De Havilland Canada Introduces New Avionics Suite for Dash 8 100 and 200 Aircraft

April 08, 2025

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De Havilland Aircraft of Canada (DHC) today announced that it has launched the development of a new avionics solution for the Dash 8-100 and 200 aircraft.  With our partner Universal Avionics, a new customized Universal InSight avionics suite is now under development and will be available for customers wishing to upgrade their aircraft.

“We are pleased to introduce an upgraded avionics suite for our Dash 8-100 and 200 customers,” said Jean-Philippe Cote, Vice President of Programs and Business Improvement for De Havilland Canada. “This upgrade will ensure that these rugged and reliable aircraft will be flying for many years to come.”

In cooperation with our partners Universal Avionics and JANA Inc., DHC is developing an avionics upgrade that will increase navigational capabilities and improve safety by providing improved situational awareness for pilots, making it an excellent solution for current operators. The certification of the new avionics’ solution is anticipated to be obtained in the first half of 2026. Widerøe’s Flyveselskap AS will be the launch customer for the upgrade program.

Universal’s InSight flight display system installation on the Dash 8 adds five high-resolution LCD displays with improved synthetic vision and digital engine indication, replacing aging CRT equipment to remove unnecessary weight making this an upgrade a significant improvement over the current avionics suite.

“Partnering with Universal Avionics to upgrade our Dash 8-100 & 200 aircraft reinforces De Havilland Canada’s commitment to investing in the fleet and delivering modernized and reliable solutions to our customers. The new avionics provides a good solution to replace components difficult to replace and repair,” said Cote. “This solution is part of our overall goal as a company to keep our existing fleet flying.”

Source : De Havilland Aircraft of Canada