Cessna has delivered the 3,000th Caravan, a Grand Caravan EX model, to Brazilian operator Azul Conecta, based in Sao Paulo.
“The Cessna Caravan’s versatility and reliability have made it the most popular aircraft in the utility turboprop category, with now 3,000 delivered globally,” said Lannie O’Bannion, senior vice president of Sales and Flight Operations at Textron Aviation.
Conceived as a rugged utility aircraft with low operating costs, the Caravan was designed for use in remote areas with extreme weather changes, mountainous terrain and rough landing conditions.
The aircraft’s versatility became renowned in all corners of the world, and the Caravan continues to see wide use in global markets by a variety of customers, including government agencies, law enforcement and militaries, air ambulance operators, freight haulers, corporations and humanitarian organisations.
“This Grand Caravan EX will proudly fly the Brazilian skies and connect our 158 destinations, many of which are made possible by the aircraft’s utility and flexibility,” said Flavio Costa, chief technical officer of Azul and president of Azul Conecta, which has a fleet of more than 25 Cessna aircraft.
The Cessna Caravan
Nowadays, there are four models of the Cessna Caravan aircraft for different missions: the Caravan 208, the Grand Caravan EX 208B, the Caravan Amphibian and the Grand Caravan EX Amphibian.
Cessna Caravan milestones
- 1981 Cessna started development of the Caravan
- 1982 First flight of Caravan 208 prototype
- 1984 Caravan 208 received FAA type certification
- 1985 Cessna began deliveries of the Caravan 208
- 1985 Caravan 208 approved for amphibious floats
- 1986 Caravan 208B Super Cargomaster, stretched by four feet in a freight specific configuration, received FAA type certification
- 1990 First production Grand Caravan 208B delivered
- 1998 Delivery of 1,000th production Caravan 208
- 1998 Cessna began deliveries of the new standard Caravan 208, a Caravan 208 with a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-114A engine rated at 675 shaft horsepower
- 2002 Delivery of 1,000th Grand Caravan 208B
- 2005 Delivery of 1,500th production Cessna 208
- 2008 Garmin G1000 becomes standard avionics equipment
- 2008 TKS ice protection offered
- 2013 Cessna began deliveries of Grand Caravan EX 208B, featuring a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-140 engine rated at 867 shaft horsepower
- 2017 Garmin G1000 NXi flightdeck becomes standard on Caravan and Grand Caravan EX
- 2022 3,000th Caravan, a Grand Caravan EX, delivered to Azul Conecta