Piaggio Aero enters Brazilian market

Italian Business Aviation Manufacturer, Piaggio Aero announced today its entry into the
important Brazilian Business Aviation market during the LABACE Air Show in Sao Paulo.

Piaggio’s P180 Avanti II Aircraft Offers Eco-Friendly and Efficient Alternative in Business Aviation

The company announced that it would begin sales at LABACE with first deliveries of its world-renowned P180 Avanti II aircraft expected for January/February 2011, upon completion of the aircraft’s already well-progressed Brazilian certification.  The P180 Avanti II brings a completely new business aircraft to Brazil – one that uses 40 percent less fuel and has the lowest carbon footprint in its class, while providing ultimate performance and cabin comfort. The P180 Avanti II is eco-friendly, efficient and economical - an ideal aircraft for the Brazilian market and topography of the country.

Piaggio Aero also announced that they have reached agreement with NOAR Aviação part of Brazil’s NOAR Airlines, based in Recife, for NOAR to become the exclusive Brazilian agent for the Piaggio P180 Avanti II aircraft. NOAR will promote, distribute and service the Piaggio Aero brand and its aircraft in Brazil.

“We have evaluated the Brazilian market very carefully and the opportunity it presents for Piaggio,” said President and CEO of Piaggio America and Piaggio Aero’s Chief Marketing Officer, John M. Bingham. “We are delighted to be bringing our aircraft to this market and people will be surprised at what a great alternative it is to the other more established aircraft in Brazil. Above all, they will be amazed at how we operate at up to 40 percent lower operating costs, and leave a much smaller carbon footprint than those other aircraft, without surrendering any performance or time in flight for our customers.”

The Piaggio Aero P180 Avanti II is the world’s fastest turboprop aircraft with an outstanding performance and specification for the Brazilian market. With a maximum speed of 402kts /745kph and a range of just under 1500 nautical miles, the aircraft is well suited to both long and short distance trips and runways.

Its full stand up cabin, the biggest in its class of mid size jets and twin turboprops by far, provides an airy, comfortable and serene flight for its passengers aided by its low cabin noise and sea level pressurization. Besides its own impressive capabilities, the Piaggio P180 Avanti II is also the only aircraft to proudly display the legendary "prancing horse" livery, due to it being the chosen business aircraft of the Scuderia Ferrari, the Ferrari Racing Team.

Piaggio Aero is entering Brazil with the very significant backing and support of its shareholders, who include the two worldwide business powerhouses of TATA from India, through Tata Limited UK, and Mubadala Development, the strategic investment company owned by the Government of Abu Dhabi. “We are here to build a solid, long term, aviation business and with strong backing, significant business acumen and an excellent Brazilian representative, there will soon be a substantial number of Piaggio P180 Avanti II’s in the skies of Brazil," Bingham added.

NOAR will also become the first Piaggio Aero authorized service center in Brazil, with additional service centers to quickly follow. The authorization allows the NOAR service center to perform factory-authorized maintenance, repair and overhaul services to the P180 Avanti II aircraft.

Piaggio Aero will be displaying the Piaggio P180 Avanti II aircraft at the LABACE show in Sao Paolo August 12-14.

Piaggio Aero Industries S.p.A.is active in Aircraft design, manufacturing, maintenance and overhaul. The company also manufactures Aero-Engines parts and maintains repairs and overhauls engines under license. Piaggio Aero has facilities in Genoa, Finale Ligure and Naples, Italy and a subsidiary in West Palm Beach, FL, U.S.A. (Piaggio America, Inc.). Piaggio Aero’s core product, the P.180 Avanti II, is the fastest and most advanced executive/multi-utility turboprop in the world. The Avanti II offers the speed of a light jet aircraft, the comfort of a large, whisper quiet and real stand-up cabin, with fuel efficiencies that are nearly 40% higher than most business jets. The P.180 Avanti II features the fully digital, automatic flight control and displays of the latest generation “Pro Line 21” avionics system and it is single pilot certified. The maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of 12,100 lbs gives the P.180 Avanti II greater payload range, and the introduction of the updated engines (P&WC PT6A-66B) provides higher performance, faster cruise speed. The Piaggio Aero aircraft is able to operate out of smaller peripheral airports with landing and take-off distances that are simply unachievable in a comparably sized jet. The P.180 is able to fly at a maximum cruise speed of 402 kts, 745 km/h (MMO 0.70), and has an endurance of over 1,500 nautical miles and a maximum altitude of 41,000 feet.

Piaggio America, Inc. completes, delivers and supports the P.180 Avanti and Avanti II aircraft in the North / Latin American and  Canadian markets, and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Piaggio Aero Industries; Piaggio Aero Industries has a long history in aircraft design and manufacture and today builds the popular Piaggio Aero P.180 Avanti II high-speed twin-turboprop business aircraft for world markets.  The fastest, most economical and most comfortable aircraft in its class, the Avanti II achieves 402 kts maximum cruise speeds, a certified ceiling of 41,000 feet and offers a spacious, stand-up cabin for seven to nine passengers, with an NBAA IFR range of 1,470 nautical miles. Unique to the industry, the Avanti II employs three lifting surfaces to combine pure-jet performance with turbo-prop efficiency.