Cape Air orders eight Cessna Grand Caravan EX aircraft for Montana routes

Cape Air has ordered eight Cessna turboprops for its Montana regional operation, the Massachusetts-based carrier said. The airline selected the Cessna 208B Grand Caravan EX to replace the Tecnam P2012 Traveller that currently flies its Montana network.

The first Grand Caravan will enter service in Montana in 2027, according to the airline, and the fleet transition is expected to finish by the end of that year. The P2012 Travellers will stay in service while the new aircraft are phased in.

Each of the new aircraft will carry a belly cargo pod, which the carrier said will add substantial baggage and storage capacity.

Mike Migliore, Cape Air's president and CEO, said in a news release that the communities the airline serves in Eastern Montana are unique and that the company is proud to keep investing in air service for them. He described the Grand Caravan EX as a proven, dependable aircraft that will give passengers travelling with baggage, sporting equipment, work gear and other essential items more flexibility, calling it a good fit for the Montana operation.

The Grand Caravans will fly Cape Air's routes linking Billings with Havre, Glasgow, Glendive, Sidney and Wolf Point.

Cape Air is headquartered in Hyannis, Massachusetts. It operates short-haul flights in the Northeast, eastern Montana and the eastern Caribbean.