Japan Air Commuter (JAC) has placed a firm order for one Bombardier Q400 high-speed turboprop airliner. The transaction represents the conversion of an option.
Kagoshima-based JAC, the largest regional airline in the Japan Airlines Group, has now placed firm orders for 10 Q400s since its original order in August 2001. The airline serves routes on the mainland and to Japan’s offshore islands.
Another Japanese regional operator, Ryukyu Air Commuter (RAC), has ordered a 50-seat Q300 turboprop. The transaction involves the conversion of an option held on a Bombardier Q100 to a firm order for the Q300.
RAC, based in Naha, Okinawa, was the first Japanese airline to order the Bombardier Dash 8 when it ordered three of the 39-seat aircraft in February 1996. RAC and its predecessor companies began operating de Havilland aircraft more than 35 years ago.
- Meanwhile, Qantas has taken delivery of the first of seven Q400s. The aircraft is being used for route proving and pilot training before making its first revenue flight from Brisbane to Rockhampton, scheduled for 26 February. The 72-seat Q400 will also operate twice-daily frequencies on the 800km (431nm) Brisbane to Mackay route from April, replacing a daily flight operated by a Boeing 737.
Source: Flight Daily News
