Bombardier Dash 8 / Q400 — safety record, routes and airlines

The Bombardier Dash 8 / Q400 has 52 occurrences in our most recent five-year window. It has 22 hull losses and 494 recorded occurrences in total. 12 of them were fatal, the most recent in 2024. These are counts from the public record, not a rating: they reflect how widely a type flies as much as how it performs, and they do not predict any individual flight. The methodology page explains how we count.

The cabin is narrower than a jet, with 2-2 seating and overhead bins sized only for small carry-ons. Noise is higher than a jet due to the propellers, though the Q400 uses active noise cancellation and is noticeably quieter than older turboprops. Flight times on typical 300 nautical mile routes are 45 to 60 minutes. Descent and approach can feel more active than a jet.

Production was suspended in the early 2020s after De Havilland Canada moved the program out of Downsview in Toronto. The company has indicated plans to restart Q400 production at a new facility, though timing remains uncertain. The existing fleet continues to operate actively, and backlogs of parts support continued service for years to come.

Fuel burn per seat on sub-400 nautical mile routes is significantly better than any regional jet. Turboprops also handle short runways and some high-elevation or hot-climate airports better than equivalent jets. For very short sectors, their block times are comparable to jets once you include climb and descent. That combination keeps them economical on thin, short regional routes.