The Brazilian carrier Azul Linhas Aéreas is set to receive a new Cessna Grand Caravan EX aircraft, registration PS-CNG, for its regional branch Azul Conecta. This plane is currently flying from Wichita, Kansas, where Cessna is headquartered, to Jundiaí in the Brazilian state of São Paulo, where Azul Conecta has its base. This 8,600 kilometers trip has become something of an odyssey, and we will talk about it here.
The aircraft
Azul Conecta will increase its Cessna Grand Caravan fleet this week. The airline is taking delivery of a brand-new aircraft registration PS-CNG, serial number 208B5705. This aircraft was manufactured by Cessna in Wichita, Kansas.
The Cessna Grand Caravan EX is a workhorse with excellent performance for regional airlines. It can carry up to 14 occupants, has a maximum range of 912 nautical miles (around 1690 kilometers), a useful load of 3,532 pounds, and a maximum cruise speed of 185 ktas (342 km/h). Take a look at the range of a Cessna Grand Caravan EX aircraft departing from São Paulo, Brazil, with a payload of 1,000 pounds.
Photo: Cessna.
The journey to get from Wichita to São Paulo
Due to its range, the delivery process of a brand new Grand Caravan becomes a unique journey, an odyssey with several layovers, and for PS-CNG, there was no exemption. As of the moment, we’re writing this article, Azul’s newest Grand Caravan has already operated eight short layovers, according to data by FlightRadar24.com.
The plane first departed on October 29 from Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport (ICT) to Meridian (MEI) in Lauderdale, Mississippi. That same day, the plane flew from Meridian to Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (FXE) in Florida, where it stayed for the night. On October 31, the Cessna Grand Caravan departed from Fort Lauderdale to Provinciales International Airport (PLS) in the Caicos Islands in the Caribbean. The next day, November 1, it had two flights, first from Provinciales to Sint Maarten (SXM) and then to Bridgetown (BGI), its last stop in the Caribbean islands.
Photo: Azul.
On November 2, the Grand Caravan departed Bridgetown en route to Cayenne (CAY), French Guiana’s main international airport. That same day its trip continued, and it finally reached Brazil, landing in Belem (BEL), in the north of the South American country.
Today, the aircraft is doing a new leg from Belém to Carajás (CKS). After that, according to Aeroin, a local media outlet in Brazil, Azul’s new Grand Caravan will fly to Palmas (PMW) and Confins (CNF) before landing in Jundiaí (QDV), where Azul Conecta is headquartered.
Photo: Azul.
Azul Conecta’s origin and fleet
Azul Conecta is a regional carrier operating in small airports throughout Brazil. In January 2020, Azul bought TwoFlex for US$22.6 million and rebranded it as Azul Conecta. The Brazilian carrier received at the time 17 Cessna Caravan and 14 valuable daily departure and arrival slots at Congonhas International Airport in São Paulo. Currently, it has over 22 Cessna Grand Caravan aircraft. These planes support the airline’s plan of expansion in regional operations.
Photo: Azul.
In April 2022, when Azul Conecta received its 22nd Cessna, the carrier operated flights to 57 destinations in Brazil.
Do you want to read a flight review of an Azul Conecta flight? Simple Flying’s lead US journalist, Lukas Souza, recently went on one: Flight Review: Azul Conecta’s Cessna Grand Caravan.
What do you think about this trip? Let us know in the comments below.
Source: FlightRadar24.com, Aeroin.
Source: simpleflying.com
