Cape Air will introduce eight Cessna 208B Grand Caravan EX aircraft for its Eastern Montana network, starting a fleet transition in 2027 that is due to run through the end of the year. The turboprops will replace the airline’s Tecnam P2012 Traveller aircraft on routes linking Billings with Havre, Glasgow, Glendive, Sidney and Wolf Point, while adding a belly cargo pod for extra baggage and storage capacity.
The move keeps Cape Air’s Montana service centred on Billings, with the carrier maintaining connections for small communities across the state. The Grand Caravan EX is a larger utility aircraft than the current Tecnam type and is better suited to mixed passenger-and-baggage demand on thin regional routes.
Cape Air plans to keep the existing fleet in service during the transition, with aircraft entering the Montana operation progressively through 2027. The airline’s wider network will continue to use interline partnerships to link these communities to onward destinations beyond its local routes.