Tecnam has announced that the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has awarded full type certification to its P2012 Traveller STOL variant.
The certification process has taken 18 months to complete on this aircraft. The STOL variant is specifically designed for Short Take Off and Landing (STOL) operations and is engineered to operate from airports and airstrips with short runways and challenging operational conditions.
Type certification had been pushed back from an originally anticipated date at the end of 2023. The manufacturer opened slots for orders in October 2022, and the list price for the variant was US$2.75 million.
In its release, Tecnam stated that production aircraft are already in the final stages of the assembly line, and the P2012 STOL is ready for the first deliveries to customers, filling a gap in commercial aviation.
The STOL aircraft is currently the only twin-piston aircraft with STOL capabilities that complies with the latest EASA CS-23 certification amendments. It offers a maximum weight of 3,680 kg and can seat up to a maximum of 11 people. The aircraft can also be converted from a 9-seater passenger aircraft to a special-purpose aircraft.
It maintains 99% commonality of parts with the standard P2012 Traveller series aircraft in a bid to enhance the P2012 STOL support and provide a fleet option for operators. It also has a modern cockpit with Garmin’s G1000 NXi avionic system and is single-pilot certified in VFR and IFR.
