Surf Air Mobility Signs Aircraft Electrification Deals with 2 Kenyan Operators

The company’s goal is to connect airports with sustainable, short-haul direct service using electric and hybrid-electric Cessna Grand Caravans.

Jack Daleo

Friday, January 05, 2024 at 02:39 PM ET

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Surf Air Mobility plans to modify Cessna Grand Caravans with its electric and hybrid-electric powertrains. [Courtesy: Surf Air Mobility]

Key Takeaways:

Surf Air Mobility (SAM) has signed agreements with Kenyan operators Safarilink and Yellow Wings to retrofit their Cessna Grand Caravan fleets with electric or hybrid-electric powertrains, targeting FAA certification by 2026 and an all-electric transition by 2027 for both firms.
SAM holds an exclusive agreement with Textron Aviation to electrify the Grand Caravan, aiming to significantly reduce operating costs by 50% and achieve 100% carbon emission reductions for fully electric models.
The Kenya deals are part of SAM's broader strategy to globally deploy its electrification technology, focusing on regions that are key markets for the Caravan and early adopters of emerging mobility, alongside major deals in Brazil and the acquisition of Southern Airways in the U.S.

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Apparently, modifying Cessnas is all the rage these days.

Surf Air Mobility (SAM), a regional air mobility company that retrofits Cessna Grand Caravans with electric or hybrid-electric powertrains, on Thursday signed agreements to provide its technology to a pair of operators in Kenya. The two firms, Safarilink and Yellow Wings, each agreed to install SAM’s proprietary powertrain following its FAA certification, targeted for 2026. Both aim to be all-electric in 2027.