MILESTONE FOR THE Q400 AND FOR ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES
(Posted 27th July 2019)
After the sale of the Q400 programme by Bombardier to De Havilland Aircraft of Canada, has the aircraft type just reached a milestone waypoint.
Ethiopian Airlines has taken delivery of their 25th Q400 aircraft in dual class configuration while the aircraft type reached number 600.
Ethiopian Airlines has, beyond using this aircraft type to fly on domestic and shorter regional routes, also deployed Q400’s to partner airlines like Asky, Tchadia, Malawian and ETMozambique, where the plane provides reliable operations connecting often smaller airports with the respective hubs of these carriers.
The sale of the Q400 programme to De Havilland Aircraft of Canada not only kept the aircraft assembly in Canada but also, unlike with the CRJ programme, ensured the continued production of the model while new CRJ owners Mitsubishi immediately after the purchase was completed shut down future sales and will halt production when the last ordered aircraft has been delivered.
Present at the handover was Mr. Tewolde GebreMariam, the CEO of the Ethiopian Airlines Group who had travelled to Canada to personally take delivery from the new Q400 programme owners.
“The Dash 8-400 aircraft gives us the performance attributes, capacity and passenger comfort that support our strategic partnerships with regional carriers in Africa and supports our continuing growth strategy in the market,” said Tewolde GebreMariam, Chief Executive Officer, Ethiopian Airlines Group. “We are honored to be receiving the milestone aircraft bearing serial number 4600 and we are committed to supporting our fleet and others in our region through our Authorized Service Facility and our Dash 8-400 aircraft simulator.”
“The delivery of the 600th Dash 8-400 aircraft produced at our Toronto facility is a significant moment for De Havilland Canada and we are delighted that Ethiopian Airlines, our largest customer in Africa, is the recipient airline. Since this aircraft will become the 25th Dash 8-400 turboprop in Ethiopian’s fleet, we are celebrating two important milestones,” added Todd Young, Chief Operating Officer, De Havilland Canada. “Growing markets will continue to drive the evolution of our Dash 8-400 aircraft, as well as the suite of services we offer to support our customers. We are very proud that our teams in Toronto and at locations across the globe are well aligned in helping us meet the demand from airlines.”
