While vacation bookings to Cape Cod are off 30 percent for this summer compared to last year, executives at the regional carrier Cape Air aren’t too worried about the drop. The airline, which operates a fleet of twin-engine Cessna 402s, is cutting flights on some of its vacation routes and using the planes to expand service to Baltimore, White Plains and New Hampshire, the Provincetown Banner reported. Cape Air is considering enlarging its Caribbean and Florida service, and may even expand to Cuba if travel restrictions there are lifted. Cape Air hasn’t laid off any of its 700 employees in the current downturn. A bigger concern is what to do with its aging fleet of 402s, which company executives expect have 10 to 15 more years of life in them. With the 402 out of production, Cape Air has been buying up used ones to scrap for parts. The airline hasn’t settled on a replacement aircraft for its fleet, but it wants to stick with a smaller plane like the 402, which seats nine passengers.

A Florida company that organizes tours for groups of pilots who fly their own planes is planning to offer American pilots a chance to fly to Cuba. Air Journey is awaiting approval for what would be an “educational” trip, since one morning of the four-days itinerary includes meeting with officials from Civil Aviation of Cuba to learn about the country’s airspace, according to Air Journey’s Web site. The trip costs $2,850 per person, plus $700 per plane. Pilots must supply their own life vests and other survival gear for the 205-mile trip from Miami, down the Florida Keys to Havana. The trip’s dates haven’t been set yet, but the itinerary calls for leaving on a Thursday and returning on a Sunday, with plenty of time for sightseeing and visiting museums in Havana.