FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Jazz to retrofit 25 Air Canada Express Dash 8-400 aircraft with lightweight seats
Old Sep 17, 2025 | 11:29 am
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Leyland1989
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Originally Posted by HerpaYvr
As a shareholder of Chorus I hope something better? They did announce the sale of 3 Q400.

YLW has a lot of Q400 aircraft lately it's been a lot of CR9. Not sure if that is an upgrade as these planes are being retrofitted as they are focusing on Billy Bishop?
https://chorusaviation.com/wp-conten...-MDA-Final.pdf

It's confirmed that 3 Dash 8-400 will leave the fleet this year, and 11 more in 2026 + 5 leased CRJ-900 will be returned to lessor.

Leases on three Dash 8-400s expire at the end of 2025 and on six Dash 8-400s that expire in mid-2026. Chorus plans to sell these aircraft.
and

In addition, a select number of Dash 8-400s will receive Wi-Fi connectivity for Toronto Billy Bishop service along with Jazz’s previous announcement in May 2024 that its Dash 8-400 fleet would receive new lightweight seats as part of an emissions reduction initiative. All 39 owned aircraft leased under the CPA after 2026 are included in this passenger cabin refurbishment program with all costs associated with the program to be paid by Air Canada.
The CPA's exclusivity clause (if it's still a thing...) is set to expire this year, it appears Jazz will be downsized to the minimum 80 planes going forward and Air Canada is free to find a new provider for Air Canada Express 70+ seat regional capacity (if there's any... maybe somebody can give Pivot a call? )
I don't think there's a strong resell market for these beaten up Dash 8... unless it's for another new regional airlines propped up by AC with these Dash-8, like what they did with Sky Regional.

Last edited by Leyland1989; Sep 17, 2025 at 11:35 am Reason: fixed broken link
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