Has the C208 been approved for public transport operations by EASA?
yes but commercial operations over water are still extremely difficult to the point of impossible. The fact that a tri with a full load will end up in exactly the same water as a C208 with a full load both having a single engine failure apparently is beyond the comprehension of all the office bound knob ends.
That said as Guernsey only pays lip service to EASA and UK caa whims (it has no requirement to) its a mute point using them between GCI and Alderney. But having had a pint with a soaking wet C208 captain in the George and Dragon in Dar (I even bought him one when I found out he had been floating around for a couple of hours) my arse won't be in one.