Carrier’s incoming Caravans will replace its Tecnam P2012s.
US commuter airline Cape Air will acquire eight Cessna 208B Grand Caravan EX, with plans to deploy the type next year in the US state of Montana.
“The Cessna Grand Caravan EX is a proven, dependable aircraft that will provide additional flexibility for passengers travelling with baggage, sporting equipment, work gear and other essential items,” Cape Air chief executive Mike Migliore said on 10 September. “It is a great fit for our Montana operation and reinforces our long-term commitment to the communities we serve.”
Cessna parent Textron Aviation confirmed on 12 September that the airline “selected” the Caravan EX “for a fleet order of eight aircraft”.
Cape Air will use the Caravans to replace the Tecnam P2012 Travellers it now operates in Montana, saying it “expects all Montana operations to be transitioned to the Caravan fleet by the end of 2027”.
Cape Air operates three distinct flight networks, the largest being in the US Northeast and the others being in Montana and the Caribbean.
Cessna 402Cs have long been the backbone of the carrier’s fleet – it operates 62 of the twin-piston types, according to fleet-data provider Cirium.
Several years ago Cape Air started supplementing the 402Cs with P2012s; it initially planned to order as many as 100 P2012s but has acquired only 30 and has none on order, Cirium shows.
Cape Air also operates five Britten-Norman BN2 Islanders, Cirium shows.
Powered by single Pratt & Whitney PT6A-140 turboprops, the Caravan EX cruises at up to 185kt (343km/h) and has 912nm (1,689km) of range, Cessna says. It can carry up to 14 passengers but Cape Air has not said how it will outfit its Caravans. The airline does say it will equip them with belly cargo pods to accommodate more luggage.
Cape Air will fly the Caravans to the Montana cities of Billings, Havre, Glasgow, Glendive, Sidney and Wolf Point.
The post Cape Air selects Cessna Caravans in fleet shift first appeared on FlightGlobal.
