ATP flight school signed on the dotted line on Monday to add 100 new Cessna 172 Skyhawks to the company’s existing fleet of 375 training airplanes for use in ATP’s Airline Career Pilot Program. Some of the new aircraft will replace older 172s while others will be used to expand the training fleet. This fresh airplane order adds to the 20 Skyhawks the company has already taken delivery of over the past year. ATP said the Skyhawk was again chosen for its stable flight characteristics, advanced avionics, and proven dispatch reliability. ATP is currently logging about 31,000 flight training hours each month.
Justin Dennis, ATP’s president said, “Continuing to invest in our students’ success with this fleet order allows us to put the best training aircraft into their hands, setting the foundation they’ll carry with them throughout their career as they go on to fly for our airline partners and every major U.S. airline.”
Textron Aviation vice president of Piston Sales Chris Crow said, “The new agreement with ATP demonstrates that the Skyhawk continues to be the world’s definitive training aircraft for future pilots.” By some estimates, more than 44,000 172s have been built since the model first debuted in 1956.
