Air Berlin (1991) (Berlin Tegel) has signed a firm lease agreement with GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) concerning three Dash 8-400s. The first aircraft is scheduled for delivery in September with the other two to follow in October and November. The aircraft are part of GECAS’ existing order book with Bombardier Aerospace (BBA, Montréal Trudeau).
“The Bombardier Q400 turboprop is a perfect choice for our regional routes,” said Stefan Pichler, Chief Executive Officer, Air Berlin. “It has replaced jets on thin routes that don’t require the capacity of larger jets; it allows us to increase frequencies on some routes at less cost than a jet; it flies point-to-point between smaller city pairs; and it feeds our major hubs. It does all of these things economically, reliably, and with the environmental sensitivity that is vital in Europe.”
Air Berlin currently has seventeen Q400s on wet-lease from LGW - Luftfahrtgesellschaft Walter (Dortmund).
