De Havilland Aircraft of Canada has logged commitments for seven refurbished Dash 8-400 aircraft from Japan’s All Nippon Airways, along with a string of orders by other operators in Europe and African operators.
The Star Alliance operator has signed a letter of intent to purchase the seven turboprops, which it says will be delivered from 2025 as part of fleet renewal efforts.
The turboprops will be modified – under its OEM-certified refurbishment programme – to match the specifications of the airline’s existing Dash 8 fleet.
”De Havilland will procure and re-condition the aircraft that will be certified according to original manufacturer specifications and delivered to ANA under warranty,” the airline states.
Separately, the airframer recorded two aircraft orders from Wideroe in Norway, one of De Havilland’s oldest customers. Wideroe currently operates 42 of the type according to Cirium fleets data, and transports about 2.8 million passengers annually to 40 destinations.
One of the refurbished turboprops will go to Skyward Express, a private airline operating in Kenya, and another to the Tanzania Government Flight Agency, which provides VIP flight services to government officials. The Tanzania Government Flight Agency supports and manages all Tanzanian government aircraft, which it leases to Air Tanzania.
Skyward Express currently operates three Dash 8s.
To date, De Havilland Canada has acquired 28 Dash 8-400 aircraft for the refurbishment programme.
As the programme ramps up, De Havilland facilities across Canada “will be providing engineering, parts and expertise to meet the growing demand for the Dash 8 aircraft”, the company adds.
