Qantas Retires Its DHC Dash 8 Q300 Aircraft

‍SYDNEY — Qantas (QF) bids farewell to the de De Havilland Canada Dash 8-Q300 twin-engine turboprop. Q300 was part of the airline’s regional fleet for 25 years, connecting various regional destinations across Australia.

The last regional turboprop airliner, registered as VH-SBV and operated by QantasLink, has flown its previous flight, QF2003, from Tamworth to Sydney on August 8, 2025. VH-SBV flew nearly 40,000 flights and carried over a million passengers throughout its flying history.

The Dash 8 Q300 allowed the airline to reach many regional destinations. Regional connectivity remains vital for Qantas; the airline invested in Dash 8 Q400 aircraft to serve the regional market in the future.

Qantas in the Australian Domestic Market

Every year, Qantas carries over 3.5 million customers across more than 50 regional destinations in 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,” said Qantas Group CEO, Vanessa Hudson.

Regional Fleet Transition to Q400

In 2024, QF announced the purchase of 14 additional Dash 8 Q400 aircraft to replace the smaller Q200 and Q300 on a regional market. The purchase will bring the number of Q400 aircraft in Qantas to 45.

The 31 Dash 8 Q400s flying for QantasLink are equipped with 74 seats. New 14 Q400s have four more seats, compared to 50 seats in the Q300 and 36 seats in the Q200.

Consolidating three sub-fleets into a single fleet of Q400 turboprops will reduce maintenance and operating costs and provide enhanced reliability and smoother disruption management. 

The Q400 will deliver a more comfortable and faster experience for passengers and allow for a reduced amount of carbon emissions per passenger.