Regional eastern US airline Tropic Ocean Airways is to receive four new Cessna Grand Caravan EXs from Textron Aviation, starting in April, as the carrier expands its operations.
The seaplane-focused airline plans to expand services on existing routes and launch new services to more destinations throughout Florida and The Bahamas, operating out of the Miami Seaplane Base on Watson Island.
The carrier says it is rapidly expanding its scheduled service offerings, aided by the delivery of the additional four Cessna Grand Caravan single-engine turboprops.
Tropic Ocean’s CEO, Rob Ceravolo, said that seaplane travel “has been an integral part of the fabric of the city’s allure and international presence. As we celebrate the centennial of the Miami Seaplane Base we are excited to reintroduce seaplane travel to the great city of Miami, providing locals and visitors with even more options for convenient air travel within Florida and to/from the islands of the Bahamas.”
To date, most of the airline’s business has focused primarily on the private charter market, but following its upgraded FAA operating authority, it will now expand its scheduled service offerings from Fort Lauderdale and the Miami Seaplane Base to destinations such as Key West, Bimini, Marsh Harbour, Nassau and other destinations. An announcement on those will be made later this year, it said.
Tropic Ocean Airways, founded in 2009, currently offers weekly scheduled services from South Florida to Bimini, Great Harbour Cay, and Marsh Harbour using a fleet of 11 aircraft that seat up to eight passengers. Last year it transported nearly 20,000 passengers throughout destinations in Florida, the Northeast US, the Bahamas and the Caribbean.
