A non-flexible cable tie lead to a nose gear up landing for a FlyBe Bombardier Q400

Photo AAIB

The UK's Air Accident Investigation Branch has issued its final report into an incident involving a FlyBe    Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 turboprop at Belfast International Airport.

The aircraft, registration G-JEDU made an emergency landing during a commercial passenger flight on 10 November 2017.  The aircraft was travelling from Belfast City to Inverness when cockpit indications showed that the nose landing gear doors had not closed after landing gear retraction. The crew diverted to Belfast International and carried out all relevant procedures but were unable to lower the landing gear. The aircraft landed with the nose landing gear up. There was an emergency evacuation and two of the 53 passengers sustained minor injuries.

Bombardier deliver Q400 aircraft to Qazaq Air

Photo Bombardier 

On Thursday, April 11th Bombardier Commercial Aircraft celebrated the delivery of the first of two Q400 aircraft to Qazaq Air of Kazakhstan. The airline began operating in in July 2015 with three leased Q400's for domestic routes and the airline ordered these two new Q400's in 2017.

“We are delighted with the performance of our fleet of Q400 turboprops and are excited to welcome the additional aircraft into our operation,” said Adel Dauletbek,  Acting Chief Executive Officer, Dauletbek and Qazaq's  Head of Public Relations “With our larger fleet, our customers will benefit from the expansion of our route network within Kazakhstan, as well as to nearby cities in the Central Asian region.”

Port Moresby back on the map for QantasLink

Port Moresby Airport                                                                      Photo Port Moresby Airport

QantasLink is again making it easier for customers to travel between Cairns and Port Moresby with the return of daily flights between the two cities yesterday.

QantasLink has resumed the service after a resurgence in customer demand, offering around 1,000 seats per week on its 74-seat Q400 aircraft. The service, which QantasLink had operated until 2016, complements Qantas’ existing daily services between Brisbane and Port Moresby.

QantasLink CEO John Gissing said the flights were designed to create more travel options for the growing number of customers travelling between Queensland and Papua New Guinea.

Qantas links Adelaide and Darwin with Uluru with new flights`

The leading Australian airline Qantas confirmed it would be launching the first direct commercial flights to Uluru from both Adelaide and Darwin to meet growing demand from travellers to the Red Centre.

The direct flights to Ayers Rock Airport will operate twice per week from both cities (on Wednesdays and Saturdays) with the airline’s Boeing 737 aircraft, offering almost 700 seats to the destination each week.

The routes add to Qantas’ daily flights from Alice Springs and Cairns to Uluru, and Jetstar’s up to 17 direct weekly services to the destination from Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.

Qantas Domestic CEO Andrew David said the new flights reinforced the airline’s commitment to supporting tourism growth in the Territory.

Bombardier sell 6 Q400's and a Global 7500 biz jet......

The Canadian firm, Bombardier has signed an order for six new Q400 aircraft from an undisclosed customer, which is the list prices were used, would be worth US$ 202 million.

“The Q400 aircraft offers the perfect balance of passenger comfort and operating economics while maintaining its unmatched range and speed advantage versus other turboprops,” said Fred Cromer, President, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft. “The demand for turboprop aircraft worldwide is tremendous and the Q Series aircraft are ideally positioned to meet the needs of regional airlines as they offer a unique ability to serve diverse and challenging environments. The Q400 offers the lowest seat costs amongst turboprops, with an enhanced passenger experience and a proven 99.5 per cent reliability.”

Niki Lauda takes s delivery of a  Global 7500 aircraft

The company has also delivered its first European-based Global 7500 aircraft to a long-time customer, the former racing driver, pilot and airline owner, Niki Lauda last week.

12 new routes starting 20th January for SpiceJet

India's low-cost airline SpiceJet, will be launching 12 new non-stop flights in just under two weeks time that will expand its route network.

SpiceJet will be the first Indian carrier to introduce daily direct flights on the Dehradun-Jammu, Dehradun-Jaipur and Dehradun-Amritsar routes. SpiceJet has also enhanced frequencies on the Jaipur-Varanasi (2nd frequency), Chennai-Madurai (4th frequency) and Hyderabad-Vijayawada (3rd frequency) sectors. The new flights reiterate the airline’s focus on augmenting regional connectivity.

