Cape Air has ordered eight Cessna Grand Caravan EX turboprops to replace its Tecnam P2012 Traveller fleet across eastern Montana, with the transition beginning in 2027 and due for completion by the end of that year.

The airline selected the Grand Caravan EX for its reliability, performance and cargo capacity. Each aircraft will be fitted with a belly cargo pod, giving Cape Air significantly more baggage and storage space than its current fleet while maintaining service to the same Montana communities.

“The communities we serve in eastern Montana are unique, and we're proud to continue investing in air service that meets their needs,” says Mike Migliore, president and chief executive officer of Cape Air. "The Grand Caravan EX is a proven, dependable aircraft that will provide additional flexibility for passengers travelling with baggage, sporting equipment, work gear and other essential items. It is a great fit for our Montana operation." “Our commitment remains the same as it has since we first began serving Montana more than a decade ago: to connect communities, support local economies and provide convenient, reliable air transportation,” Migliore adds.

The Grand Caravan EX will operate Cape Air's routes connecting Billings with Havre, Glasgow, Glendive, Sidney and Wolf Point, preserving interline connections to the wider national and international network through Billings. During the changeover, Cape Air's existing Tecnam P2012 fleet will continue operating Montana services.

Textron Aviation, which builds the Grand Caravan EX, notes the type's Garmin G1000 NXi cockpit, 867 horsepower output and 1,275ft/min climb rate. More than 3,100 Caravan and Grand Caravan aircraft have been delivered worldwide.

Founded in 1989 and headquartered in Hyannis, Massachusetts, the employee-owned Cape Air serves 34 cities across the United States and the Caribbean, operating a fleet of 97 aircraft on more than 300 flights daily and carrying approximately 400,000 passengers a year.