Dhaka: De Havilland Aircraft of Canada (DHC) has started the development of a new avionics solution for the -100 and -200 variants of the Dash 8 aircraft, as the company stated in an announcement on April 8.

DHC partnered with Universal Avionics and JANA Inc. to develop the new avionics upgrade, a customized variant of Universal's InSight avionics suite.

The upgraded avionics solution will feature increased navigational capabilities and improved situational awareness for the pilots. It will include a new electronic flight information system (EFIS) that will replace the old CRT displays with five high-resolution LCDs, incorporating improved synthetic vision and digital engine indication.

The Canadian aircraft manufacturer expects to achieve certifications for the new avionics suite by the first half of 2026, and Norwegian regional airline Widerøe will be the first carrier to introduce the upgrade.

Jean-Philippe Cote, the vice president of programs and business improvement at De Havilland Canada, regarded the development as the company's commitment to deliver modernized and reliable solutions with the goal to keep its existing fleet flying.

De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited (DHC) is a Canadian aircraft manufacturer based in Calgary, Alberta. The company currently produces three different types of aircraft, the DHC-6 Twin Otter, DHC-8 Dash 8, and DHC-515 Firefighter. In its nearly 100 years of history, the plane maker has delivered more than 5,000 aircraft worldwide.