Contributor - South America

Cessna 208 Caravan and 208B Grand Caravan

Richard Pedicini

Two Cessna Caravans on display this week at LABACE 2024 illustrate Textron Aviation’s long relationship with Brazil and how varied the business aviation market is.
Caravan serial number 50—displayed by Azul Conecta, a feeder for Azul Airlines—is one of at least 26 of the utility turboprop singles that make Azul the country’s largest Caravan operator. With 35,000 flight hours and a new digital cockpit, this airplane is in an executive configuration with only six seats.
Meanwhile, at the stand of TAM Aviação Executiva, Textron Aviation’s Brazilian distributor, a modern Grand Caravan EX is being shown in an executive configuration, but with a far greater level of luxury.
Marcelo Moreira, who leads Textron Aviation’s sales for Latin America and the U.S. West Coast, said many airlines around the world fly Caravans besides Azul, including Suzy Air in Indonesia, CTA in Brazil, Sansa, Costa Rica Green Airways, and Maya Island Air in Belize. But, he noted, “Azul is exploring the [Caravan’s] capacity very well, its ability to operate on unimproved runways and to reach smaller cities.”
Moreira gave other examples of the Caravan’s versatility and ability to perform special missions. A number of customers use amphibious Caravans in the Amazon “for many kinds of missions, such as sports fishing and ecotourism.” He said there are several large operators in Africa, where the Caravan is popular for cargo.
“It’s easy to operate, to maintain, and to fly,” Moreira said, “and also the choice of a lot of humanitarian organizations, such as Mission Aviation Fellowship.”
Moreira’s Latin American sales region includes Mexico, the Caribbean, and all of South America. Besides the versatile Caravan, his sales domain includes King Air turboprop twins and Citation twinjets.
Textron’s relationship with Brazil goes back many years, “and with time comes experience,” he said. The 43-year partnership with TAM AE goes back to when it was TAM, starting with founder Rolim Adolfo Amaro. Any visitor can see Rolim’s bust outside TAM AE’s flagship FBO at Congonhas, but Moreira can point out where his office was in the building known as Hangar 1.
According to Moreira, Textron Aviation maintains a full-time presence in São Paulo “inside TAM, but a separate office.” He said the turboprops and Citations “have done well in Brazil for more than 50 years.”
Looking to the future, he foresees a strong market for the company’s Beechcraft Denali, a pressurized turboprop single expected to be certified next year. It will complement the King Air, he said.
Moreira made another prediction for the future: Textron Aviation will continue for many years at LABACE.

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