier to enable WiFi on aircraft of this type.
The service, in a limited capacity, until now, and from 2023, has been available to passengers who are members of the Air Canada Aeroplan passenger reward program, but exclusively for exchanging text messages.
Starting in the spring of 2025, the service will be available on most Air Canada, Air Canada Rouge and Air Canada Express aircraft on short- and medium-haul flights, mostly within North America. It will first be implemented on aircraft departing from Toronto Billy Bishop Airport. Fast, free, unlimited WiFi will be made available to loyalty program members, significantly improving the travel experience. The service is also planned to be available on long-haul flights by 2026.
On the other hand, in early December this year, Australia’s QantasLink took over the first of the 14 DHC 8-400 aircraft ordered from Canadian carrier WestJet. The aircraft’s journey from Canada to Brisbane, Australia was technically and time-consuming. Due to the impossibility of crossing the Pacific Ocean without refueling, the aircraft flew east. The journey took seven days with ten technical stops in Canada, Iceland, Norway, Slovenia, Egypt, Oman, India, Indonesia and Australia.
QantasLink currently operates the DHC 8-200, 8-300 and 8-400 aircraft in its fleet, and plans to gradually replace the smaller versions, the 8-200 and 8-300, with the 8-400, thus having only one DHC 8 aircraft in its fleet. .
The DHC 8-400 that arrived is not much different from the current 8-400s in QantasLink’s fleet. It has an extra row of seats, allowing it to carry 78 passengers, but at the same time the distance between the seats has been slightly reduced. Technically, the average age of WestJet’s ordered and expected aircraft is 8-400 nine years, compared to the 31 DHC 8-400s that QantasLink currently owns, which have an average age of 15 years. The DHC 8-400 is important for regional connectivity and the delivery of Australia’s regional flight network, and carries over 3.5 million passengers annually. million passengers.