Flights on all the routes are daily except on Chennai-Madurai where flights will not operate on Tuesdays. SpiceJet will deploy its Bombardier Q400s on all these routes thereby further strengthening the airline’s network across North and South India.

CAC to supply another Q400 to Ethiopian Airlines

Chorus Aviation announced this week that it will lease an additional Bombardier Q400 aircraft to Ethiopian Airlines. It was a year ago that CAC leased two new Q400 aircraft to Ethiopian Airlines and this new lease will add another Q400 to those two already flying with the carrier.

"We are very pleased to build upon our relationship with Ethiopian Airlines as they grow their portfolio of leased aircraft with Chorus Aviation Capital," said, Steve Ridolfi, President of Chorus Aviation Capital. "Recently awarded Company of the Year by All African Business Leaders Award, Ethiopian Airlines is one of the fastest growing and storied airlines in Africa. We look forward to continuing to work with this award-winning airline and their impressive team."

Chorus Aviation Capital now includes 13 lessees in 13 countries, two of which are based in Africa. With this latest transaction completed, Chorus will have a total of 81 aircraft on lease throughout the world. 

Bombardier to sack 5000 staff and sells the Q400 programme.

The Canadian firm Bombardier has confirmed that it will fire 5000 staff globally and sell the Q400 programme, as well as the de Havilland trademarks as it tries to streamline the company to stave off bankruptcy. 

The firm has already agreed on the sale of the entire Q Series aircraft programme and the de Havilland trademarks to Viking Air a wholly owned subsidiary of Longview Aviation Capital Corporation for approximately $300 million.  David Curtis, CEO of Longview Aviation Capital Corp said "The Dash 8 turboprop is the perfect complement to our existing portfolio of specialised aircraft including the Twin Otter and the Canadair CL 215 and 415 series of water bombers. "We see enormous value in the de Havilland Dash 8 programme, with these aircraft in demand and in use all around the world." 

As part of the agreement, Longview will also receive all assets and intellectual property and Type Certificates associated with the Dash 8 programme and the firm will take on the responsibility for the worldwide product support business, which covers over 1,000 aircraft currently in service or scheduled for production.  Longview says it will continue to independently operate the programme at the original de Havilland manufacturing site located at Downsview, Ontario, Canada at least for the present time. Bombardier also sold off Downsview earlier in the year and Viking and others can only stay on the site until 2021, so the long-term future remains unclear.

Jambojet to lease two brand new Bombardier Q400s from Chorus Aviation

Jambojet Limited, a subsidiary of Kenya Airways has agreed a deal with Chorus Aviation for two brand new Bombardier Q400 turboprop aircraft that the Canadian Chorus will buy from the manufacturer and lease them to Jambojet.

Both aircraft are scheduled to be delivered and enter service during the second half of 2019 and will help the Kenyan airline further enhances its route network. "This agreement comes at a pivotal time in Jambojet's journey as we expand our footprint into the East Africa region and increase our frequencies to meet the high demand of affordable and quality air travel. We are looking forward to forging a strong relationship with Chorus for mutual growth." Willem Hondius, Chief Executive Officer of Jambojet, stated.

Steve Ridolfi, President of Chorus Aviation Capital, stated, "We are excited about the growth prospects for regional aviation in Africa and are particularly pleased to be working with Jambojet, a regional low-cost carrier based in Kenya, through this transaction." Once the deal is complete, Chorus Aviation Capital will have 13 lessees in 13 countries, two of which are based in Africa and in total, Chorus will have 80 aircraft on lease throughout the world.

Eventful week for airBaltic - New Arrival, Papal Passenger, Bumping Birds and more

The Latvian carrier airBaltic has had a very eventful week, the rapidly growing and well-respected carrier received its 12th Airbus A220, carried the Pope, suffered a bird strike and signed a deal with Jazz for maintenance. 

Looking resplendent in the bright standard airBaltic livery the airlines 12th Airbus A220 arrived on 22nd September. AirBaltic plans to have a fleet of 14 of the A220-300 aircraft, formally known as the Bombardier CSeries CS300. The fuel-efficient and passenger popular jets have room for 145 people, offering wider seats, larger windows, more hand luggage space in the cabin, improved lavatories and other passenger-friendly benefits.

The new aircraft is also much quieter – with a four times smaller noise footprint. Moreover, at the moment, it is the greenest commercial aircraft in the world, as it is the first aircraft to have a transparent declaration of the life-cycle environmental impact, helping to reduce CO2 and NOX emissions by 20% and 50% respectively.

