Tamarack Moves into Dash 8 Market with SkyAlps

Company’s active winglet system will drive greater efficiency into the de Havilland Q400 twin turboprop.

Wednesday, June 21, 2023 at 11:20 AM ET

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The SkyAlps de Havilland Q400 fleet will gain in performance and efficiency from the Tamarack SmartWing active winglet system. [Courtesy: Tamarack Aerospace]

Key Takeaways:

Tamarack Aerospace will install its Eco-SmartWing active winglet system on SkyAlps' de Havilland Q400 fleet, aiming to improve fuel efficiency by 7-8%, reduce emissions, and enhance overall performance.
This upgrade further boosts the environmental performance of SkyAlps' Q400s, which already offer a 50% lower carbon footprint than competing regional jets.
The deal, confirmed at the Paris Air Show, supports SkyAlps' fleet expansion and signifies Tamarack's plan to market the SmartWing certification to the broader global Q400 market, with U.S. officials endorsing it as a key sustainability collaboration.

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The quest for greater efficiency on current airline platforms has driven an alliance between Tamarack Aerospace and SkyAlps, an Italian airline. Under the terms of the letter of intent signed by the parties, Tamarack will provide its Eco-SmartWing active winglet system to install on the SkyAlps fleet of de Havilland “Dash 8s,” as the popular Q400 model is known.

SkyAlps operates the fleet out of Bolzano Airport (LIPB) into the southern Tyrol region of the Alps, lending the company its name. By using the twin turboprop de Havilland Q400s, SkyAlps already offers a 50 percent reduction in carbon footprint for its flights over competitors using regional jet platforms. The implementation of the SmartWing technology will further improve efficiency by 7 to 8 percent. The Dash 8s will also see performance improvements along with the noise reduction, and lower fuel burn and emissions.