Additionally, the tank that will be installed is external. Conversion to firefighting air tankersĪccording to Conair, this tank will have a maximum capacity of 10,000 liters (2,642 US gallons). It makes us proud that this Canadian-made, De Havilland Canada airframe, powered with Canadian-made Pratt & Whitney engines, will be modified by our team in Canada, and then put into operation around the world to help our partners suppress wildfires for what could be decades.” – Barry Marsden, CEO, Conair, as per a press release shared by Skies. “We look forward to manufacturing the Q400 aircraft into airtankers out of our hangars in Abbotsford, British Columbia, employing a group of specialists during a particularly tough time for the aviation industry. The company calls the Q400AT “fast, fuel-efficient, and tactically flexible.”Ī key factor in selecting this aircraft was that it remains in production and has strong Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) support from De Havilland Aircraft of Canada, thus “guaranteeing availability of parts and servicing for years.” Bombardier sold the program to De Havilland Aircraft of Canada in 2019. In fact, the decision was unanimous among the company’s flight operations experts. Photo: via Wikimedia CommonsĬonair says that it evaluated 29 aircraft before selecting the Q400 for modification. The planes will be delivered to Conair starting this month.Īll 11 aircraft had flown the majority of their service lives with UK regional airline Flybe. However, the events of 2020 had dashed those plans. Some of these were supposed to go on to fly with Flybe successor-airline, Virgin Connect. Data from shows that the aircraft are between 11.7 and 13.5 years old. Interestingly, all 11 aircraft were originally Flybe commuter planes based in Europe. Photo: Conair Former Flybe commuter aircraftĪccording to Skies Magazine, all 11 of the Q400 aircraft have been purchased from HEH Hamburger EmissionsHaus, through marketing firm Skyworld Aviation, which specializes in regional aircraft sales and leases.
The company has been converting Dash 8 Q400s into tankers since 2005. Conair has already proven that converting a Dash 8 into an aerial firefighter can be successful. PAL Aerospace’s unmatched credentials in the design and modification of MPA and ISR aircraft, their understanding of the Dash 8 as a current operator of the platform, and their more than 40 years’ experience in special missions operations are unique in Canada and around the world, said David Curtis, Executive Chairman of Longview Aviation Capital, De Havilland Canada’s parent company.
These planes will see quite a significant transition from their historical role as all 11 aircraft previously flew for collapsed regional UK airline, Flybe. The acquisition was made public on January 14th, 2021. Canadian aerial firefighting company Conair is purchasing 11 Bombardier-built Dash 8 Q400 turboprops for conversion into aerial firefighting tankers.