‍DALLAS – Australia’s national carrier, Qantas (QF) will take delivery of 14 additional mid-life Dash 8-400 aircraft (Q400). This aligns with QF’s aim to connect regional Australia with reliable flight services.

The first aircraft will join the QantasLink fleet by the end of the current calendar year. Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson said the turboprop renewal program was part of the airline’s ongoing commitment to serving communities in regional Australia.

“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,” Hudson said.

Qantas is set to retire 19 smaller Q200 and Q300 turboprop aircraft from its fleet, gradually replacing them with the more advanced Q400 aircraft. These new aircraft are more than 30 percent faster than their predecessors, offering significant time savings for customers traveling to and from regional destinations. The younger fleet will also contribute to improved operational reliability, a key factor in Qantas' commitment to providing top-notch service.

“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,” Hudson said.

Growth of Turboprop Fleet

The investment will bring the number of Q400 aircraft in the fleet to 45, with the consolidation of three sub-fleets into a single turboprop fleet. This will provide further scale benefits and efficiencies for QantasLink, including lower maintenance and operating costs. 

“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,” Hudson said.

However, after the fleet changes are completed, there will be no material change to QantasLink’s overall turboprop capacity. The aircraft will enable QF to serve the country with more reliable and sustainable flight connectivity.

“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.” She said.