De Havilland - Experts & Thought Leaders

Aerial assets play a key role in the battle to keep forest and bush blazes at bay. From modified airframes to purpose-built aircraft, Conair offers a look at what the latest specialist platforms are capable of. Conair (Conair Group Inc.) answers the question of ‘How wildfire warriors are adapting to meeting firefighting challenge’. Jeff Berry, the Director of Business Development at Conair, says the Dash 8-400MRE is capable of responding to emergency missions in a variety of configurations. It can transfer emergency personnel or evacuate citizens in the passenger configuration, ship humanitarian or disaster supplies in cargo guise, transfer critically ill patients, or provide mobile medical services in the medevac configuration – and also respond to wildfires. Air tanker missions can lead to widespread fatigue damage The cost to maintain and repair older aircraft increases exponentially over time" Jeff Berry said, “Air tankers are typically made from older model military or commercial aircraft, which were not designed for the intense environment experienced by aerial firefighting missions. An air tanker’s mission means there is a greater likelihood of widespread fatigue damage, grounding the aircraft, or worse.” He adds, “The cost to maintain and repair older aircraft increases exponentially over time. Replacing air tankers with modern next generation models is necessary. But new aircraft are capital-intensive and they require months to years to complete from point of order to point of delivery. Replacing or building larger fleets requires a concrete commitment and long-term plan.” Dash 8-400 air tanker The Director of Business Development at Conair, Jeff Berry, stated “The Dash 8-400 air tanker is the newest, most sustainable air tanker in the world today, fully supported by De Havilland, the OEM. Few large air tankers in the world can boast this level of support.” He adds, “There are many Dash 8-400 aircraft in commercial operation today, offering a large supply of not only airframes for future conversion, but also inventory of parts, which means that government customers have the security of knowing their fleet won’t be grounded when it is needed most.” The Dash 8-400 tanker can drop 15.9 liters of retardant for every liter of fuel burned, which Conair says is more than double the performance of most large air tankers deployed against a typical wildfire – for example, delivering a total of 60,000 liters of retardant to a fire 60 nm (110 km) from an air base. the most fuel-efficient solution to large air tanker needs The Dash 8-400’s speed and time to climb offer a rapid return from base to fire and back" Jeff Berry said, “With today’s fuel shortages and increasing costs, the Dash 8-400 air tanker offers customers the most fuel-efficient solution to their large air tanker needs. Less fuel means lower operational costs, plus fewer emissions into our environment,” He continues, “The Dash 8-400’s speed and time to climb offer a rapid return from base to fire and back. It can also deploy from shorter runways (1,520 meters / 5,000 feet), meaning it can be positioned closer to where wildfires occur.” Highly effective at building retardant containment lines Jeff Berry suggests that, while the aircraft can drop 10,000 liters of water, gel or foam, it is most effective at building retardant containment lines ahead of a fire, working in partnership with amphibious water bombers, such as the De Havilland Canada CL-415 and Air Tractor AT-802 Fire Boss aircraft, which perform drops directly on the flames. He concludes, “Water takes away the fire’s heat while retardant slows its combustion. Anticipating future large fires, governments can adapt their aerial firefighting air assets by strategically taking advantage of both water and retardant.”

De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited and Ethiopian Airlines Group announced that Ethiopian Airlines has signed a proposal for the purchase of two Dash 8-400 Freighter – Large Cargo Door (F-LCD) conversion kits. The proposal provides an option for an additional two F-LCD conversion kits. The parties are working to finalize a definitive and binding agreement. Cargo plays key role in operations “Cargo has played a pivotal role in Ethiopian Airlines’ operations over the past couple of years, and will remain a key growth pillar of our business over the coming years,” said Mesfin Tasew, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ethiopian Airlines Group. Mesfin Tasew adds, “The pandemic and subsequent recovery efforts have given rise to significant opportunities in the cargo space and we see great value in converting our older Dash 8-400 fleet to freighters to capitalize on these growing opportunities.” Dash 8-400 aircraft Dash 8-400 aircraft’s operating costs and environmental footprint have facilitated introduction of freighter options" “Ethiopian’s proposal with De Havilland Canada is a superb testament to the versatility of the Dash 8-400 aircraft to satisfy a wide variety of operational requirements and we thank Ethiopian for this confidence in the aircraft’s capability,” said Philippe Poutissou, Vice President, Customer Experience at De Havilland Canada. He adds, “The Dash 8-400 aircraft’s industry-leading operating costs and environmental footprint, as well as its outstanding performance and large cabin volume have facilitated our introduction of a series of freighter options including Quick Change, Package Freighter, and LCD Freighters to better serve the expanding cargo market." Dash 8 freighter conversions Philippe Poutissou continues, “We are also excited to announce our partnership with Ethiopian to offer Dash 8 freighter conversions through their experienced MRO already a De Havilland Canada Authorized Service Facility. This conversion capability will support Ethiopian’s fleet needs and can be offered to other Dash 8 aircraft operators in Africa and neighboring regions as an additional choice to the conversions De Havilland Canada can perform in Canada or through our Mobile Repair Team.” The Dash 8-400 aircraft has logged over 11 million flight hours and transported more than 570 million passengers. Worldwide, the aircraft is in the fleets of more than 70 owners and operators.

De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited (‘De Havilland Canada’) has announced increasing momentum in its De Havilland Component Solutions Program (‘DCS Program’), with agreements signed by Air Niugini Limited and flybe Limited. Under the agreements, De Havilland Canada will manage component maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services for the airlines’ Dash 8-400 aircraft. The DCS Program will also provide access to De Havilland Canada’s strategically located exchange pool. De Havilland Component Solutions Program Air Niugini, Papua New Guinea’s national airline, signed a five-year DCS agreement to support up to five Dash 8-400 aircraft. Air Niugini serves 23 domestic points plus nine international routes in Asia, Oceania and Australia. Established in April 2021, flybe Limited will operate throughout the United Kingdom and European Union. The airline’s five-year DCS agreement will support a fleet of up to 32 Dash 8-400 aircraft. Air Niugini and flybe Limited join DCS Program We are delighted to welcome Air Niugini and flybe to our De Havilland Component Solutions Program" “We are delighted to welcome Air Niugini and flybe to our De Havilland Component Solutions Program, and we look forward to supporting the airlines’ operations well into the future,” said Leighton Storsley, Vice President, Aftermarket and Business Development, De Havilland Canada. He adds, “Our highly customizable DCS program continues to be the leader in power-by-the-hour solutions for the Dash 8-400 fleet and is designed to allow operators to focus on other key business activities, while we take care of their component management requirements.” Leighton Storsley continues, “Our program, which also provides access to our technical teams’ expertise in warranty administration, planning and supplier management, provides the cost predictability that is a critical part of airline management.” DCS Program supports the operation of Dash 8-400 aircraft  The DCS Program supports the operation of Dash 8-400 aircraft by ensuring cost-effective repair solutions and global accessibility to over a thousand different aircraft components positioned at strategically located distribution centers and at some customers’ operating hubs. The program, which is designed to meet the growing demand for customized repair solutions, accommodates each customer’s requirements and environment. Dash 8-400 aircraft With its low carbon footprint, low operating costs, industry-renowned passenger experience and jet-like performance, the Dash 8-400 aircraft, which seats up to 90 passengers, is the environmentally responsible choice for operators seeking optimal performance on regional routes. More than 150 Dash 8-400 aircraft are enrolled in the DCS Program.