Majority Of Citations In The Region Based Near Centers To Be Acquired In Germany And Switzerland

Cessna plans to acquire Jet Aviation's maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facilities in Zurich, Switzerland, and Düsseldorf, Germany, further expanding Cessna's global service center footprint, the company said Friday. Both facilities will begin operating as Cessna Citation Service Centers on January 1, 2013. Jet Aviation will continue operating its FBO facilities at both locations.

"Germany and Switzerland are strategically located where a majority of Citations in the region are based and we are enthusiastic about bringing more service options to our customers in Europe," said Scott Ernest, president and CEO at Cessna. "Cessna's focus on enhanced service offerings, paired with our investments in new product development, demonstrate our team is wholly committed to continuing to provide the industry with choices in innovative solutions for jet ownership and comprehensive services either through Cessna-owned facilities or via our extensive network of valued partners."

The Zurich and Düsseldorf service centers will provide a one-stop shop for comprehensive repair, maintenance, overhaul, refurbishment and customization services for Citation business jets and other manufacturer aircraft currently maintained at these facilities. As Cessna-operated Citation service centers, the Zurich and Düsseldorf service centers will now offer additional service programs to customers, including Cessna's ProAdvantage programs, which enable customers to level or reduce the costs of maintaining their aircraft, while significantly increasing its value.

"Jet Aviation's service facilities in Zurich and Düsseldorf have vast experience supporting Cessna Citations as premier Cessna Authorized Service Facilities. Their high-quality operations are a superb fit with the service philosophy underpinning Cessna's network of factory-operated service operations worldwide," said Joe Hepburn, senior vice president, Customer Service.

Cessna now has a total of 15 factory-operated Citation Service Centers across Europe, the United States and Singapore. The company's global Citation Service Center network also includes the ServiceDirect initiative, through which the company operates 22 Mobile Service Units in the United States, Canada and Europe, and provides further field support through Cessna's AOG Go Teams, Air Response Team, HomeService and Temporary Personnel Support.

Additionally, the company announced today plans to expand its European sales force with the establishment of satellite offices throughout the region. Aligning with the expansion of Cessna's service network, as many as 12 additional sales members will be located in recently-acquired Cessna Citation Service Centers, including Zurich, Düsseldorf, Doncaster and Valencia, as well as other locations across the Europe, Middle East and Africa region.

FMI: www.cessna.com