Qantas to buy 14 turboprop aircraft for regional fleet

The news: Qantas will buy 14 DeHavilland Dash 8 turboprop aircraft for its regional QantasLink fleet as it phases out 19 smaller Q200 and Q300 turboprop planes.

The numbers: Qantas did not disclose the cost for the new aircraft but said the majority of the investment would be within the FY25 net capex guidance of $3.7 billion to $3.9 billion, with the remaining spread into FY26. The first aircraft will join the QantasLink fleet by the end of 2024.

The context: Qantas said the Q400 aircraft are over 30% faster than the Q200 and Q300 aircraft, saving customers time travelling to and from regional destinations, with the younger fleet also likely to improve operational reliability. The investment will bring the number of Q400 aircraft in the fleet to 45, with no material change to QantasLink’s overall turboprop capacity at the completion of the fleet changes. The investment comes as the Qantas Group progresses its broader jet fleet renewal program, with QantasLink’s third Airbus A220 aircraft to be delivered in the coming weeks.