Industry talk about the need for a 90-seat turboprop is well known. Both of the principal OEMs, ATR and Bombardier, have not rushed to develop something new. As we have heard both OEMs say at ISTAT – the business case for developing a new aircraft isn’t there.
Today Bombardier announced their Q400 can now seat 90. The company estimates the 12 to 14 additional seats deliver ~$8m in extra value to customers. Further boosting the aircraft, Bombardier also announced a 2,000 lb-increase in payload and an escalation of the A-Check and C-Check intervals from 600/6,000 to 800/8,000 flight hours, all available for entry-into-service as early as 2018.
Previously the maximum seating on the Q400 was 86 on Nok Air.
Co-Founder AirInsight. My previous life includes stints at Shell South Africa, CIC Research, and PA Consulting. Got bitten by the aviation bug and ended up an Avgeek. Then the data bug got me, making me a curious Avgeek seeking data-driven logic. Also, I appreciate conversations with smart people from whom I learn so much. Summary: I am very fortunate to work with and converse with great people.
