Cape Air: From New England to the Caribbean, a Fleet in Transition from Cessna 402s to the New Tecnams

The fleet

The historic fleet is made up of about 68 Cessna 402C twin piston-engine aircraft and five Britten-Norman Islanders, joined by 30 Tecnam P2012 Traveller aircraft, a more modern turboprop gradually introduced on Essential Air Service routes and on links such as Boston-Rutland. The airline has also ordered eight single-engine turboprop Cessna Grand Caravan EXs, with deliveries expected from 2027 to replace the older aircraft on the Montana network.

Routes and network

The network is split into two distinct geographic areas: the New England island links to Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard and Provincetown, and the Caribbean routes between Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. In recent years a network of Essential Air Service links has been added in Montana, served with the Tecnam P2012s, to towns such as Glasgow, Glendive, Havre and Sidney.

On board and service

Since these are small-capacity aircraft, there are no premium cabins: service is measured by the frequency of flights and the speed of getting through small island airports, which often lack the long security lines of the big hubs.

What passengers say

Opinions vary considerably between those who use Cape Air for leisure island links and those who use it as an essential service in Montana or the Caribbean.

• What works according to travelers: high frequency on the busiest island routes such as Boston-Nantucket, quick boarding at the smaller airports, staff often described as helpful given the small size of the crews.
• What doesn't work: very limited space on board the older Cessna 402s, frequent cancellations in fog or wind on island runways, limited capacity that makes it hard to find a seat in the peak summer season.

Cape Air is useful for anyone who needs to reach a New England island or a small Caribbean or Montana community with no convenient direct alternatives. It is less suitable for those traveling with bulky luggage or who have difficulty boarding small aircraft with no aisle, since the Cessna 402s remain the largest part of the fleet. Anyone booking an island flight in summer should do so well in advance: on the most popular routes such as Nantucket, the few seats available on each flight sell out quickly on peak weekends.