Jets replace turboprops after double Dash 8 retirement

Two airlines recently phased out of their turboprop fleet in favour of an all-jet roster

Latvian airline airBaltic has successfully concluded the redelivery process of its final Bombardier Q400. With the turboprop aircraft returned to lessor Nordic Aviation Capital, airBaltic now officially operates a fully single-type fleet of 39 Airbus A220s.

Martin Gauss, president and CEO of the Riga-based operator said: “The last redelivery flight marks an official end to our previous stage of development. [The] Q400, definitely, was an excellent-performance aircraft, which at the time helped us to get where we are today – flying the most efficient and greenest fleet in Europe.

The Latvian carrier operated 12 Q400s between 2010 and 2020.
The Latvian carrier operated 12 Q400s between 2010 and 2020. airBaltic

“Although a smaller plane allows more flexibility occasionally, still a single-type fleet has significant advantages – both economic and technical (maintenance), and also in terms of sustainability and training. We are thankful to Bombardier for service; it was a journey that is recorded in our history. Now we are looking forward and are delighted how Airbus A220-300 has transformed our airline, becoming one of the core and very valuable assets of the company.”

The first Q400 joined airBaltic in 2010, with a dozen different examples carrying more than 11 million passengers in total, across 222,000 flights.

Meanwhile, Seattle-based Horizon Air phased out its last DHC-8 Q400 on January 26. The carrier’s final revenue flights with the type were aptly flown by the retro Horizon-liveried N421QX(c/n 4149), which operated a round-trip from Seattle to Spokane in Washington State.

N421QX (seen here in 2018) was the last example to be phased out.
N421QX (seen here in 2018) was the last example to be phased out. Aviation Image Network/Simon Gregory

Following the retirement, Horizon is now an all-jet operator with 33 Embraer E175s. The carrier has been closely linked with the turboprop for the past two decades. Between 2001 and this year, 56 Q400s were operated by the US firm, while DHC-8-100s, -200s and -300s have also historically formed part of the regional airline’s fleet mix.