Textron Aviation’s Cessna SkyCourier twin utility turboprop has received type certification from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).
The certification, announced on August 21, 2024, allows the aircraft to support various operations in southeast Asia. The first 19-seat passenger variant of the Cessna SkyCourier is scheduled for delivery in the second half of 2025 to Leading Edge Air Services Corporation (LEASCOR), a subsidiary of ACDI Multipurpose Cooperative, in the Philippines.
“We are excited to connect underserved communities in the Philippines with the new 19-seat SkyCourier turboprop, which will complement our present fleet,” said Major General Gilbert S. Llanto, ACDI MPC Chairman. “It will surely boost our business lines in tourism, agriculture and food, aviation, mobility and the construction industry across the archipelago.”
The Cessna SkyCourier is a twin-engine turboprop capable of carrying three LD3 shipping containers with a maximum payload of 2,722 kilograms (6,000 lbs). The aircraft can also be turned into a passenger jet with a layout of 19 seats and a maximum range of 900 nautical miles (1,667 kilometers). It can be operated by a single pilot.
Powered by two Pratt & Whitney PT6A-65SC turboprop engines and equipped with McCauley’s 110-inch four-blade propellers, the SkyCourier has a maximum cruise speed exceeding 200 knots and a 900 nautical-mile range.
Textron Aviation delivered its first Cessna SkyCourier twin-engine turboprop to launch customer FedEx Express on May 10, 2022.
