Textron Aviation has delivered its first new Cessna SkyCourier passenger and cargo combi plane just two months after the utility turboprop was approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The Cessna SkyCourier twin-engine aircraft is equipped with a combi interior conversion option that means passengers and cargo can now be flown at the same time on the aircraft type.
Alaskan-based Everts Air, which provides cargo and on-demand charter throughout North, Central and South America and the Caribbean, was confirmed as the first customer on July 10, 2024.
“The Cessna SkyCourier’s new Combi option demonstrates the aircraft’s ability to meet the versatile mission profiles of our customers around the world,” said Lannie O’Bannion, Senior Vice President of Sales and Flight Operations at Textron Aviation. “We are grateful that longtime Cessna customers like Everts Air recognize the value in our products as business tools and their capability in serving customers.”
Textron announced on May 10, 2024, that the combi option SkyCourier has received approval from the FAA and predicted that the first deliveries would take place later in the year.
The new aircraft can be operated by a single pilot and can carry up to 19 passengers without cargo onboard while as a freighter the Cessna SkyCourier can transport up to three LD3 shipping containers with a 6,000 pounds of payload capability.
Previously the Cessna SkyCourier was only operable as either a freighter or passenger aircraft with a gravel kit option available too.
The aircraft will join the Everts Air Alaska 135 fleet, which also includes a Cessna SkyCourier freighter variant and six Cessna Caravans.
“I look at the Cessna SkyCourier as a next generation aircraft for Bush Alaska,” Robert W. Everts, owner of Everts Air, said. “The SkyCourier Combi will allow us to be flexible and serve the unique needs of citizens in remote communities. Along with offering the reliability of a Cessna, the aircraft is highly adaptable and the ultimate solution for air freight and passenger support in Alaska.”