Bombardier Aerospace announced today that Australia’s Qantas Airways has taken delivery of the first of seven Bombardier Q400 high-speed turboprop airliners.
The Q400 airliner arrived in Brisbane on January 11 and will undergo route proving and pilot training before making its first revenue flight from Brisbane to Rockhampton, scheduled for February 26. The 72-seat Q400 aircraft will also operate twice-daily frequencies on the 431-nm (798 km) Brisbane to Mackay route from April, replacing a single daily flight operated by a Boeing 737. Qantas flights from Sydney and Melbourne will offer direct connections to Mackay by QantasLink’s new Q400 Brisbane services.
“Qantas is an example of how airlines are using the speed and efficiency of the Q400 to replace jets on some routes and augment them on others,” said Steven Ridolfi, President, Bombardier Regional Aircraft. “That’s just one of the Q400 aircraft’s many qualities that make it a truly extraordinary airplane. There is no other like it.”
“Passenger acceptance of our current fleet of Bombardier Q Series has been high – especially with the excellent Noise and Vibration Suppression (NVS) system on our newer Q200 and Q300 – so the Q400 was the obvious choice for a larger aircraft,” said Narendra Kumar, Executive General Manager, Regional Airlines at Qantas Airways when announcing the Q400 order. “We are also impressed with the speed of the Q400, which will enable QantasLink to reduce flight times and potentially operate additional frequencies on some sectors.”
At 360 knots (667 km/h), the Bombardier Q400 aircraft is the fastest of any new-generation turboprop airliner, and matches jet aircraft block speeds out to about 400 miles (740 km). The Q400 airliner also has the lowest operating costs of any regional aircraft.
Prior to the arrival of the Q400 airliner, QantasLink operated 43 aircraft, including 33 Bombardier turboprops, along a route network that reaches from Tasmania in the south to Horn Island in the north, spanning about 2,100 statute miles (3,400 km) – the longest regional airline network in the world. The airline operates approximately 2,000 flights a week to 51 domestic destinations.
As of December 31, 2005 firm orders for the Bombardier Q400 turboprop totalled 163 aircraft, of which orders for 38 were placed by operators in the Asia-Pacific region and Australia.
Dash 8/ Q Series aircraft have been operating in Australia since 1988.
About Bombardier
A world-leading manufacturer of innovative transportation solutions, from regional aircraft and business jets to rail transportation equipment, Bombardier Inc. is a global corporation headquartered in Canada. Its revenues for the fiscal year ended Jan. 31, 2005, were $15.8 billion US and its shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (BBD). News and information are available at www.bombardier.com.
Bombardier, Q Series, Q100, Q200, Q300 and Q400 are trademarks of Bombardier Inc. or its subsidiaries.
For information
Bert Cruickshank
Bombardier Aerospace
(416) 375-3030