DALLAS — Canadian turboprop aircraft manufacturer, De Havilland Canada (DHC) has announced a fleet upgrade plan for the Dash 8. This project will be based on DHC’s successful 2018 plan to convert and enhance used CL-215 aircraft into CL-415 Enhanced Aerial Firefighter; with nine aircraft already upgraded, and two more pending. 

DHC’s Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) plan will see Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) work done at De Havilland Canada’s facilities in Calgary. The OEM refurbishment program will involve DHC purchasing, upgrading, and selling the Dash 8 aircraft, whilst catering to customers’ specific requirements. DHC has reportedly acquired 28 Dash 8-400 aircraft for the upgrade. 

The program is aimed towards operators wanting to become first time customers of the Dash 8 or those who are looking to expand their fleets. 

DHC Fleet Upgrade

The fleet refurbishment will offer: 

• Avionics and equipment upgrades
• Configuring aircraft to match operator needs or fleet
• Freighter conversions
• Completion of overdue maintenance, incorporation of Airworthiness Directives, and Service Bulletin upgrades
• Airframe life extensions via the Extended Service Plan (ESP), which can extend the Dash 8-100/200/300 to 120,000 cycles, or the ESP+ which can extend the Dash 8-100 to 160,000 cycles

According to skiesmag.com, the announcement of the plan has already been a quick success to “keep the fleet flying”, with airlines signing contracts at Farnborough International Airshow to purchase the refurbished Dash 8s. Widerøe (WF) from Norway signed a purchase agreement for two DHC OEM certified refurbished Dash 8-400 aircraft. 

To aid fleet growth, Kenyan airline, Skyward Express (OW) has also signed a purchase agreement for one OEM refurbished Dash 8-400. Ryan DeBrusk, vice president of sales and marketing for De Havilland Canada stated “The Dash 8 is a prominent aircraft in Kenya, and we are proud to be working with Skyward Express, a premier operator in the region”.

Also in Africa, Tanzania Government Flight Agency has signed a purchase contract for a DHC OEM certified refurbished Dash 8-400.

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