Monday, October 5, 2015

Ryukyu Air Commuter launches Q400 Cargo-Combi.

On September 30th, Ryukyu Air Commuter [RAC] disclosed that it will acquire five of the Bombardier DHC-8-400Q Dash 8 Cargo-Combi, becoming one of the new variant's launch customers. The contract was unidentified at the time of order at the Farnborough Air Show in July 2014. All five airframes will be delivered in combi configuration seating 50 passengers, with the first aircraft expected to arrive in December 2015, followed by crew training before entering service in April 2016.

A rendering of RAC's Bombardier DHC-8-400Q Dash 8 Cargo-Combi. (Image: Bombardier)

RAC currently operates a single 50-seat DHC-8-300Q alongside four 39-seat DHC-8-100Qs, and the new Q400s will replace these aircraft on a one-to-one basis. All five machines will be delivered by the end of FY2017. Based on list prices, the order is valued at approximately 168 million USD. "RAC shares a long history with Bombardier, collaborating together since 1997 when we first introduced Japan to the Dash 8 Series 100 aircraft. Since then, the Dash 8 has become the backbone of our efficient and productive operation," said Takashi Irei, RAC's President.

"Today we celebrate another first as we confirm that the Q400 Cargo-Combi aircraft is the ideal platform for our future fleet as we endeavor to offer comfort, reliability, and improved air transportation capabilities to our passengers, while supporting our local economies and communities with our extra cargo capability. Equipped with a new fleet, RAC looks forward to carrying many additional passengers as they enjoy travelling around Japan’s Okinawa islands,” Mr. Irei continued. RAC's Q400 Cargo-Combi will boast 23.4 cubic meters of cargo space, compared to 9.1 for the Q300 and 8.5 for the Q100.

Based at Okinawa/Naha [OKA/ROAH], RAC is a regional commuter airline connecting the remote islands in the Ryukyu Archipelago in southern Japan. It is 72.9% owned by JAL Group's Okinawan affiliate Japan Transocean Air [NU/JTA], 5.1% by the Government of Okinawa, and the remainder by local businesses.

Source: Bombardier, 2015 September 30th. (in English)
Source: Traicy, 2015 September 30th. (in Japanese)
Source: Aviation Wire, 2015 September 30th. (in Japanese)

No comments:

Post a Comment