QantasLink to replace Q200/Q300s with mid-life Q400s

[Harrison_133]

The second hand Q400s are coming from Westjet.

First is due in October.

 

[iluvoz]

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.

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

QANTAS will acquire 14 additional mid-life Dash 8-400 aircraft (Q400), bringing the number of Q400 aircraft in the fleet to 45.

Westjet, Canada’s leading low-cost airline, operates a fleet of 35 DeHavilland Dash 8-400 aircraft.


The Westjet Q400s on the Wikipedia webpage lists the fleet size as 47, 12 aircraft more than the number given on the carrier’s homepage.

And that number may be shrinking further given QANTAS will acquire 14 aircraft, with the first aircraft arriving into country by the end of the calendar year.

 

[eastwest101]

Apart from LDH, are there any other QF regional destinations which can’t handle anything larger than a Q300?

I think LDH is the only runway limitation airport that can't currently handle a Dash 8-400?

Then there will be the capacity issue if the market may not support the number of seats for larger aircraft. If the destination is too thin/small for a Q400 then Qantas will have to abandon the route or look into triangulation for some regional routes maybe?

I thought some of the other smaller airports without security screening might be the issue with using Q400s but I see the Federal Government has finally relented and changed policy to an annual pax number threshold for the problematic regional low pax volume and high cost situations, rather than the illogical aircraft specific policy that caused problems and huge costs for local council owned airports e.g. Port Lincoln, Broken Hill, Kingscoate etc

I think if anything the retirement of Qantas smaller Dash 8 -200s & -300s might assist or help save the Rex Saab 340 operations not to mention might free up some of those airframes for other regional operators?

 

[moa999]

So a decade ago WestJet took Qantas's old 767s, as a stop gap to 787s.

And now QantasLink is taking WestJetEncore Q400 hand me downs.

 

[RSD]

So a decade ago WestJet took Qantas's old 767s, as a stop gap to 787s.

And now QantasLink is taking WestJetEncore Q400 hand me downs.

Apparently the Israeli prime minister's "Wings of Zion" is an ex-Qantas 767 too that had a refurbishment to convert it into a VIP + accompanying press transport - complete with anti-missile system.

 

[straya7]

Bit flabbergasted by this decision, smaller markets will likely see reduced frequency’s, majority of Q300s have been in good condition compared to what REX fly.

 

[RSD]

Bit flabbergasted by this decision, smaller markets will likely see reduced frequency’s, majority of Q300s have been in good condition compared to what REX fly.

Good condition compared to REX doesn't actually mean that they are in good condition!

 

[servicerequired]

Bit flabbergasted by this decision, smaller markets will likely see reduced frequency’s, majority of Q300s have been in good condition compared to what REX fly.

I don't think we'll see a huge frequency decrease - hopefully some of the Q300s stick around and QF pick up some of the REX void ...

 

[docjames]

Is the LDH tender still out - outcome expected Sept 2024 with services from March 2025 was the original plan?

Going to be interesting to see how this gets resolved - increasingly looks like QF will lose the route with no DHC-200s and its hard to imagine a runway extension gets approved (although stranger things have happened).

 

[henrus]

Is the LDH tender still out - outcome expected Sept 2024 with services from March 2025 was the original plan?

Yes, end of this week it’s meant to be announced. I guess only time will tell if the NSW gov is ready to announce.

 

[Harrison_133]

Melbourne now has Q400s scheduled on services starting at the end of November.

Adelaide sees Q400s from mid-February.

 

[servicerequired]

Yes, end of this week it’s meant to be announced. I guess only time will tell if the NSW gov is ready to announce.

My bet is that QF have tendered, and they will be successful - however, they will state that there will be a replacement aircraft arriving in approx. 2-3 years OR the runway extension has been approved within same timeframe.

I can't see QF leaving losing this route - in fact I can't really see QF losing interest in any of the ports from their regional network ... rather the opposite.

 

[RSD]

And so it begins - Qantas cutting some Devonport - Melbourne flights

 

[Harrison_133]

Q400s resumed operations out of Melbourne this afternoon.

Seat maps for the ex WestJet Q400s have also appeared on the Qantas website. First aircraft is due to arrive in Australia this week.

 

[RSD]

Q400s resumed operations out of Melbourne this afternoon.

Seat maps for the ex WestJet Q400s have also appeared on the Qantas website. First aircraft is due to arrive in Australia this week.

Why did they stop operations?

 

[Harrison_133]

Why did they stop operations?

They went Q300 only out of Melbourne for the last couple of years.

 

[RSD]

They went Q300 only out of Melbourne for the last couple of years.

Ah OK - didn't know that - I only fly Tassie to MEL and VV

 

[servicerequired]

Q400s resumed operations out of Melbourne this afternoon.

Seat maps for the ex WestJet Q400s have also appeared on the Qantas website. First aircraft is due to arrive in Australia this week.

About time !!

This is like the 'end' to COVID for the MEL turboprops.

 

[TheInsider]

Q400s resumed operations out of Melbourne this afternoon.

Seat maps for the ex WestJet Q400s have also appeared on the Qantas website. First aircraft is due to arrive in Australia this week.

https://www.qantas.com/content/dam/qantas/pdfs/qantas-experience/onboard/seatmaps/dash-8-q400.pdf

Included are the regos of the 'new' aircraft.

 

[douglasac10]

Adelaide sees Q400s from mid-February.

The ADL-MGB-ADL run switches to the Q400 on the 16th of February (also switching from Eastern Australia Aviation to Sunstate Airlines).

Also loses the Thursday flights and goes to Monday, Friday and Sunday daily flights only. Hopefully not the beginning of the end of the Qantas runs here as it's nice not having to pay a small fortune to Rex (and prior to the tax increase wasn't a bad points redemption).

In saying this (and maybe slightly off topic!) I'm curious if anyone knows at what point an airport needs screening facilities? I thought it was when planes over a certain capacity started serving the airport, so if they're needed for the Q400 the airport better get onto it - we don't have screening here at MGB!