Textron Aviation recently delivered the first passenger unit of the Cessna SkyCourier for use by Western Aircraft, doing business in Hawaii as Lāna’i Air. The company offers luxury air service connecting Oahu to the island of Lāna’i.
The Cessna SkyCourier twin-engine, large-utility turboprop is a clean-sheet, custom design. Certification and deliveries commenced in early 2022.
“The Cessna SkyCourier is well on its way to becoming a legendary aircraft for our company,” said Lannie O’Bannion, senior vice president, global sales and flight operations, Textron Aviation. “It’s highly versatile, with cabin flexibility, payload capability, performance and low operating costs, and has already proven to be popular around the world.”
“We’re thankful for our talented team who brought the Cessna SkyCourier to life, and for customers like Lāna’i Air, who see the value in this incredible aircraft,” said O’Bannion.
Designed with serviceability at the forefront, the SkyCourier features simple systems and easy access points throughout the aircraft for easy maintenance. The team also developed ways to optionally convert the aircraft from a 19-seat passenger configuration to cargo configuration using patent-pending quick release seats and removable bulkheads.
The turboprop is available in both freighter and passenger versions. The 19-passenger variant includes crew and passenger doors, as well as large cabin windows. Both configurations offer single-point pressure refuelling to enable faster turnarounds.
The freighter variant features a large door and a flat floor cabin that is sized to handle up to three LD3 shipping containers with 6,000 lbs of payload capability. The SkyCourier has a 900 nautical-mile maximum range.
