Textron Aviation today has delivered the 3,000th Cessna Caravan family turboprop.

Textron Aviation employees and representatives from the buyer, Azul Conecta, celebrated this significant milestone with a special delivery ceremony at Textron Aviation's location in Independence, Kansas. “The Cessna Caravan's versatility and reliability have made it the most popular aircraft in the utility turboprop category, with now 3,000 delivered globally,” says Lannie O'Bannion, senior vice president of Sales and Flight Operations at Textron Aviation. “I'm thankful to customers like Azul Conecta who continuously rely on the Caravan family of aircraft to fulfill their missions, deliver solutions and improve lives around the world.”

Conceived as a rugged utility aircraft with low operating costs, the Caravan was designed for use in remote areas with extreme weather changes, mountainous terrain and rough landing conditions. The aircraft's versatility became renowned in all corners of the world, and the Caravan continues to see wide use in global markets by a variety of customers, including government agencies, law enforcement and militaries, air ambulance operators, freight haulers, corporations and humanitarian organizations.

Customers can choose between four models of the Cessna Caravan aircraft to best fit their mission: the Caravan 208, the Grand Caravan EX 208B, the Caravan Amphibian and the Grand Caravan EX Amphibian.

Cessna Caravan program milestones

1981 Cessna launched the Caravan program

1982 First flight of Caravan 208 prototype

1984 Caravan 208 received FAA type certification

1985 Cessna began deliveries of the Caravan 208

1985 Caravan 208 approved for amphibious floats

1986 Caravan 208B Super Cargomaster, stretched by four feet in a freight specific

configuration, received FAA type certification

1990 First production Grand Caravan 208B delivered

1998 Delivery of 1,000th production Caravan 208

1998 Cessna began deliveries of the new standard Caravan 208, a Caravan 208 that

features a Pratt and Whitney Canada PT6A-114A engine rated at 675 shaft horsepower

2002 Delivery of 1,000th Grand Caravan 208B

2005 Delivery of 1,500th production Cessna 208

2008 Garmin G1000 becomes standard avionics equipment

2008 TKS ice protection offered

2013 Cessna began deliveries of Grand Caravan EX 208B, featuring a Pratt and Whitney

Canada PT6A-140 engine rated at 867 shaft horsepower

2017 G1000 NXi becomes standard on Caravan and Grand Caravan EX

2022 3,000th Caravan, a Grand Caravan EX, delivered to Azul Conecta