Jutlandia subsidiary, Alebco, has bought a brand new Caravan I which will be leased to sister company BenAir in Norway. This particular aircraft has been chosen in anticipation of a possible European ruling that will allow Caravans to perform commercial IFR operations, according to group md Peter Bennedsen.

“We do already have work for the aircraft, but maybe not enough to justify the purchase. Nevertheless, we feel there will be a big need for Caravans in the future so it’s good to have a few in the fleet” said Bennedsen. The aircraft seats 12 passengers and will also be used for cargo flights and parachute drops. “We put in a plywood floor and cover the interior with plastic so as not to damage it with cargo. There has also been a special door added for para-droppers. We try to buy these aircraft because they’re so flexible,” he added.

Although the initial investment is quite high (the aircraft costs around $1.5 million) Bennedsen believes that the Caravan is the cheapest way to haul one and a half tonnes of cargo or people: “Interest rates are low these days and cost of operation is very low. If you have the flight hours, I think this is definitely a very competitive aircraft.”

Bennedsen, a pilot himself, did however admit that most of his pilots can’t imagine a passenger would be willing to ride in a single engine aircraft. He said: “Maybe I’m too much in love with it, but in my experience passengers also love the Caravan. It has a nice friendly cabin with large windows, so people don’t necessarily care about flying with a twin engine. I think there’s a lot of potential for it, but it still has to be tried on the market. So when it becomes legal we will find out.”