Saskatchewan Orders 4 Dash 8-400 Airtankers

Saskatchewan has started the process of acquiring new planes for its firefighting fleet. The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency will spend around $187 million to buy four repurposed planes: two Dash 8-Q400AT models and two Dash 8-Q400MRE models. The federal government will contribute around $16 million.

The first of the four planes is expected to arrive in late summer of 2025, with the remaining three arriving by the end of 2027. They are meant to replace the current fleet of Convair 580s, which are approaching the end of their useful lifespan in 2027

Two of the airplanes are dedicated airtankers. The other two can act as airtankers but can also be used for things like air evacuations, patient transport and cargo hauling. Conair president and CEO Matt Bradley said these planes are made by Canadians for Canadians.

“Saskatchewan leads the country in preparing for future disasters with their order for four modern emergency response aircraft,” Bradley said.”