Luxair has changed its London City Airport Embraer 135 jet operation to a Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 service.
The Q400 consumes 25% less fuel per passenger than the jet and has a 72-seat capacity compared with 37 on the Embraer.
Luxair follows in the Flybe”s wake, which dumped its Bombardier CRJ jets for the Q400 and is currently disposing of its Embraer 145 fleet, acquired as part of the British Airways Connect takeover deal. Flybe is now the world”s largest operator of the Q400, with 33 delivered and a further 27 on order.
With the Q400, flight time between London City and Luxembourg is 70 minutes, just five minutes longer than the jet. It is in fact quicker to cruising altitude and only around 50mph slower at 400mph when levelled out.
It produces less greenhouse gas ” up to 62% less CO2 and 67% less NOx (nitrogen oxide) than the jet it supersedes.
The Q400 is the latest development of the Bombardier (previously de Havilland Canada) Dash 8 series.
In total, 830 Dash 8s have been ordered with 750 delivered. Compared with previous turboprops and even the competing ATR series, the Q400 is quiet with a cabin noise and vibration suppression system that works particularly well. For the most part passengers will find it no more noisy that the Embraer it replaces and with a 2+2 cabin layout, far more spacious.