De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited announced today that TAAG Angola Airlines E.P. has purchased six Dash 8-400 aircraft. TAAG is the state-owned, national airline of Angola. This order was announced by Bombardier Commercial Aircraft on March 29, 2019 as an order from an unidentified customer.
The disclosure of the previously unidentified customer was done during a press conference today at the 53rd International Paris Air Show, and follows the recent completion of the transition of Bombardier's Dash 8/Q Series aircraft program from Bombardier to De Havilland Canada.
The Honorable, Ricardo Viegas D'Abreu, Minister of Transportation, Angola joined David Curtis, Chairman, Longview Aviation Capital and Todd Young, Chief Operating Officer, De Havilland Canada, for a ceremonial signing event held during the press conference.
"TAAG is looking to the future of our fleet and the market opportunities where the Dash 8-400 aircraft will be an important part of our growth strategy. The acquisition of these new aircraft is important to support a stronger domestic network and support our regional and international network," said Rui Carreira, Chairman, TAAG Angola Airlines. "The Dash 8-400 aircraft offers unmatched performance and outstanding economics that will allow us to better serve smaller communities and increase frequencies in Angola. With a proven record of reliability and De Havilland's comprehensive support network, we look forward to adding this great network builder to our fleet."
"We are delighted to welcome TAAG Angola Airlines to our family of Dash 8-400 aircraft customers and look forward to also offering the airline our full suite of service solutions," said Todd Young, Chief Operating Officer, De Havilland Canada. "The Dash 8-400 aircraft offers the lowest seat costs, as well as unmatched range and speed versus other turboprops. It also offers an enhanced customer experience and has proven its reliability in some of the world's most challenging environments, so we are confident that it is ideally suited to meet and exceed TAAG's requirements."
Longview Aviation Capital is proud to reintroduce De Havilland Canada, one of Canada's most iconic aircraft brands, with its acquisition of the Dash 8 program -- including the 100, 200 and 300 series as well as the in-production 400 programme.
Combining the Dash 8-400 aircraft with the existing Longview portfolio re-unites the entire De Havilland product line under the same banner for the first time in decades.
De Havilland first started in Canada in 1928 and with the design and production of the famous DHC-2 Beaver and the DHC-3 Otter, quickly established itself as one of the most accomplished aircraft designers and manufacturers in the world. The 75 year-old brand is synonymous globally with expertise, excellence and reliability, and is responsible for building some of the most renowned aircraft in aviation history.
Operating independently for the first time in decades, De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited will enhance the tradition of excellence surrounding the Dash 8-400 by continually evolving to meet the needs of customers around the world. At De Havilland we are proudly rooted in a rich history of constructing Canadian aircraft.
In addition to maintaining the Dash 8-400's position as one of the world's most important commercial aircraft, existing and potential customers of De Havilland can expect a focus on continued excellence in production, operations and servicing from Longview.
Recommended for you...