There are few commercial air travel experiences akin to flying in the right seat, or co-pilot’s seat, of a Cape Air Cessna 402 over Massachusetts Bay into Boston Logan.Travelers best hurry up though, because the experience will disappear in the next several years.One of Cape Air’s first two Tecnam P2012 Traveller aircraft. (Courtesy of Tecnam)Cape Air accepted the first two of 100 Tecnam P2012 Traveller aircraft earlier in July. The 11-seat prop will eventually replace the 83 Cessna 402s in the fleet of the Hyannis, Massachusetts-based regional carrier — and, sadly, it will also replace passenger rides in the right seat.However, the Traveller will offer a more comfortable ride to passengers. The aircraft have a larger cabin with more spacious seating, air conditioning, and power and USB ports at every seat, says Cape Air vice-president of marketing Trish Lorino.The interior of Cape Air’s Tecnam P2012 Traveller aircraft. (Courtesy of Cape Air)The Traveller is only one of the new aircraft that Cape Air aims to renew its fleet with. In 2022, it plans to introduce the all-electric “Alice” by Israel’s Eviation Aircraft.When Cape Air passengers can begin flying on the Traveller is still, pun intended, up in the air. While European authorities certified the aircraft in December, the airline is still awaiting the US Federal Aviation Administration’s signoff.The first two Cape Air Travellers must wait in Europe — Tecnam is based in Capua, Italy — until the FAA certifies the aircraft before they can fly to the US, says Lorino.That is a sigh of relief for passengers who want to fly in the right seat on a Cape Air flight. They still have some time, likely a few years, before the Cessnas completely disappear from the carrier’s fleet.
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There’s nothing like flying in the right seat of a @capeair Cessna on approach to Boston Logan #avgeek A post shared by Ned Russell (@airbus777) on Jul 30, 2019 at 8:37am PDT
Cape Air is best known for its service to Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard (MVY) and Nantucket (ACK) from Boston Logan (BOS). However, in recent years the airline has grown to serve eight additional points in the Northeast. It also has a base for Caribbean services in San Juan (SJU), Midwest flights in St. Louis (STL), Montana routes in Billings (BIL).Sign up for our daily newsletterEmail addressSign upI would like to subscribe to The Points Guy newsletters and special email promotions. The Points Guy will not share or sell your email. See privacy policy.The airline began flying to New York JFK from Nantucket on a seasonal basis last October.American Airlines, JetBlue Airways and United Airlines codeshare with Cape Air on some of its flights, allowing some mileage earning and redemption opportunities.
View this post on Instagram
There’s nothing like flying in the right seat of a @capeair Cessna on approach to Boston Logan #avgeek A post shared by Ned Russell (@airbus777) on Jul 30, 2019 at 8:37am PDT
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
There’s nothing like flying in the right seat of a @capeair Cessna on approach to Boston Logan #avgeek
A post shared by Ned Russell (@airbus777) on Jul 30, 2019 at 8:37am PDT
