Cessna Aircraft Company, part of the Textron Aviation segment of Textron Inc., is celebrating the milestone delivery of the 100th Cessna Grand Caravan EX.

The aircraft has been supplied to Hussain Ali Rashid Almoalla for use at his aviation club in the United Arab Emirates. Mr Almoalla, who also owns a Cessna Skylane and Cessna Stationair, is personally flying the Cessna Grand Caravan EX back to his home base in Abu Dhabi, a trip covering 9,000 nm.

“The Cessna Grand Caravan EX, which was announced in 2012, is synonymous with versatility,” said Christi Tannahill, senior vice president, Turboprop Aircraft. “The increased horsepower and configurable interior has resonated strongly with our customers around the world. Reaching this milestone delivery speaks to the strength of the program and the confidence our customers have in the product.”

“I am delighted to add the Cessna Grand Caravan EX to our current fleet,” said Almoalla. “The Cessna Grand Caravan EX is reliable, efficient and ideal for my needs. My expectations of this aircraft have far been exceeded. I am very impressed with the power it displayed on the first flight, as well as its ease of maintenance, impressive Garmin G1000 avionics and spacious interior. It is abundantly clear I have made the right decision.”

Powered by the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-140 engine, the Cessna Grand Caravan EX boasts a 38 percent improvement in the rate of climb of the Grand Caravan, a 350-foot reduction in takeoff roll and a 10-12 knot cruise speed improvement over average.

The first 100 units of the Grand Caravan EX have been delivered around the world for diverse missions, including travel companies in the Hawaiian and the Caribbean islands, construction and energy companies in the U.S., and aid organizations on wildlife rescue missions in Africa.

Cessna press release