How Dash 8s Compare To ATR Aircraft

ATR and De Havilland Canada are two of the world’s leading turboprop aircraft manufacturers. Between the aircraft from both manufacturers, there are more than 200,000 flights scheduled this month.

ATR

ATR Overview ATR
(Aerei da Trasporto Regionale) is one of the world’s leading regional and commuter turboprop aircraft manufacturers. The company was established in 1981, as a joint venture between two aerospace companies, Airbus and Leonardo. Today, ATR is headquartered in Toulouse, France, and is known for its emphasis on efficiency and reliability.

The two main families of aircraft are the ATR 42 and ATR 72. The ATR 42 family is the only regional plane in the 30-50 seat market, and is typically configured with 30 seats or 48. The ATR 72 family is capable of being configured with 44-78 seats but is typically configured with 44, 72, or 78. Both aircraft families are known for their fuel efficiency and ability to operate from short runways, making them perfect for remote areas.

Photo: ATR

ATR aircraft are widely used worldwide, by major airlines, regional airlines, and other smaller operators. The manufacturer has a very diverse customer base, with customers in the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Asia. Because of this, ATR has built a large network of customer service centers, spare parts warehouses, and training centers.

De Havilland Canada Overview

De Havilland Canada, another turboprop manufacturer, is ATR’s biggest competitor. The company was founded nearly 100 years ago, in 1928 as a subsidiary of the British de Havilland Aircraft Company. Today, De Havilland Canada (DHC) is headquartered in Toronto.

The Dash 8 family of turboprop aircraft was introduced in 1984 and is known for its reliability and versatility. Over the years, DHC developed the Dash 8-100, Dash 8-200, Dash 8-300, and finally, the most popular, Dash 8-400. The Q400 features quieter and more efficient engines and advanced avionics. Like the ATRs, the Dash 8s are able to operate on short runways and diverse environmental conditions.

DHC is also known for developing the Canadair CL-215, an amphibious firefighting aircraft first introduced in the 1960s that has been crucial to firefighting operations worldwide.

In 1992, DHC was acquired by Bombardier Aerospace, which spearheaded the development of the Q series, which was called the Bombardier Q Series. The Q Series was developed as a more fuel-efficient and quieter aircraft family. In 1996, a noise and vibration suppression system (NVS) was added to the Dash 8 family. In 2020, Longview Aviation Capital purchased the rights to the De Havilland brand and started operating as De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited.

Current market

According to data from Cirium, an aviation analytics firm, more than 210,000 roundtrip flights are scheduled on ATR and DHC turboprop aircraft this month. More than half of those are operated by ATR. Of the 210,148 flights, 132,595 are on ATR aircraft, totaling more than 63% of the market share.

Of the five variants of the DHC aircraft (including the newer Dash 8 Q400), the original Dash 8-400 is the most widely used, with 35,086 flights. The newer Dash 8 Q400 is the second-most used Dash 8, scheduled for 19,114 flights this month.

Longest ATR Routes

The longest ATR route is operated with a ATR-72 by Air Tahiti, from Tahiti to Totegegie. The flight connecting the two cities is 1,022 miles long and is the only ATR route worldwide longer than 1,000 miles. The second-longest route is 982 miles and is in Canada. Canadian North uses its ATR 42-300/320s to fly from Igaluit to Resolute. The next three routes are operated by Russian carrier KrasAvia, on the ATR 42 and 72.

Shortest ATR Routes

The shortest route operated by an ATR aircraft this month also happens to be operated by Air Tahiti. The flight from Moorea to Tahiti is 11 miles long, but is also operated by Air Moana. Air Moana uses the ATR 72, while Air Tahiti uses the 72 and 42-300/320.

Photo: KKulikov | Shutterstock

There are two routes that are 13 miles long, one is in French Polynesia and the other is in Greece. The flight from Ahe to Manihi is the route in French Polynesia and the one in Greece is from Karpathos to Kasos Island.

Longest Dash 8 routes

With the Dash 8s, unlike the ATRs, there are three routes above 1,000 miles. One is from Africa to Europe, the other from Australia to Papua New Guinea, and the last is a domestic route in Russia. Universal Air Charter and Management operates a 1,266-mile flight from Casablanca to Malta. Skytrans’ route from Rockhampton to Lab Lab is 1,224 miles long. Finally, Yakutia Airlines’ flight from Chersky to Yakutsk is 1,006-miles long.

Shortest Dash 8 routes

The shortest route on Dash 8s is even shorter than the shortest routes on ATRs. At six miles, the Harbour Air route from Maple Bay to Ganges in Canada is the shortest Dash 8 route worldwide. This flight is operated on the Dash 8-300.

Japan TransOcean Air operates the second-shortest route, from Minamidaito to Kita-Daito, which is just eight miles long. Olympic Air, which has the second-shortest ATR route, has the third-shortest Dash 8 route, which is the same as the ATR route, from Karpathos to Kasos Island.

The Air Creebec flight from Kashechewan to Fort Albany in Ontario, Canada is also 13 miles. This route is operated on the Dash 8-100