Canada’s PAL Airlines launches Dash 8-400 operations

PAL Airlines (Canada) (PB, St. John’s) launched DHC-8-Q400 operations on October 23, 2020, deploying its first aircraft of the type on multiple regional routes out of St. John’s. C-GPAO (msn 4015), a 21.5-year-old ex-Austrian Airlines turboprop, was registered in Canada on October 19, 2020. It is the first of three Dash 8-400s due to join the Canadian regional carrier’s fleet and has so far been deployed from St. John’s to Gander and Wabush (via Deer Lake, NL and Goose Bay). A further two De Havilland Aircraft of Canada turboprops, msn 4016 and 4048, remain in storage at St. John’s and have yet to be registered in Canada. The former is also ex-Austrian Airlines and the latter ex-Horizon Air (QX, Seattle Tacoma Int’l), according to the ch-aviation fleets advanced module. According to the Canadian aircraft register, PAL Airlines also operates two Beech 1900Ds, two Dash 8-100s, four Dash 8-300s, and four DHC-8-Q300s.