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De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400

De Havilland Canada · Turboprop airliner · In service

The fastest turboprop airliner in service.

Length32.83 m
Wingspan28.42 m
Range2,040 km
MTOW30 t
Typical seats78
Built640
Our numbers

Derived metrics

Computed by aircraft.fyi from the core specification — see how we calculate these.

Seats per metre#28 of 35
2.38 seats/m typical seats ÷ fuselage length
Range per tonne#28 of 65
66.9 km/t maximum range ÷ MTOW in tonnes
Span-to-length ratio#38 of 68
0.87 wingspan ÷ fuselage length
Weight per metre#62 of 68
0.93 t/m MTOW ÷ fuselage length
Range in hours#47 of 65
3.1 h maximum range ÷ cruise speed
Weight per seat#30 of 35
391 kg MTOW ÷ typical seats
Sense of scale

How big is it, really?

The De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400's wingspan, against things you already know the size of.

De Havilland Canada Dash 8-40028.42 m
Football pitch (width)68 m
Blue whale25 m
New Routemaster bus11.2 m
You (probably)1.75 m
Specification

The numbers

Length32.83 m
Wingspan28.42 m
Height8.34 m
MTOW30,481 kg
Range2,040 km
Typical seats78 (up to 90)
Max cruise667 km/h
Engines2 × PW150A turboprop
First flight31 January 1998
Built640+

Compare it

Put the Dash 8-400 next to something

Last verified: 2026-07-14 · Spot an error? business@luck.fyi

The story

What makes it different

The Dash 8-400 — sold for years as the Q400, the Q standing for Quiet — closed the gap between the turboprop and the jet. It cruises at 667 km/h, faster than any other turboprop airliner and close enough to a regional jet that passengers rarely notice the difference, while burning roughly a third less fuel.

Its party trick is the runway. Big propellers and a high wing let it work short, steep and awkward airfields that regional jets simply cannot use, which is why it became the signature aircraft of operators flying into difficult terrain and small city airports.

It was Bombardier's, then De Havilland Canada's again after the 2019 sale, and it is the aircraft most people picture when they think of a modern turboprop: high wing, T-tail, and two enormous six-bladed propellers.

Common questions

De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400 — the short answers

How fast is the De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400?
The De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400 cruises at about 667 km/h — roughly 360 knots, or 415 mph.
How far can the De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400 fly?
The De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400 has a maximum range of about 2,040 km (1,102 nautical miles, 1,268 miles). At its cruise speed that is roughly 3.1 hours in the air.
How many people does the De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400 carry?
A typical De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400 carries 78 passengers. Exact figures vary with the operator's chosen configuration.
Is the De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400 still in production?
Status: In service. The De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400 first flew in 1998, and about 640 have been built.
How big is the De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400?
The De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400 is 32.83 m long with a wingspan of 28.42 m and a height of 8.34 m. Its maximum takeoff weight is 30,481 kg.
Variants

The De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400 line

Dash 8-100 / -200 / -300
The earlier, smaller Dash 8s.
Dash 8-400 (Q400)
The 32.83 m stretch — the fast one. Spec shown above.
Q400 Cargo / Combi
Freight and mixed configurations.
Operators

Who flies the De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400

The top 8 operators by fleet size, of ≈50 worldwide — the rest are aggregated below. Counts marked ≈ are approximate, verified 2026-07-14.

CAWestJet Encore≈35
CAPorter AirlinesBuilt its original network on the Q400 at Toronto's island airport.≈30
USHorizon Air≈30
INSpiceJet≈25
NOWiderøeFlies it into Norway's short mountain runways.≈20
THNok Air≈15
LVAir Baltic≈10
GGAurigny≈4
Other operatorsAround 50 airlines fly the Dash 8-400 worldwide. Counts are fleet-report approximations.≈400