MAX KINGSLEY-JONES / DUBLIN
Positive feedback from operators helps high-speed turboprop shake off troubled image
Bombardier is confident that it has cracked the reliability problems suffered by its Dash 8 Q400 turboprop, and claims that the 78-seater is becoming the most reliable member of the Q Series family.
The aircraft exhibited poor reliability when it first entered service with launch customer Scandinavian Commuter in early 2000, and problems continued with other customers, such as long-time Dash 8 operator Tyrolean Airways - now Austrian Arrows. The latter became so frustrated that it publicly vented its anger in February (Flight International, 11-17 February).
Speaking to Flight International at September's European Regions Airline Association in Dublin, Bombardier Regional Aircraft president Steve Ridolfi said: "We have a technical steering committee of directors and vice-presidents of engineering from each operator, which meets quarterly and ensures we are covering all the issues. We get the operators to agree on what we should prioritise, and this has been very successful in eliminating problems."
Ridolfi says the Q400 fleet is recording a schedule completion rate (SCR) of 99.5%. "This has gone up by two points from a low 18 months ago," he adds. The more mature Q300 model has an SCR of 99.7%.
Bombardier says the Q400 fleet's technical despatch reliability (TDR) is 98.8%, up from a low of 94.6%. This compares to the Q300's TDR of 99.3.
Each Q400 has undergone "several hundred" modifications, including structural modifications to engine pylons to address fatigue issues. Around 50 of the 70 Q400s in operation are based in Europe, and Bombardier is increasing the region's spares holding "significantly" by relocating the support centre from Paris to Frankfurt, which will also speed up distribution.
Operators had blamed the manufacturer's slow response partly on confusion as to which supplier was responsible for the fix. "This was our first major risk-sharing programme. We have learned lessons about partnerships - understanding the delineation of responsibility," says Ridolfi.
Austrian Arrows says dispatch reliability for its eight Q400s is now 99%. "Bombardier's response at the end of 2002 and into 2003 was very proficient," says Austrian Arrows managing director Johann Messner. "Reliability is not far from our Dash 8 300s."
Source: Flight International
