Yakutia Airlines presented its first Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 aircraft. The new turboprop acquired in the network of State program “Development of transport system of Sakha Republic for 2012-2016» will replace An-24 aircraft, the carrier’s press-service reports.
 
Yakutia Airlines is the first Russian operator of Q400 aircraft. The major advantages of this aircraft are ability to use unpaved airfields with short runways and allowance of operation at low temperatures. At present Q400 is successfully operated in the northern part of Canada (its climate is similar to the weather conditions at the Far East).

Yakutia Airlines have signed contracts on delivery of 3 Bombardier aircraft. The turboprops should be delivered in the first quarter of 2013. The aircraft’s cabin is equipped with 73 seats.

«We hope that Bombardier aircraft providing a high level of comfort and low operating costs will help our company optimize our regional operations in terms of increasing the service quality as well as improving economics», - CEO of Yakutia Airlines, Ivan Prostit, noted.

«It is an important milestone in the network of Q400 program. We welcome Yakutia Airlines as the latest Q400 operator and the first Russian operator of the aircraft type», – said Mike Arcamone, President, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft. «The Q400aircraft is tailor-made for Yakutia Airline’s diverse route network that provides regional airline service to one of the largest territories in the world», – he added.

The aircraft’s range allows performing flights from Yakutsk to Neryungri, Lensk, Olekminsk, Chokurdakh, Chersky and interregional flights to Khabarovsk, Blagoveshensk, Chita, Krasnoyarsk, etc.