Freight De Havilland confirms conversion approvals for Dash 8 aircraft through 2021

De Havilland Canada has announced, that Transport Canada has confirmed further approvals for Dash 8-400 freighter conversions.

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De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited has released, that state authority Transport Canada has confirmed the extension of approvals that allow the conversion from Dash 8 Series aircraft to freighter.

The decision to bring a freighter conversion option to the market comes in respond to the current Coronavirus situation and the associated rise in freight capacity demand. When, allowed, De Havilland will transform the turboprops into Simplified Package Freighter (SPF).

These approvals have now been extended to July 31, 2021 and will allow a continued flexibility in the transportation of smaller goods in the framework of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“There is an ongoing, fundamental need for the transport of humanitarian aid and cargo; air cargo services therefore continue to be vital for the economy, financial stability of aircraft operators, and for fighting COVID-19,” said Amod Kelkar, Vice President, Customer Services and Support, De Havilland Canada. “We are therefore delighted that Transport Canada has confirmed an extension to the approvals for our Dash 8 Series Simplified Package Freighters.

De Havilland has worked out Simplified Package Freighter versions for the Dash 8-400, Dash 8-300 and Dash 8-100/200 aircraft. Customers will be allowed to remove all passenger seats and seat track covers. Then, cargo nets will be installed on the seat tracks and 750lb of freight can be transported per net.

De Havilland Dash 8-400 SPF © De Havilland
De Havilland Dash 8-400 SPF © De Havilland

our customers to ensure that their requirements are met during this challenging time and we will provide more updates as we progress further.”

The new potential cargo capacities for the respective aircraft could be up to 6,500 lb, up to 9,625 lb and up to 17,960 lb. This allows airlines, that are currently not using aircraft to transport passengers, to operate cargo flights to stay sustainable and to provide customers with essential goods.

In 2018, Bombardier sold its QSeries aircraft program and the De Havilland trademark to Longview Aviation Capital Corporation. The company has relaunched De Havilland Canada and it´s portfolio includes the support of Dash 8-100/200/300/400 aircraft and the production of the Dash 8-400.

Source © dehavilland.com

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