Qantas Adds Aircraft to Fleet

Sydney, Australia based Qantas Airways recently announced in a press release that they have signed an agreement to purchase twelve new Bombardier aircraft. These new aircraft will allow the airline to expand service to smaller and more destinations across Australia. The purchase is for twelve Dash-8 Q400 aircraft, one of the largest commercial turboprop aircraft in service today. Bombardier lists this newest purchase worth nearly one third of a billion US Dollars. Today, QantasLink, the regional affiliate of Qantas operates seven Q400 aircraft.

Qantas Airways General Manager for regional airlines Narendra Kumar had the following to say at the recent press conference. "Our initial investment in the Q400 in 2005 has resulted in new regional routes, an increase in capacity and reduced flight times on some routes by up to 20 per cent. These additional aircraft will be used to increase capacity and service frequency on key regional routes, as well as pursue new growth opportunities."

Also present was Steven Ridolfi, President of Bombardier Regional Aircraft. He had the following to say: "This follow-on order is further evidence of the Q400 airliner's value to the airlines that operate the aircraft. Quite simply, no other regional turboprop aircraft matches its speed, passenger comfort and operating economics."

About Qantas Airways: Qantas actually stands for Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services, is the oldest airline operating in Australia, and the second oldest operating in the world today, only behind KLM Royal Dutch Airways. Today, Qantas operates a fleet of over 200 aircraft to six continents and nearly 150 destinations. Qantas operates out of hubs in Sydney and Melbourne, Australia, as well as focus cities in Adelaide and Brisbane, Australia, Los Angeles, London, Perth and Singapore.

About the ordered aircraft: The Bombardier Dash-8 Q400 is one of today's most popular turboprop airliner for regional airlines. Operating with greater efficiency than jets over routes shorter than two hours, the Q400 is an environmentally friendly aircraft. The Q400 will seat up to 78 passengers on a route of 1,300 nautical miles at 425 miles per hour. While the aircraft uses propeller engines, the aircraft is able to fly at near jet speeds, offering the same comfort of larger aircraft. Recently, some concern has been had about the structural design of the aircraft's landing gear, after several incidents in a short time span involving landing gear collapse. Bombardier insists that any problems in engineering will be corrected or that any faulty equipment in the aircraft be redesigned in order to ensure a safe aircraft.