CATALINA AIRCRAFT NEWS
Hong Kong / Longboat Key, FL
July 13, 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE JOINT RELEASE:
Pan American Airways System Selects The Amphibious NGAA Catalina II For Its Luxury “Clipper” Fleet
Pan American Airways System (PAAS) has submitted a funded Letter Of Intent (LOI) to Catalina Aircraft Trust, LLC (Catalina Aircraft) for the purchase of up to forty-six (46) new production amphibious flying boats. Equipped with spacious Art Déco passenger cabins, each Next Generation Amphibious Aircraft (NGAA) Catalina II will be powered by modern turboprop engines and certified as commercial airliners to the FAA’s rigorous Transport Category standards.
The PAAS Catalina II amphibious “Clippers” will be the first flying boats to operate under Pan Am’s classic ‘Winged Globe’ logo since April 1946 and the cabin will be uniquely configured to the specific needs of PAAS’ high-end passengers. To be deployed initially in Africa, the first multi-sector trunk route will operate the length of the continent, between Alexandria (Egypt) and Cape Town (South Africa). Thereafter, further such routes across the Mediterranean will follow, before prudent expansion into routes around the Caribbean, across South Asia and down the Eastern Seaboard of South America to Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires.
Passengers aboard the PAAS Catalina II Clippers will be pampered and cosseted at all times, and will enjoy a level of comfort and service not commonly available even in first class aboard today’s modern airliners. With only ten deep-recline “Clipper Class” executive seats in a VVIP suite-style configuration on each aircraft, the Catalina II Clippers will afford PAAS passengers not only the room to stretch out but also the room to move about. The cabins will be configured to meet PAAS’ own requirements and will boast a restroom, an observation deck, a communal lounge and a galley, and will provide for inflight service by two cabin crewmembers trained to provide the impeccable service that passengers enjoyed aboard Pan Am’s original Clippers during the 1930s and 40s.
Both PAAS and Catalina Aircraft are committed to company-wide sustainable operations and the highest of environmental standards. A range of green initiatives will be incorporated into all aspects of both companies’ operations, including the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) compatible with the turbo prop engines of the NGAA Catalina II.
About Pan American Airways System:
Headquartered in Hong Kong, Pan American Airways System is a unique air carrier, offering a luxury “Golden Age of Aviation” bespoke air travel experiences to premium mid-market and high-end travelers. Multi-sector trunk routes will connect 5-star lodges / safari camps / hotels located at water’s edge in secluded and remote locations. Aboard its luxuriously-equipped multi-engine turboprop NGAA Catalina II amphibious flying boats, PAAS passengers will receive the same legendary attentive service for which Pan Am’s Clippers of the 1930s and 40s became world famous.
Pan American Airways System will launch with service to destinations in Africa, rapidly developing a trunk route that will stretch between Alexandria in Egypt and Cape Town in South Africa. Along the way, passengers will see the Nile below them and will visit such locations as the Murchison Falls at Lake Albert; Lake Victoria; Kenya’s fabled Maasai Mara; the historic city of Zanzibar; the legendary Serengeti of Tanzania; Malawi’s Calendar Lake; spectacular Mosi-oa-Tunya (the ‘Smoke That Thunders’) otherwise known as the Victoria Falls and one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World; the awe-inspiring Namib Desert; the Augrabies Falls; and Table Mountain that towers over Table Bay in South Africa’s ‘Mother City’ of Cape Town.
Expansion plans call for PAAS to operate their Catalina II Clippers across the Mediterranean, around the Caribbean, across South Asia and ultimately down the Eastern Seaboard of South America to Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires.
Pan American Airways System will conduct flying boat operations under a license agreement with Pan American World Airways LLC of Newport Beach, California.
For media inquiries, please contact: media@paasclippers.com
For business development opportunities, please contact: info@paasclippers.com
About Catalina Aircraft:
Catalina Aircraft Trust, LLC, DBA (Catalina Aircraft), headquartered in Longboat Key, Florida is the Design Authority for and holder of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Transport Canada Type Certificates for the Transport Category certificated 28-5ACF Catalina. Catalina Aircraft is currently developing the Next Generation Amphibious Aircraft (NGAA) Catalina II, a new production Variant Addition to the already Transport Category certificated 28-5ACF as the only Large (over 12,500 lb), western certificated, Transport Category, modern, twin turboprop, amphibious flying boat available.
The NGAA Catalina II is a modernized and enlarged new production twin turboprop amphibious flying boat designed to perform roles and missions for the civil/commercial, government, and military sectors and is capable of operations to/in/from austere locations. The Catalina II is being developed as a Transport Category certificated Variant Addition to the already type certificated Transport Category 28-5ACF Catalina.
