Azul Conecta, Brazil's largest operator of Cessna Grand Caravans, has provisionally agreed to order up to six Eco Caravan hybrid-electric conversion kits from Ampaire. (Image: Azul Conecta)
BRAZILIAN AIRLINE ORDERS ECO CARAVAN UPGRADES FROM AMPAIRE
·
JANUARY 31, 2023
Azul Conecta, a regional airline in
Brazil, has signed a letter of intent with hybrid-electric aircraft developer
Ampaire to upgrade up to six of its Cessna Grand Caravans to Eco Caravans, the
companies announced on January 31.
The
announcement comes about two months after Ampaire successfully conducted
the first
flight test of an Eco Caravan, a hybrid-electric version of the
popular Cessna 208 Grand Caravan. Ampaire, which is based in Hawthorne,
California, is working with the FAA to certify the Eco Caravan under a
supplemental type certificate by 2024.
The
nine-passenger Eco Caravan uses Ampaire’s AMP-H570 hybrid-electric powertrain,
a retrofit that the company claims can cut the aircraft’s fuel consumption and
emissions by up to 70 percent while reducing operating costs by 25 percent or
more.
“After
evaluating a range of technologies, including fully electric and hydrogen
fuel cells, we concluded that Ampaire moves us toward our ESG [environmental,
social, and governance] goals much sooner,” said Azul Conecta CEO Flavio Costa.
“Azul Conecta has innovation as a mission and sees the upgrade to the Eco
Caravan as a major innovation that accelerates our path to sustainability,
maintaining a safety standard in our operations, which is our first and
non-negotiable value.”
Formerly
known as TwoFlex, Azul Conecta is a regional airline based in Jundiaí, São
Paulo. It was formed in 2013 by the merger of Two Táxi Aéreo and Flex Aero Táxi
Aéreo. In 2020, it was purchased by and became a subsidiary of Azul, which is
Brazil’s largest airline by passenger volume, departures, and cities
served.
Azul
Conecta operates 27 Grand Caravans (three of which are cargo
aircraft), making it the largest operator of that model in Brazil. It
conducts 80 domestic flights across the country every day and serves 84
destinations.
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