Cessna Caravan Gets New Interior, Celebrates 30 Years

Cessna Aircraft celebrated 30 years of Caravan turboprop deliveries by unveiling a new standard interior for the turboprop single yesterday at the Sun ’n’ Fun International Fly-In and Expo in Lakeland, Fla. The new interiors, which improve cabin comfort and functionality, are immediately available and customer deliveries have begun.

“We can’t think of a better way to celebrate three decades of production than to offer our Caravan operators such an upgrade to their favorite utility turboprop: a standard interior centered around durable, comfortable seating that results in reduced weight at no additional cost,” said Christi Tannahill, Textron Aviation’s senior vice president for turboprop aircraft and interior design. The first Caravan was delivered on Feb. 25, 1985, to an air service provider in Alaska, and the company expects to ship the 2,500th later this year.

A Grand Caravan EX featuring the new interior is on static display this week at Cessna’s exhibit (SNF-001 to -005). It includes an all-new machined seatframe, replacing the previously welded seats, that offers an improved back angle, seat belt location and sight lines to cabin windows. In addition, the seats now feature a durable luxury covering that is stain resistant and has an antimicrobial finish. 

“The new seat weighs about five pounds less than the previous seat and adds additional under-seat stowage,” said Tannahill. “Other standard interior changes include a durable lightweight headliner and a new lower sidewall. On a typically equipped, 10-place aircraft, customers will see a nearly 60-pound interior weight reduction.” 

The new interiors are available in two standard color schemes: Savanna (classic neutral khaki) and Canyon (high contrast black and khaki). Options include fabric lower sidewalls, carpet flooring and headrests, the latter of which are required for a new club seating configuration option in the Grand Caravan EX.