Tecnam P2012 Traveller: The Future of Short-Haul?

With ever more of the of the world’s population travelling by air for speed and convenience, Tecnam’s new P2012 is rapidly filling a gap in the ever-growing commuter market. Here’s how…

AvBuyer  |  27th February 2020
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Tecnam P2012 Traveller Flies over Ocean


Aptly named the ‘Traveller’, the 11-seat twin-engine P2012  has been getting a lot of well-deserved attention from regional airlines all around the globe, having been specifically designed for the short-haul sector and offering high efficiency and low maintenance costs with its simple and easily accessed airframe and systems...
 
The Tecnam P2012 features a sleek, modern design with state-of-the-art equipment. Other features are the fixed landing gear, robust interiors and easy-to-replace parts.  These attributes, and many more, make it the ideal aircraft for regional airlines such as Massachusetts-based Cape Air which, back in 2012, first approached Tecnam with a request to create a more contemporary commuter aircraft.
 
Spotting an Opportunity
 
With the many hundreds of ‘heritage’ aeroplanes in the FAR23/CS23 category that would eventually need to be replaced, Tecnam seized the opportunity to provide a revolutionary piston engine alternative. The P2012 Traveller was developed by the Tecnam Research and Design team that was led by Tecnam’s renowned and award-winning expert, Professor Luigi Pascale.
 
Designed with the passenger in mind, the aircraft is powered by two Lycoming 6-cylinder turbo engines. It is the first piston-powered aircraft with electronic management of engine power, which, coupled with the Garmin autopilot, enables a reduced workload for pilots and a better lifetime of the engines.
 
The mixture lever is no longer present on the cockpit pedestal since the entire control of mixture is made automatically.
 
“High-frequency is where this aircraft really shines," says Tecnam Managing Director, Giovanni Pascale. "The P2012 would also excel at transporting executives on short flights or routes involving multiple stops."
 
The P2012 Traveller is characterised by a maximum cruise speed of 194kts at 10,000 ft. One of the essential features potential operators also requested for this next-generation aircraft was to have short take-off capability, enabling them to operate on very short or even semi-prepared runways. Moreover, the P2012 has been designed to have a very low minimum control speed and this results in a take-off distance of about 2159 ft (658m) over obstacles.
 
P2012 Traveller Design Specifications:
 
  • Robust and solid design;
  • Operations in FIKI conditions;
  • Easy and low-cost maintenance;
  • Ease of cabin access and cabin comfort;
  • Spacious luggage compartments (nose and tail located);
  • Reduced take-off run and take-off from unprepared runways;
  • Range exceeding 950nm.
Access to the cabin is via three doors, two for flight crew and one in the left rear side, divided in three separate hatches for passenger access only or for cargo/baggage loading purposes.
 
The Traveller’s cabin measurements are constant along the cabin, so that the ergonomics remain the same for all passengers and seats, as opposed to ‘legacy’ aircraft in this class which traditionally feature a tapered fuselage in the back portion, thereby providing less space and disadvantaging passengers seated in the rear rows.

The P2012 Traveller has the option to arrange its internal design in four versions, used for different types of missions, from medical emergency services to full cargo operations. Actual configurations are Standard Airline, Combi, Medevac with single or double stretcher, or Full Cargo.
 
Heralding Success...
 
Already established as a leader in both the Flight Training and Private General Aviation sectors, Tecnam’s P2012 Traveller will undoubtedly herald success for Tecnam in the very competitive commuter airline market.
 
ZIL Air took delivery of its first Traveller in November for their aerial limo service in The Seychelles. Eleven sales in two days resulted from the first public appearance of the P2012 Traveller at the National Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) in Las Vegas, last October, where one of the first Tecnam P2012 Travellers, bearing Cape Air’s emblem, was proudly on static display.
 
Cape Air has already received three of its P2012’s and has an additional 20 on order with options for another 90.
 
Tecnam’s Global Sales and Marketing Director, Walter Da Costa, was delighted to sign contracts with TAMIFIELD (PTY) LTD — a member of the AMRHO Group, South Africa — which ordered six P2012s with the option of an additional twelve. Another contract was with Charter Express SAS, Columbia, which ordered five P2012’s with the option of an additional five.
 
Mr. Da Costa stated: “We were thrilled to present the new P2012 Traveller in Vegas. The impressive number of sales signed here at NBAA confirms the P2012’s leadership in the general aviation marketplace.”
 
More information from www.tecnam.com
 
 

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