Cape Air of Massachusetts has taken delivery of its first two new Tecnam P2012 Travellers.

The acceptance of the aircraft took place in July at Tecnam's headquarters in Capua, Italy, in the presence of Cape Air senior vice president, fleet planning and acquisitions, Jim Goddard, and Tecnam COO Giovanni Pascale.

Pilots and technicians from Cape Air had two days to inspect the aircraft, check all manuals and documents, and perform flight testing. The inspections were performed in the P2012 production facility, where other fuselages to be delivered to Cape Air are in stages of completion.

Acceptance of the aircraft is the last milestone before final delivery. A ferry flight from Capua, Italy to the Cape Air base in Hyannis, Massachusetts, will be performed by Giovanni Pascale himself as pilot in command.

Powered by two 375 HP turbo-charged Lycoming engines, the Tecnam P2012 Traveller features a modern design and the latest equipment. The aircraft's simple and easily accessed airframe and systems, fixed landing gear, robust interiors and easy-to-replace parts result in high efficiency and low maintenance costs. As part of the delivery, Tecnam also included Bose A20 headsets and Jeppesen bags for the pilots.

Jim Goddard says: “On behalf of all at Cape Air, it is with great pleasure that we announce that we have successfully completed the final technical and flight performance acceptance phase of the P2012 aircraft project. The years of collaboration between Cape Air, Tecnam, Lycoming engines and Garmin avionics has created a truly exceptional and economical aircraft for our customers and employees. We look forward to taking final delivery of our first two aircraft in the coming weeks. Having this process come full circle, from when we first started discussions with Tecnam to today's reality of a brand-new aircraft, marks a milestone in Cape Air's 30-year history.”

Giovanni Pascale adds: “Since day one, having met Jim and all the guys at Cape Air, we felt confident about achieving what we did today. Their competence and vision led us here. We are very proud to be a partner in Cape Air's future and delighted that Tecnam will be a key part of its ongoing success.”