Always a pleasure to see a reasoned and considered range of viewpoints on PPRuNe, rather than some self perpetuated uninformed bias!
I have operated the Caravan for 5 years now. It is the single most reliable aircraft of any type I have ever operated. It is well designed and manufactured, it has excellent flight characteristics and performance, enjoys unrivalled support from the factory, has parts and services that are readily available and perhaps most significantly, it does EVERYTHING the manufacturer claims, at the PRICE they claim! It is predictable, capable and SAFE.
That individuals might decline to fly in the aircraft if it were available for service in their market, is indeed their personal decision. No-one would ever be made to fly in them, nor indeed travel by road or rail! The ability for the Caravan (and other single engine aircraft) to draw an economically sound customer base is well proven, and passenger acceptance of the type is very positive.
No operation can succeed without adequate attention to safety and economics. That these
modern aircraft can achieve both is not something to be overlooked. They have no rivals for thin regional routes, and in many cases can succesfully succeed were no other aircraft can. The upside of this, is the ability to expand routes (and business) into progressively larger sectors by offering the services and pricing that the consumer wants. Combined with the expansion of low-cost airlines into airports outside the major hubs, and the combination is an extremely attractive proposition. The number of regional airports in the UK without any viable air service is increasing, as the regionals have been absorbed, or simply gone out of business. The Caravan offers the ability to offer exceptional pax and freight service were none currently exists, or alternately to expand upon existing service.
I fail to see how the Caravan cannot enhance the overall aviation business in the UK. It will provide a needed service and offer employment in a sector that is currently unfullfilled.
Considering the options for other aircraft in this sector, the only modern products that meets the demand are leagues ahead of their twin engined counterparts, many of which have nothing to offer in terms of safety, passenger appeal or economics.
One final thought. In my experience the vast majority of operators of these types, having made the financial commitment to the product, are also the same operators that have made the neccesary commitment to safety, training and maintenance that are reflected in the safety statistics that demonstrate the integrity of the product and type of operation. There are specific issues and areas of concern for these types, but they are largely unrelated to the fact that the aircraft has a single engine.
In many instances the final contribution to safety produced by these modern capable aircraft is that the consumer has shown that this product is their transportation of choice, leaving the operators with lesser levels of equipment and operating practices to find some other line of business.
Some interesting reading (and facts)!