Last week representatives from Cessna Aircraft Company were on a visit to Belize, and while in the country, representative Colin Ward met with local airline companies to introduce Cessna’s new product, the Grand Caravan EX. The stop to Belize is significant to the representatives of our local airline companies, since Cessna supplies the local companies with their fleet of Caravans used in the local aircraft industry.
Cessna manufactures over 10 designs of airplanes, including the Caravans used in Belize. Every four to five years, the company takes their latest aircrafts through a world tour where they visit with their customers and introduce them to the new products.
According to Johnny Greif, President of Tropic Air, Cessna’s stop to Belize included a display of their latest aircraft. “Since we are a big Cessna customer, they stopped here to visit with us. We were able to take a look at this latest model of Caravan, which has some improvements over other planes. The Caravan they brought to show us does not have much difference from the planes we currently operate,” explained Greif.
A few years ago, Tropic Air announced that they were investing heavily in a fleet of 11 new Caravans. Up to date,the local company has received seven Caravans with four more still pending. Greif indicated that the visit of the Cessna crew will not affect their current Caravan request. “The new models are identical to the ones we have currently invested in. All that the new model has different is a few modifications to the engine and upholstery inside the plane; but nothing much. There are no visuals or operational changes to the airplane. Like I said, they are basically identical to the new Caravans we have,” commented Greif
The visit of the Cessna representative is important to the local aviation industry in Belize. “It is a good sign for us in Belize. It means that Belize is on the map with the Cessna manufacturer. A lot of manufacturers would completely ignore us but Cessna sees Belize as an important sale potential,” noted Greif.
Between the two local airlines, approximately 16 Caravans are used in the country. Cessna’s main headquarters is located in Wichita, Kansas USA.
