Tecnam Certifies 11-Seat P2012 Traveller

Italian airplane maker Tecnam got the Christmas present it likely wished for as the company achieved certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency for the commuter-style airplane in the company’s 70-year history – the P2012 Traveller. The Traveller was designed as a solution for low-cost regional air travel, with two turbocharged 375 hp Lycoming piston engines powering the 11-seat high-wing airplane. The engines are managed electronically, eliminating the need for manual mixture controls.

The instrument panel is dominated by Garmin’s G1000 Nxi avionics suite, with two 10-inch PFDs and a 12-inch MFD screen in the center. The system includes full ADS-B In and Out capability, Garmin’s 3D audio system, angle of attack capabilities, a fully integrated autopilot and much more. Cav Ice’s TKS system makes the airplane FIKI capable.

Tecnam met all of its development goals for the P2012, including the certification target, and the company’s experimental test pilot Lorenzo De Stefano conducted 600 hours of flight testing in conditions representing extreme heat and cold, flutter, speeds and altitudes.

“The EASA certification of the P2012 Traveller marks a significant milestone for my Tecnam team, our very first commuter airline aircraft,” said Tecnam’s CEO, Paolo Pascale. “We have embraced new challenges and developed new skills. I am very proud to lead one of the most innovative and growing global aviation companies and I dedicate this important achievement to Luigi and Giovanni Pascale, [the] brothers who started all this in 1948.”

Cape Air, a regional airline based in Hyannis, Massachusetts, signed a contract for 100 P2012s and it will be the launch customer. But the first delivery to Cape Air can’t be made until the FAA certification is complete, another milestone that Tecnam expects very soon. Tecnam plans to deliver 20 Travellers to Cape Air in 2019.

While the P2012 is well suited for short-range regional travel, the airplane can also be configured for Medevac, VIP, cargo and more. The P2012 Traveller was the final design of Luigi Pascale, known fondly at the company as Il Professore, who died in 2017 at the age of 93.