Catalina Aircraft has a growing catalog of customers including those based in North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia offering aircraft platform capabilities not limited to the Commercial Airline, Contested Logistics Environment (CLE), Special Mission Unit (SMU), Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA), Search and Rescue (SAR), Information Surveillance Reconnaissance (ISR), Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), Combat Search And Rescue (CSAR) with under wing mounted High Speed Amphibians (HSAs), other Military Missions, and the Scooping Aerial Firefighting sectors.
https://catalinaaircrafttrust.com
For media inquiries, please contact: media@catalinaaircrafttrust.com
For business development opportunities, please contact: businessdevelopment@catalinaaircrafttrust.com
Experiment Aircraft Association (EAA) AirVenture Oshkosh 2023, Oshkosh, WI
July 25, 2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ICONIC CATALINA AMPHIBIOUS FLYING BOAT TO BE RESURRECTED AS NEW PRODUCTION
TRANSPORT CATEGORY TURBOPROP
Next Generation Amphibious Catalina II Announced as Variant Addition to the Historic 28-5ACF Catalina Type Certificate
OSHKOSH, WI, July 25, 2023
Catalina Aircraft, holder of the Type Certificates for the 28-5ACF Catalina, today announced the rebirth of the iconic and legendary Catalina as the Catalina II Amphibious Turboprop. A production re-start program has been formalized for the Next Generation Amphibious Aircraft (NGAA) Catalina II twin turboprop amphibious flying boat, and the company is preparing to take pre-orders as part of the turboprop production re-start program.
Based on the design fundamentals of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) & Transport Canada (TC) Large, Transport Category certificated 28-5ACF Catalina amphibious flying boat, Catalina Aircraft is offering two new production variants, a NGAA Civilian Variant and a NGAA Special Use Variant, both of which represent the quintessential standard in airborne amphibious operations for the private, commercial, government and military sectors.
"Interest in the rebirth of this legendary amphibian has been extraordinary. The capabilities this modernized iconic platform offers, being capable of performing so many unique missions, and in a variety of market segments, speaks to the heritage of the Catalina product line. The NGAA Catalina II is a modern amphibian with advanced engines and avionics and will offer capabilities no other amphibian can provide today." said Lawrence Reece, President Catalina Aircraft. “We are looking forward to moving this program forward rapidly.”
The NGAA Catalina II targets two major aircraft client groups, the civilian / commercial operator and the Government / Military customer. The NGAA Catalina II will be the largest, fastest, longest range, highest payload, and most capable amphibious aircraft available worldwide with Western Certifications. Capable of operating from runways, grass, dirt, lakes, rivers, bays, and open water. Utilizing green energy power initiatives, the NGAA Catalina II provides civilian, commercial, government and military operators a significant capabilities expansion over many current platforms employed in amphibious operations today. The NGAA Catalina II provides unmatched precision, speed and flexibility from land to air to sea.
The NGAA Catalina II Civilian Variant is a new production 32,000 pound Maximum Take-Off Weight (MTOW) unpressurized, twin turboprop, sea state 2 capable, amphibious flying boat designed to accommodate up to 34 passengers or 12,000 pounds of cargo operating in the private and commercial market segments.
The NGAA Catalina II Special Use Variant is a new production 40,000 pound Maximum Take-Off Weight (MTOW) unpressurized, twin turboprop, sea state 3 capable, amphibious flying boat geared to support government and military type CONcepts of OPerationS (CONOPs).
Both the Civilian and Special Use Variants are constructed using modern corrosion resistant materials, assembly practices and supportability initiatives to ensure the Material Availability and Operational Availability (Ao) remains at the highest rates possible. Many existing and proven in-service systems are employed to minimize logistics footprint growth and provide for commonality of components between the NGAA Catalina II and existing / emerging in-service aerial platforms. With an almost limitless multi - CONOPs potential from a single platform, the NGAA Catalina II offers a single asset solution capable of replacing several existing platform types, thus reducing overall Acquisition, Operational and Sustainment costs.
Pricing has not been announced yet, while deliveries are anticipated to begin in 2029. For new production twin turboprop NGAA Catalina II inquiries please contact Catalina Aircraft at businessdevelopment@catalinaaircrafttrust.com.
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CATALINA AIRCRAFT WELCOMES N315KM TO TC #785
October 12, 2017
After many years of maintenance and numerous modifications to comply with the requirements of Type Certificate # 785, former Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) #11042 / C/N CV-333 has been converted to Transport Category configuration and officially added to the FAA Register as a 28-5ACF. Based in Athens, Greece, she is the personal Air Yacht for a Greek VIP.
N315KM In Her Early Wartime Navy Livery On Her First Flight In 12 Years
CATALINA AIRCRAFT WELCOMES N2172N TO TC #785
April 21, 2016
After many years of maintenance and upgrades, former U.S. NAVY BuNo 6522 / C/N 1886 has been returned to an airworthy status and officially added to the FAA Register as a Transport Category 28-5ACF.
N2172N Showing Off A Pre-War U.S. NAVY Livery
CATALINA AIRCRAFT WELCOMES N427CV TO TC # 785
October 28, 2012
After many years of restoration and numerous modifications to comply with the requirements of Type Certificate # 785, former Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) #11089 / C/N CV-427 has been converted to Transport Category configuration and officially added to the FAA Register as a 28-5ACF.
N427CV Showing Off Her New Pre-War U.S. NAVY Livery