Canada’s Bombardier unveiled a cargo-passenger variant of its Q400 in Farnborough on Tuesday, adding one more choice to a growing list of configurations for the versatile turboprop.
Available in various arrangements, the combi version offers up to 8,200 pounds of cargo capacity and as much as 1,150 cubic feet of volume. Using Class C cargo compartments, the so-called high-cargo version can hold 50 passengers at a 32-inch seat pitch. Bombardier claims it has entered “advanced” discussions with a number of potential Q400 combi customers.
Meanwhile, the Q400’s sales total increased to 499 on Tuesday with a firm order for a single airplane from Horizon Air of the U.S. Horizon and Bombardier also confirmed they have signed a five-year maintenance agreement, under which the manufacturer will perform heavy maintenance on Horizon Air’s Q400s at the manufacturer’s service center in Tucson, Arizona.
Separately, Abu Dhabi’s Falcon Aviation Services has signed a letter of intent covering five Q400 airliners, supplementing an order for two of the high-speed turboprops announced in February and another in April. Falcon Air Services and Bombardier also signed a memorandum of understanding under which they agreed to collaborate in addressing the need “multiple, high-quality aircraft solutions” that meet international standards in Africa and the Middle East.
Finally, Bombardier revealed the identity of the customer for two more Q400s, the sale of which it announced on April 23, as Abu Dhabi Aviation. The largest helicopter operator in the Middle East, Abu Dhabi Aviation now flies one Q400, a single Q300 and two Q200s supporting offshore oil, engineering and construction activities.
