ETIRC Aviation Places 180-Plane Order

It's another big order from EBACE... in fact, the biggest yet for very-light jets. Eclipse Aviation tells ANN Eastern European distributor ETIRC Aviation Europe (ETIRC Aviation) placed an order for 180 Eclipse 500 aircraft this week, 120 firm orders and 60 options.

Founded by high-tech executive Roel Pieper, ETIRC provides Eclipse 500 sales in Eastern Europe. This expands the Eclipse 500 order book to just under 2,700 units, including orders and options.

"Eastern Europe has many emerging business growth markets that are ideal for the Eclipse 500," said Vern Raburn, president and CEO of Eclipse Aviation. "As worldwide economies grow and mature, they have an increased need for accessible and dependable air travel. This Eclipse 500 order will be the catalyst for the introduction of air service to many Eastern European communities, and will ultimately help accelerate economic development in this dynamic region."

As Aero-News reported, Eclipse Aviation announced a partnership with ETIRC at last year's EBACE. This new order compliments the recent ETIRC order for 40 Eclipse 500s.

In related news, ETIRC Aviation announced a partnership with Atasay in Turkey. ETIRC Aviation is exclusively responsible for sales, service and support of the Eclipse 500 jet in a territory spanning most of Eastern Europe and Russia (including all of the Commonwealth of Independent States), Ukraine, Belarus, as well as Turkey and Cyprus. With sales facilities now in place, ETIRC Aviation will also lead and coordinate all required aircraft certification efforts in these countries.

"We recognized very quickly that there is a growing need for regional air service in Eastern Europe," said Roel Pieper, chairman of ETIRC Aviation. "Based on the level of interest and enthusiasm from business leaders and entrepreneurs in this region, we realized that our initial Eclipse 500 order would not be adequate. I am pleasantly surprised by the enormous amount of interest in Russia and Turkey. The Eclipse 500 is by far the best value proposition for jet ownership, and we are pleased to expand our commitment to this innovative aircraft."

With a range of 1,125 nautical miles and low direct operating costs, the Eclipse 500 will offer the most economical way for European business and leisure travelers to visit multiple other cities and countries in a single-day.

FMI: www.eclipseaviation.com, www.etirc.com/