First 90-seat Q400 aircraft delivered to SpiceJet

At the end of last week, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft delivered the first 90-seat Q400 aircraft to India's SpiceJet,  the launch operator for the extra-capacity, 90-seat aircraft.

“We are excited to induct the 90-seat Q400 aircraft into our fleet,” said Ajay Singh, Chairman and Managing Director, SpiceJet. “The additional seats and performance improvements will result in substantial reduction in unit costs and also we will be able to address our market needs in the regional space.”

Three new Bombardier Q400s for Philippine Airlines from Chrous

Chorus Aviation from Canada has confirmed this week that is placing three Bombardier Q400 turboprops with Philippine Airlines on a long-term lease basis.  

The new Q400s are scheduled for delivery to Philippine Airlines during the latter part of this year and are the first leasing transactions in the fast-growing Southeast Asia region for the Halifax based Chorus Aviation.  The company's president, Steven Ridolfi said: "Philippine Airlines is a celebrated airline with a long and renowned history as the flag carrier of the Philippines, and we are very proud to count them amongst our customers."

PAL President & Chief Operating Officer Jaime J. Bautista said, "We are very pleased to form this working partnership with Chorus Aviation Capital and we look forward to building business ties with them. By joining their growing portfolio of aircraft lessees, Philippine Airlines will be able to further grow its domestic market. New aircraft help us to build new air links and increase flight frequencies on routes that are vital to national commerce."

Biman Bangladesh Airlines orders three Bombardia Q400 Turboprops

The national flag carrier of Bangladesh, Biman Bangladesh Airlines, has ordered three new Q400 turboprop aircraft from the Canadian manufacturer, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft.  

“We are very pleased that Biman is expanding its Q400 fleet with this order for three new aircraft,” said François Cognard, VP, Sales, Asia Pacific. “The Q400’s greater seating and cargo capacity really set it apart from the competition. Furthermore, the Q400’s mix of turboprop economics and jet-like performance were the best match for Biman’s mix of short and long-range routes. Operators coming back for more Q400 aircraft really validates the benefits of the aircraft’s unique characteristics.”

The order was announced this week and based on the list price of the Q400 aircraft, the firm order is valued at approximately US$106 million.

Crying pilot caused Nepal air crash.

A crying pilot caused the deadly air crash at Nepal’s international airport in March according to a leaked copy of the official report.

 The pilot had been extremely upset, chain-smoked and cried in the cockpit of the Bombardier Q400 during the flight from Dhaka to Nepal. Parts of a draft report by a Nepali government-appointed panel indicate captain, Abid Sultan, was “extremely upset and hurt” by a female colleague who raised questions about his reputation as an instructor at US-Bangla Airlines. 

The flight crashed on landing in Kathmandu in March, killing 51 of the 71 people on board, including the captain. Abid Sultan was a former Bangladeshi air force pilot and according to the leaked parts of the report, failed to follow instructions from air traffic controllers regarding taking the southern approach to the airfield. Instead, Sultan took a more difficult northern approach to the single runway and was unable to align the plane before landing and the plane skidded off the runway onto the grass around it. 

According to the report, “He was very much under stress due to this particular issue.   This mistrust and stress led him to continuously smoke in the cockpit and also suffer an emotional breakdown several times during the flight,”.  Also stated in the leaked report seen by news agency Reuters, “The captain was ‘crying and sneezing’ on several occasions during the flight,” as detailed in the recordings. 

The ceo of US-Bangla Airlines, Imran Asif told Reuters “The official report has not been published or released. I don’t know what evidence they are talking about.”

Bombardier puts passion in the air

Bombardier is putting a little passion in the African air with the placement of three second-hand, pre-owned Bombardier Q400's with PassionAir from the Republic of Ghana. 

The Ghanaian airline has acquired the aircraft through a dry-lease with a third party, “Bombardier has sold about 3,500 new regional aircraft to date, and we continue to be very active on the used aircraft market.” said David Speirs, Vice President, Asset Management, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft. “Our recent momentum on the pre-owned aircraft market worldwide is a clear indication that our products are addressing a growing need for regional air transportation, especially in emerging markets.”

Taking a plane for a joyride.....ground worker steals a passenger aircraft.

