WICHITA, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Textron Aviation today announced that the Cessna SkyCourier twin utility turboprop has been awarded type certification by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), expanding the aircraft’s ability to support operational activities in remote areas of southeast Asia. The first SkyCourier in the region – A 19-seat passenger variant – is planned to be delivered in the second half of 2025 to Leading Edge Air Services Corporation (LEASCOR), a wholly owned subsidiary of ACDI Multipurpose Cooperative in the Philippines.
The Cessna SkyCourier is designed and manufactured by Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT) company.
“Demand for the SkyCourier continues to grow throughout the APAC region due to the aircraft’s outstanding performance and reliability,” said Lannie O’Bannion, senior vice president, Global Sales and Flight Operations for Textron Aviation. “The SkyCourier features maximum cabin flexibility with low operating costs and has quickly proven to be an excellent business tool for customers and their missions. We’re excited to celebrate this great milestone for the program.”
With the ability to be operated by a single pilot, and also equipped with a generous payload capacity, the SkyCourier is an ideal solution for air freight, passenger and special mission needs. The aircraft is highly adaptable and can easily adjust configurations to effectively complete virtually any mission, supporting a significant return on investment. The aircraft also has capabilities to support a wide range of operational activities in remote areas.
ACDI Multipurpose Cooperative, the largest cooperative in the Philippines, serves members of the entire Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and other uniformed personnel. Members include active service personnel, retirees, reservists, civilian employees of the AFP and other uniformed personnel and dependents. LEASCOR was established in 2016 as the air chartering arm of the Cooperative.
“We are excited to connect underserved communities in the Philippines with the new 19-seat SkyCourier turboprop, which will complement our present fleet,” said Major General Gilbert S. Llanto, ACDI MPC Chairman. “It will surely boost our business lines in tourism, agriculture and food, aviation, mobility and the construction industry across the archipelago.”
About the Cessna SkyCourier
The Cessna SkyCourier twin-engine, high-wing turboprop offers a combination of performance and lower operating costs for air freight, commuter and special mission operators. It’s available in both Freighter and Passenger variants, as well with a Combi configuration or gravel kit for maximum flexibility. The 19-passenger variant includes crew and passenger doors for smooth boarding, as well as large cabin windows for natural light and views. Both configurations offer single-point pressure refueling to enable faster turnarounds.
The freighter variant is sized to handle up to three LD3 shipping containers with an impressive 6,000 pounds of payload capability.
The aircraft is powered by two wing-mounted Pratt & Whitney PT6A-65SC turboprop engines and features the McCauley Propeller C779, a heavy-duty and reliable 110-inch aluminum four-blade propeller, which is full feathering with reversible pitch, designed to enhance the performance of the aircraft while hauling tremendous loads. The SkyCourier is operated with Garmin G1000 NXi avionics and has a maximum cruise speed of more than 200 ktas and a 900 nautical-mile maximum range.
About Textron Aviation
We inspire the journey of flight. For more than 95 years, Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. company, has empowered our collective talent across the Beechcraft, Cessna and Hawker brands to design and deliver the best aviation experience for our customers. With a range that includes everything from business jets, turboprops, and high-performance pistons, to special mission, military trainer and defense products, Textron Aviation has the most versatile and comprehensive aviation product portfolio in the world and a workforce that has produced more than half of all general aviation aircraft worldwide. Customers in more than 170 countries rely on our legendary performance, reliability and versatility, along with our trusted global customer service network, for affordable and flexible flight. For more information, visit www.txtav.com| www.defense.txtav.com| www.scorpionjet.com.
About Textron Inc.
Textron Inc. is a multi-industry company that leverages its global network of aircraft, defense, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell, Cessna, Beechcraft, Pipistrel, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Arctic Cat, Textron Systems, and TRU Simulation + Training. For more information, visit: www.textron.com
Certain statements in this press release may project revenues or describe strategies, goals, outlook or other non-historical matters; these forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update them. These statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, changes in aircraft delivery schedules or cancellations of orders.
