General Aviation Azul Conecta receives first two Grand Caravan EX off 10 aircraft order

Subsidiary of Azul Airlines, Azul Conecta, has taken delivery of two new Caravan EX, after signig a purchase deal with Textron Aviation brand Cessna for up to 10 Grand Caravan EX aircraft. The regional airline placed an initial order for five airframes but holds purchase rights for an additional five.

With the new aircraft, Azul Conecta seeks to offer more flights to more destinations throughout the country of Brazil. Based at Jundiai Airport in Sao Paulo, the carrier performs flights to smaller cities and remote locations.

Flavio Costa, CEO, Azul Conecta explains the business plan for the airline: “We are growing, and the announced purchase of new planes coming from the factory is a demonstration that we are expanding our operations in the country. Azul Conecta is already a great success in the interior cities and, connecting with Azul Airlines, we will reach the milestone of 200 cities served in Brazil in the coming years.”

Costa also added, that since August 2020, more than 40,000 customers have been transported, 12 new routes have been opened and more than 15,000 flight hours have been completed.

For these markets, the Cessna Caravan has been a popular choice ever since. The aircraft is capable of operating on short runways but also carrying passengers for sustainable revenue flights. More than 2,900 Caravans have been delivered since its introduction.

Marcelo Moreira, vice president of Sales for Latin America at Textron Aviation, said about the Caravan: “It’s a proven and versatile platform in Latin America, flying passengers, cargo or both. With its combination of performance and rugged reliability, the Grand Caravan EX is capable of reaching remote areas that other aircraft cannot; connecting many people throughout the region and supporting the development and economic growth of the country.”

Azul Conecta is the regional subsidiary of Azul Brazilian Airlines and was initially founded in 2013 as Two Flex. In January 2020, Azul signed an agreement to purchase the regional airline and after starting flights in April, the airline was rebranded to the current name in August last year.

The current fleet consists of 14 Cessna 208 Caravan in the passenger variant and three Caravans in the cargo version. Conecta serves smaller cities and operates as feeder airline for mainline carrier Azul Airlines.