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

Verified

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 fully electric operations by 2027 after FAA certification in 2026.
This initiative is part of SAM's broader global strategy to electrify regional air mobility, leveraging an exclusive agreement with Textron Aviation for the Grand Caravan to reduce operating costs and eliminate carbon emissions.
SAM has made other significant advancements, including a $450 million deal with Jetstream Aviation Capital, an agreement to electrify Brazil's Azul airline fleet, and the acquisition of Southern Airways to form the largest U.S. commuter airline.

See a mistake? Contact us.

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.