New Mexican carrier launches operations with Cessna SkyCourier and Caravan duo
Textron Aviation has begun to reap the rewards of now having a pair of complementary regional aircraft, the single-engine Caravan and the new twin-engine turboprop SkyCourier.
This week, Mexico's new regional airline, Aerus, took delivery of its first three Cessna Grand Caravan EXs, which will be used from its Monterrey base. The complete order placed with Textron, however, included a fourth Caravan and two SkyCouriers.
“When we looked at options within the market to operate the routes we had in mind, it was a no-brainer decision to choose the Grand Caravan EX and the SkyCourier from Textron Aviation, which will be the cornerstone of the Aerus project,” said Javier Herrera, CEO, Aerus.
Aerus' two SkyCouriers will be configured with 19 seats, their maximum capacity, and will take on flights to domestic destinations as well as some international routes, according to the company.
The SkyCourier is an aircraft that surprises for not having been launched before. The model shares several concepts with the successful Caravan, such as the high-wing and fixed-gear configuration, in addition to its versatility, as it can be used in various ways, from passenger transport to freighter.
Textron promises that the twin-engine has high reliability and availability. The manufacturer, however, does not reveal how many orders it already has for the aircraft. SkyCourier's launch customer was FedEx, but in the cargo version, of course.
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Ricardo Meier
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