Cape Air Orders Eight Cessna Grand Caravan EX Turboprops for Montana Network

Cape Air has selected the Cessna Grand Caravan EX single-engine turboprop for a fleet order of eight aircraft to support its regional passenger operations in Montana, with deliveries and network integration planned to begin in 2027. The Massachusetts-headquartered airline cited the aircraft's reliability, performance and increased cargo capacity as key factors in the selection, and said the Grand Caravan EX will transition its Montana regional operations to the turboprop platform, providing additional capacity for passengers traveling with baggage, sporting equipment and work gear.

Mike Migliore, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cape Air, said: "The communities we serve in Eastern Montana are unique, and we're proud to continue investing in air service that meets their needs. The Grand Caravan is a proven, dependable aircraft that will provide additional flexibility for passengers and reinforces our long-term commitment to the communities we serve." Chris Crow, Vice President of Piston & Utility aircraft sales at Textron Aviation, said the high-wing, single-engine turboprop is a natural fit for Cape Air's mission, offering the versatility needed to move passengers, baggage and cargo efficiently.

Founded in 1989 and employee-owned, Cape Air is one of the largest regional airlines in the United States, serving 34 cities across the US and the Caribbean and operating more than 300 flights per day. The Cessna Grand Caravan EX is powered by an 867-horsepower engine with a rate of climb of 1,275 feet per minute and features Garmin G1000 NXi avionics. More than 3,100 Caravan and Grand Caravan aircraft have been delivered worldwide, with certification in 100 countries and over 25 million flight hours accumulated across the fleet.

This order fits into a broader pattern of regional carriers replacing older piston or smaller turboprop equipment with a single, widely supported platform that offers more cargo room without a jump in operating complexity. For thinly served markets like Eastern Montana, aircraft choice hinges as much on baggage and freight capacity as on seat count, since passengers in these communities often travel with sporting equipment or work gear that smaller aircraft cannot easily accommodate.

The scale of the existing Caravan fleet — over 3,100 delivered and certified in 100 countries — gives an operator like Cape Air confidence in parts availability, maintenance support and pilot training pipelines, which matters more for a regional network than headline performance figures alone. Whether the 2027 delivery timeline holds, and how Cape Air phases the transition across its Montana routes, will be the next points worth watching as the order moves from selection to integration.