Q400 NextGen
After little more than six months of Bombardier Q400 operations, SpiceJet of India’s Q400 NextGen dispatch reliability has already reached the total Q400 NextGen fleet average dispatch reliability of 99.4 per cent. “Theirs (SpiceJet’s) is a remarkable effort,” said Martin Elliott, Director, Customer Care and Service Performance at Bombardier Commercial Aircraft. “They really push their airplanes, flying them up to 14 hours and 11 cycles a day in an often harsh environment with its share of ‘hot and high’ airfields, some of which are not as well prepared as others and have little or no maintenance facilities,” said Mr. Elliott. “To achieve that level of dispatch reliability so soon after service entry and in these conditions is strong testimony to the airline and the ruggedness and reliability of the Q400 NextGen aircraft.” After evaluating a number of aircraft for regional routes that are opening in India to improve connectivity in the fast-growing Indian economy, SpiceJet settled on the Q400 NextGen turboprop as the ideal platform to complement its narrow-body jet fleet. The airline placed a firm order for 15 Q400 NextGen aircraft and took options on an additional 15. SpiceJet also signed a 10-year agreement under Bombardier’s SmartParts program that will provide a wide spectrum of cost-per-flight-hour maintenance for the airline’s Q400 NextGen aircraft fleet.
shines at SpiceJet
Dual-class United Express Q400 NextGen enters service The first Q400 with a dual –class interior is in operation with United Express. The aircraft has seven seats in a three-abreast layout at 36-inch (91.4 cm) pitch and 64 seats in a fourabreast layout at 30-inch (76.2 cm) pitch. Also available is a three-class Q400 passenger cabin with seven seats at 36 inches, 10 seats at 34 inches (86.4 cm) and 54 seats at 30 inches. In response to some customer requests, an aft lavatory can be added. These configurations are also available as a retrofit for Q400/Q400 NextGen interiors.
February 2012 // 8