It's believed that a suicidal airline employee, a member of the ground crew, stole an empty passenger aircraft from Seattle Tacoma Airport, for an hour joyride on Friday evening before crashing into an island in Puget Sound. 

It's believed the man stole the aircraft,  made "an unauthorised take-off" late on Friday which forced the airport to halt operations for a period of time and the air force to scramble two F15 fighter jets. The man, who has not yet been named by officials, then did a number of manoeuvres in the air including a complete loop the loop, flying inverted, doing a low pass over the water as well as appearing to climb straight up.

When I first heard this story on the radio news, I assumed it had been a small Cessna or a similarly sized aircraft, I was therefore shocked to discover it was a twin-engined turboprop Bombardier Q400 belonging to Alaska Airlines' sister carrier Horizon Air.

90 seat configuration approved for Bombardier’s Q400 aircraft

Bombardier's commercial aircraft department confirmed yesterday that it had received certification from Transport Canada for a 90 seat cabin configuration on its Q400 aircraft!

The company sees this as a major milestone in the types development and another step in its continuous improvement of its Q400 aircraft, aimed at addressing traffic growth and customer bottom line, regardless of passenger comfort or space. The 90 seat configuration offers a seat pitch of 28 inches at its widest, so you'll not want to be squashed in there for long flights. Other improvements under development includes a 2,000-lb-increase in payload capacity and an escalation of the A-Check and C-Check intervals from 600/6,000 to 800/8,000 flight hours. Such a jump in interval times for maintenance checks will certainly ease an airline's bottom line, but at what cost to passenger safety?  Full stats on the Q400 are available here. 

Bombardier exhibit the CRJ Atmosphere cabin at Farnborough

At Farnborough International Air Show the Canadian manufacturer Bombardier, free of the shackles of its CSeries jet that is now rising to new heights under the auspices of Airbus, had to make do with showing off a new cabin for its CRJ aircraft.

Bombardier showcased the new ATMOSPHÈRE cabin alongside launch operator Delta Air Lines and supplier Zodiac Aerospace during the first day of the show. “Our product is evolving, and this signature cabin design represents the latest innovation to our very successful regional jet program. This cabin design will add value to airlines, the feedback has already been very positive as demonstrated with the recent momentum we have gained in the market.” said Fred Cromer, President, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft.

The CRJ900 aircraft with the ATMOSPHÈRE cabin is on display all week and the company will also be exhibiting a Q400 aircraft in the colours of Ethiopian Airlines.  They are also showing off the sweet and powerful Global 6000 business jet. 

QantasLink shows off cabin upgrades

QantasLink’s first upgraded turboprop aircraft will today take to the skies with a refreshed cabin and greater comfort for the airline’s regional customers.

The upgraded Q300 turboprop was unveiled this morning at QantasLink’s hangar facility at Tamworth Airport, the airline’s hub for regional aircraft maintenance. The program to upgrade the fleet of 45 Bombardier Q200, Q300 and Q400 aircraft is expected to be completed by the end of 2019.

Passengers onboard flight QF2003 from Tamworth to Sydney will be the first QantasLink customers to fly on the upgraded turboprop.

The fleet upgrade is part of a multi-million dollar commitment to providing regional passengers with a better overall travel experience.

Still hope for Porter's CSeries dreams.....

Toronto's Porter Airlines hasn't let go of the dream of flying Bombardier CSeries 100 jets from the small, but beautiful Billy Bishop Airport, its CEO revealed last week.  

Speaking with Canada's Finacial Post the airlines chief executive Robert Deluce said “We continue to be of the view that it is not really a question of if, it’s a question of when,” and confirmed the airline hadn't yet walked away from its deal with Bombardier for 30 CSeries jet aircraft. Indeed, Porter Airlines still have the deposits in place with the manufacturer, despite the Canadian government decided not to allow jet aircraft from using Billy Bishop. 

Mr Deluce remains positive, “I think there is significant growth opportunity available to us. Whether that comes with additional regional routes, or whether a second fleet type gives us the longer-range destinations that come with flying an airplane like the CSeries, that will play out in due course.” 

Back in 2013 when the order was announced, Deluce said “The aircraft fits perfectly into our business plans and growth strategy and we are also proud to be the Canadian launch customer for Bombardier’s CSeries aircraft.  We look forward to expanding our network with an all-Bombardier fleet of CS100 jetliners and Q400 turboprops – promoting greener, quieter flying.”