De Havilland Canada Dash 8 Q400

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DH8D  De Havilland Canada · Dash 8

De Havilland Canada Dash 8 Q400 at a glance

  • What it is: the De Havilland Canada Dash 8 Q400 is a short-haul aircraft built by De Havilland Canada, first flown in 1998.
  • On the radar: it shows up as type code DH8D. How to spot it overhead.
  • How far it flies: about 2,040 km without stopping, cruising near 667 km/h.
  • How many it carries: 74–90 passengers, depending on how the airline fits out the cabin.
  • Power: 2× PW150A turboprops, with a 28.4 m wingspan.
2,040 km
Range
667 km/h
Cruise speed
74–90+
Passengers
1998
First flight

The fastest regional turboprop, cruising nearly 160 km/h quicker than the ATR 72 with jet-like block times on short routes. Its Active Noise and Vibration Suppression system gives the Q designation. Major operators include Porter-heritage fleets in Canada, Alaska's Horizon Air, Qazaq Air and Ethiopian Airlines.

The story of the De Havilland Canada Dash 8 Q400

The Dash 8-400, long sold as the Bombardier Q400, was launched in 1995. It is a much faster, stretched development of de Havilland Canada's Dash 8 turboprop line. Bombardier wanted turboprop economics with something close to jet speed, and the stretch added a lot of extra seats at the same time. It first flew on January 31, 1998. Nothing else combined those two qualities so well.

SAS Commuter in Scandinavia began service in February 2000. Two 5,071-horsepower PW150A engines push it to about 667 km/h, close to regional jet speed, while burning far less fuel. Short sectors suit it best, because jets waste fuel climbing. The Q branding advertised an active system that cancels cabin noise and vibration. Cabin comfort improved sharply as a result. Passengers noticed the difference at once.

Seating grew over time from 68 to as many as 90. More than 600 have been delivered. Porter Airlines built its whole Toronto island-airport business on the type, and Horizon Air, WestJet Encore, Flybe, QantasLink and Ethiopian Airlines flew big fleets. Longview Aviation Capital bought the program in 2019 and revived the de Havilland Canada name. Toronto production paused in 2021, and a new Alberta plant is planned.

Design and engineering

The Dash 8-400 is a high-wing turboprop with two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW150A engines turning six-blade Dowty propellers. Cruise speed is close to that of a regional jet.

The long, slim fuselage seats up to 90 people four abreast. An active system uses tuned actuators to cancel propeller drone in the cabin.

A tall T-tail and slender wings suit steep approaches and short runways, and the landing gear folds up into the engine nacelles. Thales avionics fill the two-crew cockpit, so earlier Dash 8s need a separate type rating.

How to recognise the DH8D in the wild

A large, fast turboprop with a high wing, T-tail, very long slim fuselage and two six-blade props on slender nacelles into which the main gear retracts; it is noticeably longer and faster-looking than an ATR 72, whose nose is stubbier. More tells in how to identify any aircraft overhead.

Variants and close relatives

VariantWhat sets it apart
Dash 8-100/200The original 37-to-39-seat short-fuselage models from the 1980s.
Dash 8-300The 50-seat mid-size stretch that preceded the -400.
Dash 8-400 (Q400)The fast, stretched 68-to-90-seat flagship with PW150A engines.
Q400 cargo-combiMixed passenger-freight and firefighting conversions, including air tankers operated in France.

Major operators: Porter Airlines, Horizon Air, WestJet Encore, QantasLink, Ethiopian Airlines - Find them in the airline database and watch their DH8Ds on the live map.

Facts about the De Havilland Canada Dash 8 Q400

  • The Q in Q400 stood for quiet, referring to an active noise and vibration suppression system that cancels propeller noise inside the cabin.
  • Porter Airlines built an entire scheduled airline around the Q400's ability to serve downtown Toronto's short island runway.
  • Cruising near 667 km/h, the Dash 8-400 is the fastest turboprop airliner in Western service, close to regional jet block times on short routes.
  • The revived de Havilland Aircraft of Canada bought the program from Bombardier in 2019, returning the Dash 8 to its original brand name.
ICAO type code
DH8D
Manufacturer
De Havilland Canada
Capacity
74–90 passengers
Range
2,040 km
Cruise speed
667 km/h
MTOW
30,481 kg
Engines
2× PW150A turboprops
Wingspan / length
28.4 m / 32.8 m

Aircraft related to the De Havilland Canada Dash 8 Q400

Comparable types selected by family, manufacturer, capacity, range and generation.

CRJ9 Bombardier CRJ900 Bombardier · 76–90 passengers E175 Embraer E175 Embraer · 76–88 passengers AT76 ATR 72-600 ATR · 68–78 passengers E190 Embraer E190 Embraer · 96–114 passengers

More aircraft and tracking guides for the De Havilland Canada Dash 8 Q400

Spot one overhead using our aircraft identification guide. Short-haul flying has its own economics, covered in low-cost versus full-service.

Data sources and review

Reviewed 2026-07-29 by Flight-Tracker.net Editorial Team

Range, seating, speed and weight describe the aircraft type, not a specific airline configuration. Published figures vary by engine, weight option and cabin layout.

Read our aircraft specification sourcing and review process, or inspect the machine-readable reference dataset.

De Havilland Canada Dash 8 Q400 frequently asked questions

What is the range of the De Havilland Canada Dash 8 Q400?

The De Havilland Canada Dash 8 Q400 has a published range of about 2,040 km, cruising at roughly 667 km/h. Real-world range depends on payload, winds and reserves.

How many passengers does the De Havilland Canada Dash 8 Q400 carry?

A typical De Havilland Canada Dash 8 Q400 seats 74–90 passengers, though the exact number depends on how the operating airline configures its cabin.

What is the ICAO type code for the De Havilland Canada Dash 8 Q400?

The De Havilland Canada Dash 8 Q400 uses the ICAO type designator DH8D. That is the code you will see when you click this aircraft type on a live flight-tracking map.

What engines does the De Havilland Canada Dash 8 Q400 use?

The De Havilland Canada Dash 8 Q400 is powered by 2× PW150A turboprops, with a maximum takeoff weight of about 30,481 kg and a wingspan of 28.4 m.

How do you identify a De Havilland Canada Dash 8 Q400?

A large, fast turboprop with a high wing, T-tail, very long slim fuselage and two six-blade props on slender nacelles into which the main gear retracts; it is noticeably longer and faster-looking than an ATR 72, whose nose is stubbier.

Which airlines operate the De Havilland Canada Dash 8 Q400?

Major operators in this reference profile include Porter Airlines, Horizon Air, WestJet Encore, QantasLink, Ethiopian Airlines. Fleets change as aircraft are delivered, stored, leased and retired, so confirm current fleets with the airline.

Is the De Havilland Canada Dash 8 Q400 a narrowbody or a widebody?

The De Havilland Canada Dash 8 Q400 is a narrowbody, meaning a single aisle down the middle of the cabin. With 74–90 passengers seats and 2,040 km of range it is typically flown on short and medium-haul routes.