Business Aviation News

Cessna SkyCourier Earns FAA Type Certification

Cessna SkyCourier Earns FAA Type Certification

Textron Aviation announced that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has granted type certification for its new twin-engine, large-utility turboprop, the Cessna SkyCourier. The first unit will soon be delivered to launch customer FedEx.

“Achieving FAA certification for the Cessna SkyCourier demonstrates the expertise and hard work of our employees, as well as Textron Aviation’s continued investment in providing solutions for our customers,” said Ron Draper, president and CEO of Textron Aviation. “Our clean-sheet design brings to this segment what customers said they need: the ability to load, fly, unload and repeat with low operating costs and maximum cabin flexibility and efficiency. We expect the SkyCourier to be a workhorse of the fleet for FedEx and many other customers around the globe for decades to come.”

Three SkyCourier aircraft accumulated more than 2,100 hours throughout the flight test program, which formally started with the flight in May 2020. Textron rolled out the first production conforming SkyCourier earlier this year at its manufacturing facility in Wichita, Kansas.

In addition, there is a 19-passenger variant of the SkyCourier that includes separate crew and passenger entries for smooth boarding, as well as large cabin windows for natural light and views. Both cargo and passenger configurations offer single-point pressure refueling to enable faster turnarounds.

According to Asian Sky Media’s Business Jet Fleet Report 2020, Textron Aviation is the third most popular OEM in the Asia-Pacific region, making up 24% of the fleet.

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