SCOTTSDALE – April 23, 2019 – As the global air freight market enjoys a period of strong sustained growth, StandardAero is pleased to support a significant new entry onto the cargo aircraft market, the Alpine Air Express Beech 1900D Super Freighter. As a Designated Overhaul Facility (DOF) with Distribution rights for the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A family, StandardAero is delivering Alpine Air and its customers with responsive PT6A-67D support for its Super Freighter program.
Developed through a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) program by well-known scheduled air cargo services provider Alpine Air, the Super Freighter converts the Beech 1900D into a highly capable cargo aircraft with a 40% capacity increase over the established 1900C freighter. Powered by the reliable PT6A-67D, the Super Freighter also offers a 23% range advantage over the 1900C, along with a 7% speed increase. Equipped with a large 62 in. x 25 in. rear cargo door and fitted with a new Z-track cargo system, the Super Freighter’s 900 cu. ft. cabin can accommodate a useful payload of 7,439 lb.
Alpine Air secured STC certification of the Super Freighter in October 2018, and the aircraft is now in operation in support of Alpine Air’s client base, which includes the United Parcel Service (UPS) and the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). Alpine Air is now undertaking full-rate conversions of Beech 1900Ds to Super Freighter configuration, both for its own use and for sale to third-party operators.
Commenting on the Super Freighter program, Michael Dancy, President/CEO & Co-Owner of Alpine Air Express, said: “We at Alpine Air are extremely excited to have completed the STC development. It took us nearly five years with many thousands of drawings and many thousands of man hours to complete. We believe this development will benefit the small feeder cargo industry for decades. There are several hundred Beech 1900Ds which are moving out of passenger service, and now we will be able to convert those aircraft into fully functional cargo carriers.”
“We are thrilled to be part of such a promising new cargo platform as the Alpine Super Freighter,” said Jason Johnson, Vice President – Sales & Marketing for StandardAero's Airline & Fleets business unit. “Having supported Alpine Air’s day-to-day operations for many years, we have followed the company’s growth and the development of the Super Freighter program with great interest, and were delighted to see the team successfully achieve certification last October. We look forward to continuing to provide Alpine Air and its customers with responsive PT6A-67D support for decades to come.”
StandardAero supports the global PT6A operator community from four Designated Overhaul Facilities located in North America, Europe, Africa and Asia, backed up by a global network of seven service centers and over twenty dedicated mobile repair technicians. With more than 25 years of reliable turboprop experience, StandardAero provides operators with a nose-to-tail suite of services, including repair schemes, re-engining STCs, engine exchanges, rentals and Engine Condition Trend Monitoring (ECTM) analysis.
Visit StandardAero at Booth 53 during the RACCA 2019 Spring Conference, taking place April 23rd – 25th at the Hilton Scottsdale Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona. For more information, go to www.standardaero.com.