Island Air will acquire new Q400 turbo prop airliners starting almost immediately. The first of the three 78 passenger planes has already been delivered. This is good news, as Island Air has been suffering with an aging, uncomfortable and unreliable fleet of ATR-72 turbo props which we wrote about from our own experiences previously.
David Uchiyama, CEO of Island Air said that the “Q400 turboprop is the perfect choice to take our airline to the next level.”
According to Bombardier, the planes were sold to Elix Aviation Capital Limited, an Irish company which leased them to Island Air.
“The technologically advanced, environmentally friendly Q400 aircraft is ideal for operations in Hawaii’s hot, humid, topographically diverse landscape and will serve Island Air well as it strives to achieve its business objectives.” — Fred Cromer, President, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft.
The Q400’s are well liked aircraft which Island Air had tried previously, then returned during uncertain financial times. The planes have good passenger comfort including noise and vibration attenuation. They also are said to use up to 30% less fuel and produce fewer emissions and less ground noise on brief inter-island flights, when compared with the Hawaiian Airlines Boeing 717 fleet.
We’re excited to see a new, modern and reliable fleet arrive at Island Air. Will you be flying on Island Air now that new planes are a reality?
