Posted by: Hungarian Business Network Posted on: Monday 18 May 2009, 12:07

Malév’s second Q400 turboprop, tail number HA-LQC, landed at Budapest Ferihegy airport yesterday evening. The new aircraft, one element of the Malév fleet restructuring programme, will be followed by two new Q400s in May. This will allow Malév to have four Q400 turboprops, which are quiet, fast, cost-efficient and environmentally friendly, operational from the beginning of this summer.

Malév selected the Q400 for its regional services in response to the latest challenges facing the air transport industry. The Q400 turboprops replace the airline’s regional fleet of F70s and CRJ-200s. The first Q400 was brought into service last November. The company intends to make the newest member of the fleet operational in a few days once all the necessary flight safety procedures and technical documentation are completed.

Optimized for short- and medium-haul routes and with a maximum flight range of 2400 km, Q400 aircraft offer a perfect balance between passenger comfort, economical operation and the lowest possible environmental impact. The Q400 is considered the best in its category; the turboprops are equipped with advanced technology such as the Active Noise and Vibration Suppression (ANVS) system, of particular benefit from the point of view of passenger comfort.

Thanks to the considerably lower fuel consumption, the per seat operational costs of Q400s are the best on the regional aircraft market, and they will use 30% less kerosene than similar size jet aircraft.

So far the Bombardier Q400 fleet has logged a total more than 1.6 million flying hours and carried out 1.8 million landings. As an example of the worldwide demand for this type, at present there are more than 300 orders on the books. Malév is the world’s 25th airline to operate this type.

Source and copyright: Malév Airlines, Budapest, 7 May 2009