Azul Conecta has started transferring its first Cessna 408 SkyCourier from Texas to Brazil, with the PS-ENE departing Fort Worth on 22 September for a multi-stop ferry flight that will pass via Fort Lauderdale before continuing through Central America, the Caribbean and South America to Boa Vista and then Belo Horizonte-Confins. The regional unit of Azul Linhas Aéreas is adding the 19-seat twin-engine turboprop from Textron Aviation as it broadens its fleet beyond Cessna Grand Caravan and Pilatus PC-12 aircraft.
The aircraft was received by Azul Conecta in Wichita, then moved to Fort Worth for livery work and a test flight with Azul pilots on 21 September before the international delivery began. After arriving in Brazil, the SkyCourier will undergo nationalisation and registration at Confins before entering service. The PS-ENE is the first of two SkyCouriers planned initially for the operator, and its arrival gives Azul Conecta a higher-capacity platform for regional routes and charter operations in thinner markets, particularly in Brazil’s interior and northern regions.