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Australian carrier Qantas Airways has placed a firm order with Bombardier Aerospace for three Q400 NextGen turboprop aircraft in a deal worth $98m, based on list prices.

Qantas will use the new Q400s to expand its network in the Australian domestic market.

The Q400 aircraft has played an important role in supporting Qantas’s expansion in regional Australia over the past five years.

This order will bring the total number of Q400 and Q400 NextGen airliners operated by Qantas to 31.

The airline also operates two Bombardier Dash 8-200, three Q200 and 16 Q300 airliners.

Bombardier Commercial Aircraft president Mike Arcamone said that Qantas is a long-time Bombardier customer and has contributed much to the Q400 aircraft’s success in Australia.

"Qantas has once again decided to go with the Q400 NextGen turboprop, and this is a testament to the aircraft’s unmatched economics, reduced fuel burn and low operating costs," Arcamone added.

"This order will bring the total number of Q400 and Q400 NextGen airliners operated by Qantas to 31."

Designed for short-haul routes, the new Q400 NextGen configuration can seat up to 67 people, including seven in business class and the remaining in coach, as well as offering an increased cargo capacity.

Built at Bombardier’s facility in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the aircraft is a successor to Bombardier’s Dash 8/Q-Series family of aircraft.

To date, Bombardier has logged 463 firm orders for Q400 and Q400 NextGen turboprops, with more than 40 operators worldwide using its aircraft.

More than 300 Bombardier commercial aircraft are operating in, or have been ordered for, the Asia-Pacific region.

In November 2012, Addis Ababa-based Ethiopian Airlines became the first carrier to take delivery of Q400 NextGen turboprop jetliners fitted with a dual-class configuration.

Image: Qantas Airways will use the new Q400 NextGen aeroplanes to reinforce its Australian network. Photo: courtesy of Bombardier.