Former CEO Tiarks Will Remain On Board Of Directors

Fledgling aircraft manufacturer Liberty Aerospace, Inc. announced Tuesday the appointment of Keith Markley as President and CEO. Formerly serving as VP of Sales and Marketing, and most recently as the company’s Chief Operating Officer, Markley was promoted to the position of President and CEO effective April 2, 2007.

"Liberty Aerospace has grown significantly over the last two years, moving to a full production Part 23 aircraft manufacturer. During this time, Keith has demonstrated his ability to lead and grow the company to meet increasing worldwide demand," said former President and CEO Anthony Tiarks., who will remain on Liberty's Board of Directors.

"This appointment, which has been planned for some time, will now allow me to strategically focus on Liberty’s growing presence in international markets, an area the company sees as high growth," Tiarks added.

"I am excited to take on this new post," said Markley. "I have always had a passion for aviation and with a solid product like the XL2 and a well developed team of dedicated employees, I believe we are well positioned to meet the challenges of our growing international and domestic markets."

Markley's appointment comes as Liberty attempts to finally ramp up production of the two-seat XL2 trainer aircraft. Certification and full-scale production of the composite-bodied, aluminum-winged aircraft, based off the Europa design, has been held up for several years. The company is also pressing to have the XL2's fuselage life-limited extended; it is currently at 5,000 flight hours.

In March, the company laid off approximately 20 workers, in a move the company termed a "management reorganization."

FMI: www.libertyaerospace.com