IATA DH2ICAO DH8B

De Havilland Canada DHC-8-200 Dash 8 / 8Q

De Havilland Canada

TravelerPulse profile

Stretched regional turboprop serving short-haul routes efficiently.

First flight

1995

Category

Regional turboprop

Seating

36–39

Range

1,713 km

Engines

Two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW123 turboprop engines

Status

In service

The De Havilland Canada DHC-8-200 Dash 8, commonly known as the Dash 8 Series 200, is a twin-turboprop regional airliner developed as an improved variant of the original DHC-8-100. It retains the same fuselage length but features more powerful Pratt & Whitney Canada PW123 engines, offering enhanced performance at higher altitudes and in hot-and-high conditions. Introduced in the late 1980s, the Series 200 was designed to provide better payload-range capability compared to its predecessor while maintaining the short-field performance that made the Dash 8 family popular with regional carriers. The aircraft typically seats around 36 to 39 passengers in a single-class configuration. The type remains in service with a number of regional and commuter airlines worldwide, particularly in markets where short runways and challenging operating environments are common. The 'Q' suffix (DHC-8Q) denotes the later Quiet Series variants equipped with an Active Noise and Vibration Suppression (ANVS) system.

Notable operators

Operators have included Air Canada Express, Flybe, WestJet Encore, and various Pacific Island and African regional carriers.

Notable facts

›The Series 200 uses more powerful PW123 engines compared to the PW120A engines on the Series 100.
›The Q (Quiet Series) variant features an Active Noise and Vibration Suppression (ANVS) system to reduce cabin noise.
›It shares the same fuselage cross-section and length as the DHC-8-100.
›The aircraft is well suited for operations from short or unpaved airstrips in remote regions.
›De Havilland Canada (originally Bombardier) has produced hundreds of Dash 8 aircraft across all series variants.