Chief executive James Stokes said Glenorchy Air’s parent company, Stokes Aviation, has placed an order for an 11-seat twin-engined Tecnam P2012 Traveller, which is scheduled for delivery in the middle of this year.
Mr Stokes and safety systems manager Michael Rutherford will fly to Italy, where the plane is being built, to train and qualify on the plane, which will be the first aircraft of its type to operate in New Zealand.
Mr Stokes said it would be powered by two 375hp Continental Aerospace GTSIO-520S engines — selected for their superior take-off and landing performance and low-noise signature — and capable of operating to all of Glenorchy Air’s destinations, including Milford Sound, Mt Cook and Stewart Island.
Subject to approval, Mr Stokes expected those bookings to open from October.
‘‘We are extremely excited to debut the Tecnam P2012 Traveller in NZ and use it to expand our capacity and capability into 2026 and beyond.’’
Described as the world’s most advanced commercial twin-piston aircraft, the P2012 was originally designed in Italy by Prof Luigi Pascale for United States regional airline Cape Air by Tecnam, the world’s third-largest general aviation aircraft manufacturer.
