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De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited has delivered the first of three new Dash 8-400 aircraft ordered by Biman Bangladesh Airlines Ltd. and the aircraft is en route to Bangladesh. The aircraft were ordered under a purchase agreement that was signed between Biman and the Canadian Commercial Corporation (“CCC”) in 2018 and will join two Dash 8-400 aircraft that were introduced to Biman’s fleet in 2015 and 2018.
“Our Dash 8-400 aircraft’s excellent economics and passenger environment have allowed us to offer high-frequency services within Bangladesh and neighboring countries over the last five years and we look forward to the increased operational flexibility that our new aircraft will provide for our fleet,” said Md Mokabbir Hossain, managing director and CEO, Biman. “The combination of our Dash 8-400 turboprops and our narrow body jets improves our overall network efficiency, connectivity and, ultimately, our system profitability. Furthermore, during the ongoing pandemic, we have found that the role of our Dash 8-400 aircraft is even more important as we see gradual traffic recovery after the lockdown.
“In today’s environment, we also appreciate the Dash 8-400 aircraft’s excellent cabin air system which includes HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filtration to keep our passengers and crew safe,” added Hossain.
“The Dash 8-400 aircraft’s turboprop economics and jet-like performance have proven to be an ideal match for Biman’s network of short, domestic routes and longer, international routes,” said Rob Baseggio, regional VP, Sales, De Havilland Canada. “In addition, the Dash 8-400 aircraft’s greater passenger and cargo capacity set it apart from the competition and provide Biman with the opportunity to optimize its network operations.”
“Canada’s strong bilateral ties with Bangladesh through trade and investment, developmental cooperation, and people-to-people links are focused on improving the lives of Bangladeshi people. CCC is therefore exceedingly proud that the successful delivery of the first new Dash 8-400 aircraft to Biman Bangladesh Airlines will provide increased access to domestic and international destinations and support economic growth in the country,” said Ernie Briard, interim president and CEO, CCC.
Worldwide, more than 155 airlines, leasing companies and other organizations have ordered almost 1,300 Dash 8 Series aircraft. The fleet of Dash 8 Series aircraft across the globe supports diverse airline operating models as low cost carriers, network connectors and point-to-point regional aircraft. They are also deployed in hybrid passenger-cargo operations and all-cargo operations, and many provide an ideal platform for special mission operations – including fire-fighting, search and rescue, medical evacuation and coastal surveillance.
De Havilland Canada continues to focus on delivering exceptional support to operators of Dash 8 Series aircraft and is currently assisting customers who need help in updating their fleet utilization and network recovery models during the pandemic.
