De Havilland Dash 8 Series

In production

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High wing twin turboprop regional airliner. Includes 400 (90 seat) and multi-mission variants. Originally manufactured by Bombardier. Acquired by De Havilland in 2019.

Photo: De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited

Lift type

Fixed wing

Construction

Factory-built

Control

Piloted

Engine type

Turboprop, Electric

Application

Military transport, Passenger medium, Search & rescue, Utility

Final assembly

Toronto (Downsview) ·

Fleet facts business use worldwide · as at August 2026

In business use

332 aircraft

Production years

1974-2018

Average age

29.7 years

Main base countries

Canada (111), Australia (30), Kenya (29), Norway (22), New Zealand (21)

Figures cover the worldwide fleet in business use — airline and military examples are not included. Fleet data: Business Air News research.

Design & construction

Primary structure

Aluminium

Wing

Composite

Landing gear

Retractable tricycle

Ice protection

Bleed air

Pressurisation

Pressurised

Flight controls

Mechanical

Avionics architecture

Integrated glass suite

Environmental control

Engine-bleed air-cycle

Wing position

High

Planform

Straight

Tail

Conventional

Certification

Part 25

Minimum crew

Composite wing (primary structure) Primary

Technical reference compiled with AI research; a value appears only where two independent research passes and a web fact-check agree. Gaps are deliberate.

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Type variants

Variant	Launch / first flight	Production end	Notes
De Havilland Dash 8-100 Series	1983 / 1983	2005	37 to 39 passenger, baseline variant.
De Havilland Dash 8-300 Series	1987 / 1987	2009	Stretched 50 to 56 passenger variant.
De Havilland Dash 8-200 Series	1995 / 1995	2009	Same capacity as 8-100 Series but with enhanced engine.
De Havilland Dash 8-400	1995 / 1995	2021	Further stretched airframe design. Production paused pending facility relocation.
De Havilland Dash 8 Q400	1995 / 1997		Stretched version of 8-300 Series, with Active Noise and Vibration Supression.
De Havilland Dash 8 Multi Mission Aircraft	2014 / 2014		Derived from Q400, made in partnership with L3 Technologies, Leonardo and Ultra Electronics.

Airframer

De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited

News

Acquired Dash 8 program from Bombardier, June 2019

Other aircraft programs: De Havilland Canadair 515 · Viking Twin Otter Series 400 ·

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Program milestones 51 dated events

The program’s dated history — milestones, contracts, supplier selections and facilities, each linked to its source. Log in to view.

Information on this page is compiled from a variety of published sources; links do not necessarily imply recommendation or confirmation by the airframe manufacturer.