Airline CEOs See No Short-Term Replacement Options For Smaller Dash 8s

Several operators of smaller De Havilland Canada Dash 8s around the world do not see viable replacements for their turboprops on the market.

De Havilland earlier this year revealed a new program to further extend the service life of the smallest variant in the Dash 8 line, the original 39-seat Dash 8-100 model.

According to Aviation Week Network’s Fleet Discovery database, there are currently around 60 operators of the -100. Together they have 147 of the variant in service and 23 in storage. Some 35 operators have 75 Dash 8-200s in its fleet, plus 18 in storage. The -200 has the same airframe as the -100, but is equipped with more powerful Pratt & Whitney Canada PW123 engines.

Scandinavian regional carrier Widerøe is the launch customer for De Havilland’s latest -100 program—dubbed Extended Service Program Plus (ESP PLUS)—which is designed to increase the service life of a -100 aircraft by another third, giving the aircraft a total lifespan of 160,000 flight cycles. The earlier Extended Service Program increased the -100 life from 80,000 cycles to 120,000. De Havilland says that together the two extended service programs can add more than 40 years to the life of a Dash 8-100, which first entered service in 1984.

“At present, there is no other aircraft in the market that can do the same thing like a Dash 8 can do, meaning there are no replacements available,” Air Greenland CEO Jacob Nitter Sørensen tells Aviation Daily.

“The airports where we operate with Dash 8 in and out are very short, 6-deg. steep approach, STOL (short take-off and landing) airports,” the CEO says.

Air Greenland’s fleet of seven Dash 8-200s rolled out in 1996 and 1997. The CEO says the carrier will buy an eighth Dash 8 so it has a backup aircraft.

When asked if a lifetime-extension program could be a good option for Air Greenland’s Dash 8s, Sørensen says, “As long we get spare parts, we can keep the Dash 8 flying for many, many years to come.”

Air Greenland’s Dash 8 fleet have only clocked an average of around 50,000 cycles, because the carrier operates longer flight sectors over vast Greenland.

Air Greenland is focused on keeping its turboprop fleet in good condition and having a well-stocked inventory of spares. “That’s all we can do right now,” Sørensen says.

Icelandair’s Solution

To the East in Iceland, Bogi Bogason, President and CEO of Icelandair, shares Sørensen’s opinion of the Dash 8 situation, but hopes for a different solution.

Icelandair currently operates a fleet of three Dash 8-200s and two Dash 8-400s which serve domestic routes and flights to Greenland. “These aircraft are serving our network well today, so a refleeting process is not very high on our agenda now, except for our explorations in the area of environmental sustainability,” Bogason says.

Icelandair wants its short domestic routes and ample access to green energy to be at the forefront when it comes to energy transition in aviation. “Regarding electric flying domestically or hydrogen-powered aircraft, we are optimistic that these are realistic options—during this decade—on flight routes within Iceland.” He sees Iceland as being in an ideal position to implement these new technologies domestically. “I believe it could completely change the way we travel around the country in the future.”

Icelandair signed two letters of intent (LOI) related to sustainable aviation in 2021. The first was with Universal Hydrogen, which is working on an aftermarket hydrogen conversion kit for regional aircraft that would see Icelandair’s Dash 8 fleet converted to hydrogen power.

The second agreement was with Heart Aerospace, the Swedish start-up manufacturer working on developing electric-powered passenger aircraft. The first ES-19 electric airliner should be certified for commercial flight by 2026, Heart says. A possible entry-into-service date for either electric or hydrogen-powered aircraft for domestic flights in Iceland could be within this decade, Bogason says.

“The future vision of electric flying, for example, could open up opportunities for smaller destinations in Iceland and allow us to offer more frequencies that in turn could create more demand and result in better services,” he adds.

Electric Skeptic

Further south in the Azores, SATA Air Açores operates a domestic network between nine islands with its Dash 8 fleet. The carrier operates four Dash 8-400s and two Dash 8-200s. Management plans to keep operating the turboprops through 2026.

“This is four years down the road, regarding new technology evolution [such as electric regional aircraft], there are not so many options [for new turboprops], but since technology is moving so fast, I hope by 2027 we have the current options plus additional ones,” SATA Group President and CEO Luis Rodrigues says. When asked about the possibility of flying electric regional aircraft, he says, “Now, I think it is better to wait and see.”

Back in Greenland, regarding electric aircraft, Sørensen says Air Greenland is weighing its options and has also signed an LOI with Sweden’s Heart.

“But the way the technology is right now, the aircraft will not have the necessary range to be able to operate in Greenland,” he says. “With the current timeline, it’s going to be at least 15 to 20 years before it is realistic to operate this aircraft here—I’m not really focusing so much on that right now until the technology matures.”

Air Greenland has also signed an agreement with lessor Avolon to explore the potential for zero-emission tourist transport using Vertical Aerospace’s VX4 electric air taxi. “The eVTOL aircraft, this makes more sense for us,” he says.

The air taxi would be based in the town of Ilulissat, from where Air Greenland can fly passengers to the Ilimanaq Lodge which is 15 mi. away. Ilulissat Airport will be supplied with hydroelectric power. “Now we are following the way to certification,”  Sørensen says.