Reports indicate that Bombardier is considering a 90-seat version of its Q400 turboprop but will wait for engine advancements before committing to any such new version of the Dash 8 fleet.
Bombardier indicated that a simple stretch of the DHC-8Q-400 could be designed and built quickly, but there would not be a significant performance gain over the 70-seat version of the Dash 8 without a major improvement in the aircraft type’s engines. There appears to be no technical reason why a 90-seat DHC-8Q-900 could not be built and there is demand from Bombardier’s customers for such an aircraft. However, with that demand also comes a requirement that the fuel performance of the new aircraft be better than the current DHC-8Q-400.
ATR, the only other competing aircraft manufacturer, is considering a similar stretch, but also has not announced a time frame or other details on their program.
