In a change that embraces its illustrious past and bright new future, the aviation manufacturer Piaggio Aero unveiled its new identity at NBAA2014 in Orlando.

Piaggio Aero Industries has become Piaggio Aerospace which reaffirms its commitment to making superbly crafted and innovative aircraft, and underscores its unique positioning to enter new market sectors with distinctive aerospace products.

The new Piaggio Aerospace identity reflects significant changes taking place at the company to position it for major growth in new markets and territories, expanding its product portfolio and bringing together its numerous strengths under one roof.

Alongside the iconic Avanti EVO twin-turboprop business aircraft, Piaggio Aerospace is the only aircraft manufacturer that also builds parts, carries out final assembly and maintains aero engines. The company is making major advances in the development of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance platforms both manned and unmanned, based on the fully certified civilian platform P.180 Avanti. Piaggio Aerospace is also one of the few companies in the world that owns the technology and expertise to develop, manufacture and support a Medium Altitude Long Endurance Unmanned Aerial System.

Alberto Galassi, Chairman of Piaggio Aerospace, said: “Piaggio has a history of elite craftsmanship and continuous innovation. The evolution to Piaggio Aerospace embraces every moment of our distinguished history and embraces our continuing evolution. Thanks to the support of our shareholders, Piaggio Aerospace is better prepared than ever to expand and reaffirm its commitment to making superbly crafted, innovative aircraft and highly technological aerospace products.”

Carlo Logli, Chief Executive Officer of Piaggio Aerospace, said: “The emergence of a new identity for Piaggio Aerospace is perfectly timed to signify the major changes taking place within the Company to prepare it for a bright and rising future. Already this year we have seen a historical move to bring all our manufacturing facilities under one roof with the construction of an advanced manufacturing facility in Villanova d’Albenga, Italy, from where we will deliver our cutting age business aviation and security and defense aircraft."

Piaggio Aerospace is implementing an industrial plan focused on the development of existing core activities and new programs in line with industry requirements. The Company’s major projects are:

• The new Avanti EVO twin turboprop business aircraft: perfection through evolution The Avanti EVO is the fastest and most efficient aircraft its type in the world, able to fly to 403KTAS for fuel burn rates significantly below that of competing jets. The Avanti EVO continues Piaggio Aerospace’s tradition of remarkably efficient and beautiful design and manufacturing, and was unveiled at EBACE 2014. It moves to new heights the efficiency, speed, comfort, and serenity of one of the most distinctive and famous aircraft in the world. The aircraft is in flight testing, and certification is expected shortly.

• The Piaggio Aerospace P.1HH HammerHead - A new and unique state-of-the-art Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) designed for Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions whose combination of performance and operational characteristics is at the very top end of the MALE (Medium Altitude Long Endurance) category. P.1HH HammerHead is a new concept that offers much wider options to operators than traditional restrictive UAS designs. Its all-weather design can dash to target at over 390 KTAS, or loiter for up to 16 hours, with the surety of a platform tested and certified for civilian passenger use and the fastest of its type by far in the sector. The first flight of the P.1HH DEMO has been performed in November 2013 while the first flight of the P.1HH HammerHead full representative prototype is expected this year.

The Piaggio Aerospace MPA (Multirole Patrol Aircraft) - A technologically advanced and super efficient twin turboprop designed to satisfy requirements from security and enforcement operators, from peacekeeping to intelligence scenarios, to ultra-long loiter surveillance and patrol missions. It is the most efficient patrol aircraft on the market, and can carry a wide range of special systems and sensors with plenty of space for crew and operators for up to 10 hours mission times.

• Engine Parts manufacturing Assembly & Test and MRO - Piaggio Aerospace is unique among aircraft manufacturers in assembling and testing complete New Build Engines, under license agreements with Honeywell Rolls Royce, and Pratt & Whitney Canada. These agreements allow the company to build and supply part engine assemblies (modules) as well as fully assembled, tested, and certified complete engines. Piaggio Aerospace manufactures engines components for Honeywell, Pratt & Whitney , Pratt & Whitney Canada, Rolls-Royce, Turbomeca on a wide range of projects including the F-135 engines powering the F35 Lightning II multirole fighter. Within Piaggio Aerospace’s aero engine portfolio of capability the MRO facility benefits from long standing experience on major maintenance, repair and overhaul for a wide variety of engine types covered under license agreements from strip to full rebuild and certification.
  

Innovative new all-inclusive lease options for North American market

In further news, Piaggio Aerospace and Bravia Capital have announced a partnership to offer Avanti EVO aircraft under a new industry-leading cost management programme to North American owners and operators.

The Avanti EVO aircraft will be supplied directly to Bravia Capital and be offered under a new lease-and-running-cost basis that is both competitive and highly innovative. The initial supply agreement is for 10 aircraft, rising to 50 if all options are undertaken.

The partnership between Bravia Capital and Piaggio Aerospace means that it will be easier to lease and operate an Avanti EVO aircraft in North American territories, with all inclusive to-the-dollar figures that cover the entire cost of ownership. It makes budgeting for aircraft ownership and operation far easier.

The new ‘Avanti EVO All Included’ package is offered on new build Avanti EVO aircraft, through Bravia Capital as part of lease package which offer new levels of flexibility. It combines low lease costs with Piaggio Aerospace’s new Power By The Hour service programme that underpins its ongoing drive to improve service support for aircraft worldwide. It removes unknowns and delivers low and exact all-in figures for ownership and operations. Bravia Capital chose the Avanti EVO to spearhead its new North American operation because it is ideally suited to planned east and west coast operations, where flight times are typically of up to three hours.

The Avanti EVO is the fastest twin turboprop aircraft in the world, and features many improvements to efficiency, ease of maintenance, comfort, and performance. Able to cruise at the speed of some jets but for a fraction of the cost, it has a maximum range of 1720nm and other improvements to cut external and interior sound that make it a better neighbor and an even more comfortable place to fly.

CEO Carlo Logli said: “Bravia Capital’s experience in leasing, and its decision to buy fleet volumes and pass those economies on to customers, means the new Avanti EVO enters North America with the strongest backing and an even more convincing set of reasons for buyers than ever. Combined with the new Power By The Hour programme, every efficiency of the aircraft’s design is now mirrored in ownership and operation.”

Bharat Bhise, CEO of Bravia Capital Partners stated: “We are pleased to be in partnership with Piaggio Aerospace to bring a complete financing and cost maintenance package to Evo buyers in the North American market. This program is backed by a substantial new investment by Piaggio Aerospace in customer service , parts support and maintenance capabilities and we see the combination of the Evo’s market leading performance and ongoing manufacturer support as a very attractive offering to our clients.

Piaggio Aerospace has specifically created Power By The Hour for the North American market to combine product, finance and whole life service costs more transparently than ever before, further enhanced with performance guarantees giving the most comprehensive cost management tools to business aviation operators.

An entire new business unit has been established within Piaggio Aerospace dedicated to Customer Service, investing significantly in resources and spare parts to ensure a high level of service to all new Avanti EVO customers, and existing owners of more than 230 legacy Avanti aircraft worldwide.