Will fly three Q400 aircraft in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)

Bombardier Aerospace today welcomed Yakutia Airlines to the growing family of Bombardier Q400 aircraft operators. Yakutia Airlines, a domestic passenger carrier based in the northeast region of Russia, will fly three Q400 aircraft, with the first one having arrived this week at Yakutsk Airport.

Yakutia Airline’s new status as a Q400 aircraft operator follows the type approval that was awarded in June 2012 by the Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC) – commonly known by its Russian acronym, MAK. The Q400 aircraft is the largest Western-built turboprop aircraft to be awarded type approval for operation in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

“This marks a wonderful achievement and milestone for the Q400 aircraft program. We’re proud to welcome yet another new operator to the family – Yakutia Airlines as the first Russian-based operator,” said Mike Arcamone, President, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft. “The Q400 aircraft is tailor-made for Yakutia Airline’s diverse route network that provides regional airline service to one of the largest territories in the world,” said Mr. Arcamone.

“The powerful, yet fuel-efficient Q400 turboprop was selected for Yakutia’s operations because of its high speed, which will allow us to cover long sectors; its ability to operate on unpaved runways; and importantly ? its capability in the difficult conditions that northeast Russia presents, including high winds and extreme cold in the winter,” noted Ivan Prostit, General Director of Yakutia Airlines. “We expect that the combination of passenger comfort and low operating cost offered by the Q400 aircraft will allow us to optimise our regional operations.”

Powered by two new-generation, 5,071-shaft horsepower (shp) PW150A engines, and capable of flying at a speed of up to 360 knots (667 km/h), the Q400 aircraft can quickly climb to turbulence-free altitudes, and can also provide fast access to the remote airports of the Siberian region of the Russian Federation.

Bombardier has booked firm orders for 463 Q400 and Q400 NextGen turboprops, and delivered aircraft are in service with more than 40 operators in over 30 countries, on five continents. These aircraft have transported more than 243 million passengers and have logged more than 3.8 million flight hours and over 4.1million take-offs and landings.