Piper Aircraft announced plans to build 50 Archers for its Beijing-based dealer, China Air Shuttle. The fleet of aircraft will be manufactured and certified at Piper’s Vero Beach, Florida, facility, then shipped to China to be reassembled by China Air Shuttle’s affiliate company in Rizhao, Shandong Province, China.
China Air Shuttle will begin to take delivery of the fleet in the second quarter of 2017, then distribute the aircraft to major flight schools and general aviation companies in the region.
“Piper Aircraft trainers have been widely used in China for more than a decade with over 45 Piper Seminoles sold to Chinese flight training institutions. We are pleased that the Archer will now also be used in fight training academies throughout China;” said Jeremy Prost, Piper’s Asia Sales Manager.
China Air Shuttle’s facilities in Rizhoa with serve as the local delivery center and provide training, maintenance and product support for Chinese customers.
“As part of Piper’s commitment to the training market as well as part of our overall growth strategy, we have increased our presence in the Asia Pacific region. As a result of our efforts we are delighted with the increase in fleet sales to Indonesia, Australia and Malaysia,” said Simon Caldecott, President and CEO of Piper Aircraft. “We continue to see a growing interest for our trainers worldwide with almost 150 currently on order.”
