Bombardier has delivered the first of four Q400 NextGen airlines ordered by SATA Air Açores, a Grupo SATA regional airline.
The short-haul aircraft, powered by Pratt & Whitney PW150A engines, is designed to carry 80 passengers up to 1,362nm at a maximum cruise speed of 360kt.
The Q400 NextGen will feature an active noise and vibration suppression (ANVS) system, LED lighting, new ceiling panels and dished window sidewalls in the cabin.
The aircraft will be used by the carrier to link the nine islands of the Azores, and Madeira and Canary Islands.
Grupo SATA chairman António Gomes de Menezes said that the Q400 NextGen aircraft would replace older technology, less-fuel-efficient aircraft that had been in service for a number of years.
"The Bombardier Q400 NextGen airliner meets all of our requirements for increased passenger and cargo capacity, cabin comfort, lower fuel consumption and improved environmental compatability," he said.
The order for the aircraft was placed in March 2008.
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