Lakeland, FL - April 8, 2008 - Cessna Aircraft Company, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, continues to see strong orders for its single-engine piston product line from flight schools overseas.
Cessna announced today at the Sun ‘n Fun Fly-In that Sabadell Aeroclub in Barcelona, Spain, has ordered eight single-engine Cessnas and Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) has placed an order for three Skyhawks to be used in its new flight training academy at the Heydar Aliyev International Airport in Baku, Azerbaijan.
“Sabadell Aeroclub is one of Europe's most progressive flying clubs and I'm very excited that they, once again, have chosen Cessna to provide aircraft for their expanding fleet,” said Pana Poulios, manager, European propeller aircraft sales. “I am also confident that AZAL will find their Garmin G1000-equipped Skyhawks to be the right choice for their new academy.”
Sabadell Aeroclub ordered two Cessna 182T Skylanes and six 162 SkyCatchers. The aircraft will complement Sabadell's large fleet of aircraft which includes 17 Cessnas, six of which are G1000-equipped.
Sabadell chose the SkyCatcher to provide affordable flight training options, replacing its Cessna 150s and 152s. Priced at $111,500, the new SkyCatcher light-sport aircraft will feature a Garmin G300 glass avionics system. Information is presented in a single, split-screen primary flight display (PFD) and multi-function display (MFD), or as two full-screen displays incorporating an optional second screen. The aircraft will be capable of day and night, visual flight rules (VFR) operations. Cruise speed is targeted at 118 knots and the range 470 nautical miles. First deliveries of the SkyCatcher are expected during the second half of 2009.
The Skylane was chosen by Sabadell Aeroclub based on its range, payload and safety record. Sabadell's fleet already included one 182. The new Skylanes are equipped with Garmin's integrated G1000 avionics, including the GFC700 autopilot.
AZAL was founded in 1923 and provided domestic flights within the Soviet Union under Aeroflot. Following Azerbaijan Republic's independence in 1991, the airline now also flies internationally to multiple destinations in Europe and the Middle East. The Cessna Skyhawk was chosen for AZAL's flight training academy due to its unparalleled track record as a flight training aircraft. Almost 40,000 Skyhawks have been delivered since its introduction in 1955.
About Cessna Aircraft Company
Based on unit sales, Cessna Aircraft Company is the world's largest manufacturer of general aviation airplanes. In 2007, Cessna delivered 1,272 aircraft, including 387 Citation business jets, and reported revenues of about $5 billion. Cessna has a current backlog of $12.6 billion. Since the company was originally established in 1927, some 190,000 Cessna airplanes have been delivered to nearly every country in the world. The global fleet of more than 5,100 Citations is the largest fleet of business jets in the world. More information about Cessna Aircraft Company is available at www.cessna.com.
About Textron Inc.
Textron Inc. is a $13.2 billion multi-industry company operating in 34 countries with approximately 44,000 employees. The company leverages its global network of aircraft, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell Helicopter, Cessna Aircraft Company, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Greenlee, Fluid & Power, Textron Systems and Textron Financial Corporation. More information is available at www.textron.com.