Q400 manufacturer upbeat on its planes versatility

The Q400 planes manufacturer, Bombardier Inc, has commented that Tanzania is set to boost air travel after purchasing the ‘’extremely efficient and cost effective planes’’ also preferred by developed countries.

The national carrier, Air Tanzania Company Limited (ATCL), in recent times, remained a mere spectator as both gigantic and medium-sized airlines battled for the country’s skies. The government had signed a firm purchase agreement for two Q400 turboprop airliners with Bombardier Commercial Aircraft in July.

The first of two bombardier planes landed at the Dar es Salaam’s Julius Nyerere International Airport (JNIA) last week and the second one touched down yesterday. Bombardier Inc is a Canadian multinational aerospace and transportation company.

Starting as a maker of snow machines or snowmobiles, it has, over the years, grown into a large manufacturer of regional airliners, business jets, mass transportation equipment, recreational equipment and a provider of financial services. President John Magufuli is today expected to lead a high-powered government delegation in the official launching of the planes.

The aircrafts delivered with a 76-seat, dual-lavatory configuration are owned by the Government Flight Agency (TGFA). The planes, according to the TGFA Acting Chief Executive Officer, Mr Raymond Musingi, are to be leased to the cash-strapped ATCL.

Mr Musingi clarified to the ‘Daily News’ that the national carrier, which is now set to revive its lost glory, will have to forge business partnership with the agency for successful management of the newly purchased planes.

Being the most recent development in the series of aircraft, Q400, according to the world’s leading manufacturer, provides unmatched performance, operational flexibility and passenger comfort.

Speaking to the ‘Daily News’ recently in Toronto, Canada, the company’s Q400 Aircraft Programmes Director, Mr Emanuuele Casola, stated that the planes were designed to meet the requirements for high-density and short-haul services.

Mr Casola said that the planes were made to land not only on paved runways, but also on gravel, grass and dirt runways, thus being the right choice for many developing countries.

The Q400 airliner flew for the first time on January 31, 1998 and received Transport Canada Certification in June 1999, European JAA approval in December 1999 and US Federal Aviation Administration Certification in January 2000.

He asserted that the aircraft is a large, fast, quiet and fuelefficient turboprop that provides the perfect balance of passenger comfort, performance and operational flexibility with the lowest costs in the short-haul regional market.

The director expounded that Q-Series turboprops have made significant advances in Africa where approximately 160 aircraft – including more than 50 Q400 turboprops - are in service with or ordered by, approximately 40 customers and operators.

He noted that several countries including Ethiopia have purchased the planes more than once, signalling that the product meets customers’ satisfaction. “I’m sure even your government (Tanzania) will in the near future come again and ask for more … we are serving so many countries, in Africa, Europe, America … and maintaining standard remains our top priority,” he explained.

Owing to its combination of turboprop attributes, jet-like features, industry-leading passenger experience and environmental footprint, Mr Casola affirmed that the Q400 aircraft is exceptionally versatile and can be adapted to a variety of business models.

By offering a 30 per cent reduction in fuel burn over the jets it often replaces, the Q400 aircraft, according to the programmes director, radically reduces carbon emissions and increases cost efficiency.

He noted that Q400 aircraft was proving their high value by operating in all kinds of diverse environments, including cold weather conditions in Canada and Eastern Europe; arid environments in the Middle East and Northern Africa; and the humid environments in Western North America and sub-Saharan Africa.

The popular global Forbes Magazine has recently reported Dar looks up to new Q400 planes on launching date that the aircrafts are safer, fuelefficient and ideal for cheap local flights.

In its article titled; “Can Bombardier’s Q400 Save Regional Air Service in the US?” that comparing to other aircraft offering regional flights in the US, the Bombardier Q400 proved to have more advantages.

It was reported that the planes have appropriate speed to cater for needs in regional airline transport, including having more commercial benefits as compared to aircraft of its like such as the ATR.

According to the FlightRun, the aviation industry’s information resource, the Bombardier Q400 ‘’continues with the theme of durability and remains to be a safe airplane.’’

The aviation community around the world, according to FlightRun, also agrees with this fact because it has gained type certificates from many of the government aviation regulators around the world. Examples of African countries which currently fly Q400 aircrafts include Ethiopia, Rwanda, Kenya, Nigeria, Mozambique and South Africa.