Qantas has announced an upgrade to its regional brand, QantasLink, by introducing the larger De Havilland Canada Dash 8 Q400 aircraft at Adelaide Airport. This move is expected to enhance capacity in Southern Australia.
On February 17, Qantas stated that its regional South Australian network would see benefits from increased seating and improved reliability. The airline has started using the Dash 8 Q400 on all regional routes from Adelaide. The transition involves phasing out the older Dash 8 Q200s and Q300s in favor of three new Dash 8 Q400s.
“Qantas operates more than 50 return flights per week between Adelaide and the regional cities, providing essential connections for residents and tourists as well as business and resource travel. These flights are currently operated by smaller Q300 aircraft which have 50 seats. These older aircraft are being gradually retired from Qantas’ fleet.”
The delivery of these aircraft involved a journey through Iceland, Norway, Slovenia, Egypt, Oman, India, and Indonesia before reaching Australia.
In addition to the fleet upgrade, Qantas will also revamp its beverage offerings on board. Starting mid-March, eight new regional wines will be available on all QantasLink turboprop flights. Six of these wines are produced by local South Australian wineries.
Rachel Yangoyan, CEO of QantasLink, emphasized the advantages of the Dash 8 Q400s: “Improving the overall travel experience is important but so is investing in the communities that we serve. The overhaul of our wine offering across our turboprop network to showcase six South Australian wines to over 3.5 million customers a year is great for local tourism and will grow our support for the local economy.”
Brenton Cox, Managing Director of Adelaide Airport, noted that newer and larger aircraft benefit regional customers who depend on these services for various needs.
The first airports to receive the Dash 8 Q400s from Adelaide include Mount Gambier Airport (MGB), Port Lincoln Airport (PLO), Kingscote Airport (KGC), and Whyalla Airport (WYA). Data suggests Canberra Airport (CBR) may follow with potential service starting in November.
This development follows a June 2024 announcement where Qantas committed to acquiring 14 mid-life Dash 8 Q400 aircraft while phasing out smaller models. This investment aims to consolidate three sub-fleets into one for greater efficiency.
According to ch-aviation’s data, Sunstate Airlines operates all of QantasLink’s Dash 8 Q400s. Currently, their fleet includes three Dash 8 Q200s, sixteen Dash 8 Q300s, and thirty-three Dash 8 Q400s.
