Cape Air’s Newest Plane Makes First Commercial Flight

Courtesy of Cape Air

HYANNIS – Cape Air completed the first commercial flight between Barnstable Municipal Airport in Hyannis and Nantucket Memorial Airport using the latest addition to its fleet.

Designed for the short-haul market, the Tecnam P2012 Traveller features fixed landing gear, a 46-foot wingspan in high wing configuration, two 345-hp Lycoming TEO-540-C1A piston engines, and seating for nine passengers and two pilots.

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to share the P2012 Traveller with our passengers right here at home,” said Linda Markham, president of Cape Air.

“It was important to us that we prepare to launch our new fleet across the Cape Air network, we tested our first commuter service in our very own backyard.”

The plane has undergone routine flight tests and training at Logan Airport. It is scheduled to enter full service in Marion, Illinois on March 4.

The rest of Cape Air’s fleet consists of 88 Cessna 402s, four Britten-Norman Islanders and two Cessna Caravan EX floatplanes.

Tecnam responded to Cape Air’s request for proposal in 2011 to build a new airplane to replace the carrier’s aging Cessna 402 piston twins.

In its 30^th year of operation, Cape Air is the largest independent regional airline in the United States. Cape Air provides service to 38 cities in the U.S. and Caribbean and flies over 600,000 passengers each year.