2023/02/15
Have you ever heard of "Ecobon", which operated from November 2010 to March 2018?
The DHC-8-400 propeller-driven aircraft, known for its eco-friendliness, owned by the ANA Group was painted green to resemble leaves, and was named "Ecobon'' from "Eco-friendly" and "Bon Voyage". In this article, we focused on how this propeller-driven aircraft is eco-friendly.
Features of the DHC-8-400
The ANA Group owns 24*1 aircraft of the DHC-8-400 that can each seat up to 74 passengers. DHC-8-400 weighs less than most of the aircraft, and its small size allows it to turn in small circles. Because of its small size, it can take off and land on the short runways that are common on remote islands, leading to the maintenance of remote island routes. The light weight of the aircraft also means that it consumes less fuel per flight, making it more eco-friendly to fly the lighter DHC-8-400 than to fly a smaller jet over the same distance.
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*1.as of February 1st, 2023
Among propeller-driven aircraft, the DHC-8-400 is relatively fast, and on routes with less than one hour flight time, there is no significant difference in flight time compared to other jets, so on short-haul routes with fewer passengers, the use of the DHC-8-400 helps maintain routes and reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.
The DHC-8-400's wings are on the top of the aircraft (above the windows), so you can enjoy the view from low altitude above the ground from any seat without the wings entering the view. As part of our in-flight entertainment content, we also offer "From the Window of the #Q4" with information on routes and scenery, so please enjoy it along with your flight.
Eco-friendly operations with the DHC-8-400
As described in the above, the use of the DHC-8-400 over jet leads to maintaining routes and being eco-friendly, but the ANA Group is working to be even more eco-friendly in its DHC-8-400 operations.
The aircraft is equipped with two engines, one on each side, and after landing, only one engine is sufficient for ground taxiing. We call it "One Engine Taxi In", which means to stop one engine after landing and use the power of one engine for ground taxiing. We also perform this in DHC-8-400, when the weather and the environment around the aircraft are checked and safety is assured by the pilot. By stopping one engine, we reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.
With a jet engine, it is difficult to tell from the exterior if one of the engines has stopped, but with a propeller-driven DHC-8-400, you can see clearly that one of the propellers has stopped, so if you see a DHC-8-400 after landing from an airport observation deck, please check it out!
This is the video showing One Engine Taxi In performed by DHC-8-400.
This is a short 15-second video showing the One Engine Taxi In being performed on the DHC-8-400. The left engine of the plane stops and the propeller on the left side of the fuselage does not move as the plane heads to the gate for disembarkation after landing, filmed from the side and from the front. The video also notes that this contributes to the reduction of CO2 emissions.
