Dash 8 or Beech 1900D: Choosing a Regional Turboprop
A regional operator comparing a Dash 8 with a Beech 1900D is not really comparing two aircraft. It is deciding how many seats a route can fill, and what happens on the days it cannot. One is a 19 seat airliner that gets into very small places. The other starts at around 37 seats and goes up to 56. The right choice depends on the load you can count on, not on the brochure.
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This comparison covers the Beech 1900D and the older Dash 8 models, the -100, -200 and -300, because those are the ones that compete with it. For the larger Q400, see our ATR 72 or Dash 8 comparison. Figures below are rounded and vary by aircraft, weight and source, so check them against the actual aircraft offered.
Seats and cabin
Beech 1900D: 19 passengers, with a cabin about 1.8 metres high, so most people can stand. Cabin width is narrow, with single seats on each side of the aisle.
Dash 8-100 and -200: typically 37 to 40 seats.
Dash 8-300: typically 50 to 56 seats.
The 1900D suits a known small group: a shift, a survey team or a contract crew. A Dash 8 suits a route where 30 to 50 people travel on the same day. If 19 seats are full on most sectors, you are probably turning people away and should look at the Dash 8. If a Dash 8 flies a third full, the cost of the empty seats lands on you.
Speed and range
Both cruise in a similar band, roughly 270 to 285 knots, so block times on a given sector are close. Range is where the load matters. Published range for the 1900D runs from about 600 nautical miles to more than 1,200 nautical miles depending on payload and fuel, and with a full cabin you should plan on the short end. A Dash 8-300 with a full passenger load is usually quoted at around 800 nautical miles.
Ask for the payload and range figure on your own sector, at your own temperature and elevation.
Runways
This is the main reason both types are still in demand. Both have a long record on short, hot and unpaved strips. As a rough guide, each needs around 1,100 metres at sea level at full weight, and more when it is hot or high.
What changes is the weight on the surface. The 1900D has a maximum take-off weight of roughly 7.7 tonnes. A Dash 8-300 is about 19 tonnes. On a soft or lightly built strip that difference can decide the question, so check the strip's surface and strength before you compare anything else. Our guide to Dash 8 ACMI leases in Africa covers what to ask about gravel operations.
Cost: per hour or per seat
The 1900D costs less to operate per hour. The Dash 8 usually costs less per seat when it is full. So the two questions to answer are:
How many seats do you actually fill, averaged over a month and not on the best day?
Can the minimum guaranteed hours be flown with real demand?
An ACMI lease is normally charged per block hour with a monthly minimum, and you pay the fuel on top. A smaller aircraft flown at a higher load factor can beat a larger aircraft on total monthly cost, even when the larger aircraft is cheaper per seat on paper. Work it out on a full month of your schedule, as described in how to request an ACMI quote.
Freight and mixed loads
Neither type is a primary freighter, but operators on remote routes often carry passengers and cargo together. A Dash 8 has far more room for baggage, tools and spares. On a 1900D, a full cabin leaves limited weight for freight. If your rotation carries equipment as well as people, include the weight per sector in your enquiry. For mixed cargo into remote places, see cargo charter to a remote airstrip.
Crew and support
Both types are out of production, so age and support decide a lot:
Who holds spares for the type in your region, and how quickly an engine can be swapped
How many type rated crews the operator has, and whether they can be based with you
What the operator flies as a replacement when the aircraft goes technical
For passenger work on mining or energy contracts, whether the operator meets your client's safety standard. See why BARS matters more than IOSA
A quick way to decide
Under 19 people on most sectors, short or light strips? Beech 1900D.
Regularly 25 to 50 people, or heavy baggage? Dash 8-300, or a -100 or -200 for the lower end.
Soft surface with a weight limit? Start from the strip, then pick the aircraft.
Demand changing month to month? Keep the monthly minimum low and look at the smaller aircraft first.
Getting a quote
Tell us type, base and hours. If you are not sure of the type, send us the base, your airfields and the seats you expect to fill, and we come back with what is available. See the aircraft available on ACMI or read more about aircraft leasing.
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