Textron Aviation has secured type certification of its Cessna SkyCourier utility turboprop from Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA).
The Wichita-headquartered manufacturer said on 17 December that the SkyCourier had received TCCA’s blessing, clearing the way for the twin-engined, high-wing utility aircraft to “support operational activities in some of the most remote areas of North America”.
Textron Aviation says Canada’s first SkyCourier will be a freighter variant delivered to Air Bravo based in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The operator’s website says it offers ”passenger, cargo, and air ambulance flight services to just about any airstrip in North America”.
Lannie O’Bannion, Textron Aviation’s senior vice-president of global sales and flight operations, says the SkyCourier is poised to be a “game-changer for our customers across Canada”.
“The maximum flexibility and low operating costs of this aircraft make it an excellent choice for a wide range of missions across the region,” he says.
The passenger variant of the SkyCourier seats 19, with a maximum range of 920nm (1,704km) and cruise speed of 210kt (389km/h). The aircraft is powered by a pair of Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A engines.
Earlier this year, Textron Aviation received Federal Aviation Administration certification of the SkyCourier combi and delivered the first of type configured to carry both cargo and passengers to Everts Air in Fairbanks, Alaska.
About 30 SkyCourier turboprops are in operation globally.
Howard Hardee is Americas aviation reporter for FlightGlobal.com and Flight International magazine, covering major and regional airlines in North America and low-emissions initiatives throughout the industry. He formerly covered politics for journalism nonprofit Wisconsin Watch and has written about science, music, travel and forestry as a freelancer for dozens of blogs, newspapers and magazines.View full Profile
