QantasLink to replace Q200/Q300s with mid-life Q400s

[Harrison_133]

QantasLink have announced fleet renewal plans for the Dash 8 fleet which will see the phase out of the Q200 and Q300 fleets.

14 mid-life Q400s will be acquired to replace 19 Q200s and Q300s. The first aircraft will start to arrive by the end of the 2024 calendar year.

• QantasLink currently has 31 Q400s in its fleet, which will increase to 45 following the new investment.
• The 14 new Q400s will have 78 seats (four more than the existing Q400s) compared to 50 seats on the Q300s and 36 seats on the Q200s.
• The additional aircraft are on average, more than 10 years younger than the aircraft they are replacing.

Source: https://www.qantasnewsroom.com.au/media-releases/qantas-group-invests-in-regional-turboprop-fleet/

 

[Virgin Bart]

Interesting for Lord Howe Island. May free up some more award space.

 

[Virgin Bart]

Interesting for Lord Howe Island. May free up some more award space.

Or it may not be able to land...?

 

[DAC1]

Who are they getting them from?

 

[muppet]

Four more seats … sounds comfy.

 

[TheInsider]

Who are they getting them from?

Any airlines that run them with 4 additional seats than Qantas?

 

[jakeseven7]

Wonder what will happen to the Lord Howe route

 

[Harrison_133]

Wonder what will happen to the Lord Howe route

The contract is set to expire on 29 March 2025 and just last week the NSW Government opened EOIs for the Sydney-Lord Howe and Sydney-Moree routes, with new licences to be awarded before the end of September.

The Q400 will be way too big for Lord Howe, so will they even reapply?

 

[yachty]

Any airlines that run them with 4 additional seats than Qantas?

So many to choose from. Air Canada, Westjet, Porter, Spicejet, Ethiopian are all current operators with 78 seats and >15 aircraft.

Flybe (both recent iterations) also had a 78 seat config with a lot of aircraft still in storage.

 

[muppet]

Air Canada Q400 has 78 seats.

20 instead of 19 rows …. Snug.

AC DHC Dash 8-400 - aeroLOPA | Detailed aircraft seat plans

Hola > Air Canada > DHC Dash 8-400Air Canada Express DHC Dash 8-400 configured 78M. Note, some aircraft are fitted with 76 seats, missing either seats 20AC or 20DF

www.aerolopa.com

Forward galley looks the same, so loss of rear galley space and squished in seats.

 

[Blackadder]

Eastern Australia Airlines to separate from Qantaslink on the LHI route?, Rex to take over??

 

[justinbrett]

Eastern Australia Airlines to separate from Qantaslink on the LHI route?, Rex to take over??

Not with their current fleet. Saab doesn’t have the range (they’re required to carry return fuel)

 

[Catweazle]

Sharp Airlines for LDH?

 

[henrus]

The contract is set to expire on 29 March 2025 and just last week the NSW Government opened EOIs for the Sydney-Lord Howe

Oh great, I snagged award seats for April next year. Will be pissed if they get cancelled, at least I’ve picked accomodation that can be canceled at no fee.

 

[servicerequired]

This is great news - Q400 to return to Melbourne and Adelaide bases.

What is a little bit more sketchy is the loose terminology around the gradual phasing out of the Q200 and Q300 fleet.

1. Lord Howe Island
2. Future of REX and their SAAB fleet with an average age of 30 years old

- QF return to Mount Gambier
- QF addition of Adelaide to Broken Hill
- QF were speaking with Moree Plains Shire Council last year about replacing 200/300 services into MRZ with the 400
- QF are unlikely to abandon LDH ... LDH are more likely to secure commitment to their runway extension and an eventual transition to Q400 units
- QF to service PKE ??

 

[oz_mark]

So many to choose from. Air Canada, Westjet, Porter, Spicejet, Ethiopian are all current operators with 78 seats and >15 aircraft.

Flybe (both recent iterations) also had a 78 seat config with a lot of aircraft still in storage.

I've heard rumours that they are coming from Flybe but will have to wait and see I guess.

 

[jrfsp]

Air Canada Q400 has 78 seats.

20 instead of 19 rows …. Snug.

AC DHC Dash 8-400 - aeroLOPA | Detailed aircraft seat plans

Hola > Air Canada > DHC Dash 8-400Air Canada Express DHC Dash 8-400 configured 78M. Note, some aircraft are fitted with 76 seats, missing either seats 20AC or 20DF

www.aerolopa.com

Forward galley looks the same, so loss of rear galley space and squished in seats.

Assume they’d be reconfigured for 74 seats ?

Post automatically merged: Jun 25, 2024

With Lord Howe, limited accommodation mostly negates the use of more seats

 

[dylarr]

Probably explains why a lot of regional routes were upgraded from Q300->Q400 recently.

Would have been nice to see new aircraft announced for the turboprop fleet but with what? Not much happening in this space currently and they need something to tide themselves over for the next while.

As others have mentioned Lord Howe Island is a huge question mark. What aircraft would be viable at this scale? It's pretty much just the Q200 and ATR 42-600 STOL? It will be very interesting to see what happens here. The route is well patronised and I'm sure it'd have to be one of the most profitable turboprop routes with seats selling for ~$600+ one way so I'm sure QF would like to hold onto it.

 

[moa999]

Wonder if Rex will pick up these aircraft, particularly the younger (20yo) Q300s.

These small short hop flights are probably going to be the first to fall to electric/ hydrogen electric aircraft, though getting power or hydrogen to some of the regional airports might be expensive.

Eg. ZeroAvia flies Hydrogen-electric Dornier - Australian Flying

 

[Catweazle]

Oh great, I snagged award seats for April next year. Will be pissed if they get cancelled, at least I’ve picked accomodation that can be canceled at no fee.

You'd hope they'll give you a seat on whatever airline gets you there another way... or how about a QFF private yacht? I'd take that!