Bombardier Commercial Aircraft welcomed Accra, Ghana-based Aero Surveys Limited to the family of Q400 aircraft customers and operators. Starbow became the first Ghana-based operator of the Q400 turboprop when it launched service with a Q400 NextGen aircraft wet-leased from Falcon Aviation Services of Abu Dhabi. The aircraft is one of six that Falcon ordered from Bombardier in 2014.

Starbow has joined more than 50 owners and operators of Q400 and Q400 NextGen aircraft worldwide, and has become the 18th member of the family in Africa.

As announced in July 2014, Falcon and Bombardier have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in which they will jointly address the need in Africa for several modern, high-quality aircraft solutions which meet international standards. The entry-into-service of the Q400 NextGen aircraft with Starbow re-emphasizes the collaboration arranged under the MOU.

“Operators of Q400 NextGen turboprops continue to capitalize on the aircraft’s outstanding performance, and we are especially encouraged by the Q400 aircraft’s success in Africa, where we continue to be the market leader in the 20- to 99-seat turboprop segment,” said Mike Arcamone, president, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft. “We are very happy to welcome Starbow to our family of owners and operators and wish the airline the very best for its future growth and development.”