Estimated reading time 1 minute, 49 seconds.
Bombardier Commercial Aircraft announced on Aug. 1, 2018, that its 90-passenger Q400 aircraft configuration has received its certification from Transport Canada, becoming the first in-production commercial turboprop in the world to reach that capacity.
“With increasing growth in the number of passengers per departure in the turboprop market, we are excited to offer our customers a higher-capacity configuration and 15 percent lower cost per seat compared to the previous standard Q400, leading to more profitability potential for airlines,” said Todd Young, head of the Q Series Aircraft Program, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft.
“This milestone certification showcases–once again–the unique versatility of the Q400 turboprop and our continued commitment to the evolution of the program.
“Upon delivery later this year, our launch customer SpiceJet will become the first airline to take advantage of the profitable and efficient operations of the 90-seat Q400 aircraft following its order of up to 50 in 2017,” added Young.
Combined with the Q400 aircraft’s unique speed flexibility, which is driving higher scheduling efficiency, this new segment solution is perfectly adapted to high-demand turboprop markets and will further enhance economic connectivity between smaller towns and major hubs.
The 90-seat configuration represents another step in Bombardier’s continuous improvement of its Q400 aircraft, aimed at addressing traffic growth and customer bottom line. Other improvements under development includes a 2,000-pound-increase in payload capacity and an escalation of the A-Check and C-Check intervals from 600/6,000 to 800/8,000 flight hours.
Why does Bombardier continue to neglect the Q400 and CRJ900’S advancement . Both can be described as Cigar Tubes . The Q400 goes back to the early 80’s and the CRJ not long after . Baggage is stuffed in the rear , making for a longer body in the Q400 and the CRJ has a shallow body hold of about 23 inches , difficult to access , which means more in the rear , means body made longer to accomodate . The incredibly successful E175-195 has about 39 inches deep under floor storage bay , makes for a balanced design , shorter length and has wider and taller more comfortable cabin . There is no excuse for Bombardier not doing the same with both aircraft . ….not rocket science . This would have eliminated the need for the C100-300 series . Just a simple upgrade of the electronics periodically . Hey , it is not too late , wake up now !!