Bombardier now builds the largest capacity turboprop airliner after Transport Canada approved a 90-seat interior configuration for the Q400. “With increasing growth in the number of passengers per departure in the turboprop market, we are excited to offer our customers a higher-capacity configuration and 15% lower cost per seat compared to the previous standard Q400, leading to more profitability potential for airlines,” said Todd Young, head of the Q Series aircraft program. To accommodate the extra passengers, the Q400 needed a 2,000 pound payload increase.
The first customer for the aircraft is SpiceJet in India, which has ordered 50 of the aircraft. “Upon delivery later this year, our launch customer SpiceJet will become the first airline to take advantage of the profitable and efficient operations of the 90-seat Q400 aircraft, following its order of up to 50 in 2017,” added Young.