Also Earns Orders For Caravan, Stationair Models

The recently concluded European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE) in Geneva, Switzerland was a good one for Cessna Aircraft Company. The planemaker tells ANN it took commitments for 40 Citation business jets at the show, as well as a handful of orders for its other planes.

The 40 commitments include an order for the purchase of 25 Citation business jets received from JetAlliance, as ANN reported. Cessna expects deposits to firm-up all 40 orders by the end of June. Cessna also took orders for three Caravans and one Model 206 Stationair single engine piston aircraft.

"The tremendous inflow of business we saw at EBACE is indicative of the strength of the market in Europe, particularly in Eastern Europe," said Roger Whyte, Cessna senior vice president, Sales & Marketing. "We saw interest, and took orders, throughout the range of business jets -- from the Citation Mustang to the Citation X. This show continues to grow, and continues to bring in people who want to buy airplanes."

Whyte said the international market continues to expand, growing to almost half of Cessna's 2006 worldwide deliveries, up from levels of around 25 to 30 percent just a few years ago.

"To mirror this growth, we have been expanding our sales force and our support network across Europe," Whyte said. "We think the business jet is really proving its worth in the market throughout Europe and the Middle East. The range of Cessna products available to meet the demand, coupled with our ubiquitous support network, equals a tremendous value for our customers."

As a sign of the increased focus by the company on Europe, Cessna is expanding its presence this year at the Paris Air Show at Bourget scheduled for next month. Cessna will exhibit Citation CJ2+, Citation Encore+, Citation XLS, and Citation Sovereign business jets, a Grand Caravan, a 206 Stationair and 172 Skyhawk single engine piston aircraft, and a full-size cabin mock-up of its proposed Large Cabin Concept long-range business jet.

Cessna will be co-exhibiting at the Paris Air Show with fellow-Textron companies Bell Helicopter, Textron Systems and E-Z-GO.

FMI: www.cessna.com