TORONTO, CANADA — De Havilland Canada's Extended Service Program PLUS ("ESP PLUS") and Norwegian regional carrier Widerøe have signed an agreement to increase the service life of the Norwegian regional carrier's ten Dash 8-100 aircraft.

Widerøe has also booked ESP PLUS options for another ten Dash 8-100 aircraft. Under the ESP PLUS agreement, the service life of the robust Dash 8-100 aircraft will be increased to 160,000 flight cycles. The aircraft previously underwent an ESP to increase its service life from the original 80,000 flight cycles to 120,000.

Widerøe is the largest regional airline in Scandinavia, carrying approximately 2.8 million passengers annually and serving more than 40 domestic and international destinations.

The ESP PLUS is the result of several structural and engineering analyses that utilized fatigue and test data accumulated on Dash 8-100 aircraft along with service data analysis on the current ESP Program. The ESP PLUS is initiated through a Service Bulletin that refers to a new Maintenance Program Supplement. Widerøe will incorporate the Service Bulletin and Maintenance Program Supplement and arrange for the replacement of some structural and systems components as identified by the Service Bulletin.

An Extended Service Program is also available for the De Havilland Canada Dash 8-300 aircraft.