As part of its continuous effort to maintain connectivity throughout regional Australia, Qantas has announced additional investments in its fleet of DeHavilland Dash 8 turboprops.
The national carrier plans to purchase 14 more mid-life Dash 8-400 aircraft (Q400), while 19 smaller turboprop Q200 and Q300 aircraft will be phased out of the fleet over time.
The inaugural aircraft is scheduled to become part of the QantasLink fleet by the close of 2024.
Customers will save time going to and from regional areas as Q400 aircraft are more than 30% faster than Q200 and Q300 aircraft. Enhancing operational reliability will also be aided by the younger fleet.
By consolidating three sub-fleets into a single fleet of turboprops, this investment will increase the number of Q400 aircraft in the fleet to 45 and provide QantasLink with further scale benefits and efficiency, such as cheaper maintenance and operating costs. There won’t be any significant adjustments to QantasLink’s total turboprop capacity after the fleet modifications are completed.
“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. QantasLink turboprops carry more than 3.5 million customers to more than 50 destinations around regional Australia every year, and these next-generation aircraft allow us to improve the travel experience with a faster and more comfortable experience. By consolidating our turboprops into a single fleet type, we’ll be able to further improve our reliability and provide a better recovery for our customers during disruptions as well as reducing complexity and cost for our operation. We know sustainable travel is important for our customers. These additional Q400s allow us to provide certainty to the regions over the next decade while we work with aircraft manufacturers and other suppliers on electric or battery powered aircraft that are the right size and range for our network.”
Vanessa Hudson, CEO of Qantas Group.
The Qantas Group is investing in this project as part of its larger jet fleet renewal programme. In the upcoming weeks, QantasLink will get its third Airbus A220 aircraft.
The bulk of the net investment in the fleet will occur in FY25, with the remaining portion falling into FY26. Management of the investment in FY25 will adhere to the current net capex target of $3.7 billion to $3.9 billion.
Through a variety of programmes, Qantas assists regional Australia. These programmes include:
- With the help of the Regional Grants programme, not-for-profit community organisations and initiatives that directly assist regional Australia will receive $10 million in grants spread over five years, or $2 million annually.
- The programme for resident fares makes air travel more affordable by providing year-round discounts to citizens of sixteen distant and regional towns.
If you’re interested in meeting with regional airlines, contact us today to enquire about our MTB Aviation events.
