Widerøe

Farnborough – October 18, 2026 -- Widerøe has become the launch customer for De Havilland Canada's Dash 8-400 A-Check Escalation Program, which extends scheduled A-Check intervals from 800 to 1,200 flight hours across the Scandinavian carrier's fleet of 17 aircraft.

Widerøe becomes first Dash 8-400 operator to adopt the extended interval

De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited announced the agreement with Widerøe, which it describes as Scandinavia's largest regional airline. Implementation is underway and is expected to finish within the next 12 months.

The 50% longer interval cuts the number of routine A-Check inspections each aircraft requires. De Havilland Canada says the program maintains safety and airworthiness standards.

Farnborough – October 18, 2026 -- Widerøe has added four more Dash 8-100 aircraft to its Extended Service Program PLUS (ESP+) agreement with De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited, lifting its confirmed commitment to 14 aircraft.

Widerøe expands ESP+ enrollment four years after launching the program

Widerøe became the launch customer for ESP+ in 2022. It initially enrolled 10 aircraft, with options on an additional 10. The latest commitment brings the confirmed total to 14 aircraft.

ESP+ raises Dash 8-100 life limit from 120,000 to 160,000 flight cycles

The program extends the service life of the Dash 8-100 from 120,000 to 160,000 flight cycles, a 40,000-cycle increase. De Havilland Canada says this gives the type the longest flight-cycle life of any commercial aircraft.