Cape Air To Replace Fleet With New Planes

Cape Air presented their new Tecnam P2012 Traveller planes to the public at the Sidney-Richland Municipal Airport on April 7. The new planes will replace the airline's current fleet of Cessna 402s. The first commercial flight from the Sidney Airport took place April 9. The company currently has three of the new planes in service in Montana with two more entering service this week. Eventually all eight planes in the Montana fleet will be replaced with the new Tecnam P2012 Traveller. The older Cessna 402s will remain on hand as backups making Cape Air's service even more reliable in the future.

The Tecnam P2012 Traveller is an eleven-seat aircraft designed and manufactured by the Italian company Costruzioni Aeronautiche Tecnam, based in Capua, Italy, near Naples. The new planes will make room for an additional seat on each flight and will increase the cabin capacity by 30%. The high wing design will ensure a great view from every seat. Other new features include Italian leather seats, overhead lighting, under seat storage, USB charging ports and cup holders. The increased cabin capacity will also provide additional head & leg room compared to the Cessna 402.

Cape Air, the nation's largest commuter airline, began serving eastern Montana Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2013, taking over the service provided by Big Sky Airlines. From its hub in Billings, Cape Air operates daily, year-round flights to five regional communities. There are currently five daily round trip flights to and from the Sidney Airport to Billings. Reservations can be made by visiting capeair.com or by calling 800-CAPE-AIR.