Cessna Aircraft Co. has signed an agreement with the China Aviation Industry General Aircraft Company Ltd., (CAIGA) and the Shijiazhuang Municipal Government, the next step in an eventual joint venture for the final assembly, sales, and customer support for the Cessna Caravan in China for the Chinese market.
“Not only does this continue Cessna’s involvement in the development of general aviation in China, but it also paves the way for aircraft sales to which we would not have otherwise had access,” said Mike Shih, Vice President, China Strategy and Business Development for Cessna. “These Cessna aircraft will be manufactured in the United States, in Kansas, and sent to Shijiazhuang, China, to undergo final assembly and then be sold in China.”
Plans include locating the joint venture’s operations at the CAIGA facilities in Shijiazhuang to conduct final assembly, painting, testing, interior installation, customization, flight testing and delivery of the Cessna Caravan to in-country customers.
“As a subsidiary of AVIC, CAIGA has demonstrated great capabilities with general aviation production, and this made the choice of the Shijiazhuang facility a simple one,” said Lannie O’Bannion, Business Leader for Caravan aircraft. “The cooperation between Cessna and CAIGA will enable us to deliver the Cessna Caravan within China for many different purposes. We have seen interest for the Caravan for use in commuter aviation fleets as well as China’s growing tourist and sightseeing businesses. The versatility of the Caravan makes it a great fit for this market.”
Scott Ernest, Cessna president and CEO, says: “We continue to be extremely pleased with the cooperative relationship between AVIC and Cessna. China’s potential in general aviation is tremendous, and represents an exciting opportunity for Cessna. Since we do expect China to be one of the largest general aviation markets in ten year’s time, we are excited to see that it will be Cessna aircraft that will help meet this demand in the years to come.”
For more information: Cessna.com
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Chris says
May 22, 2012 at 2:48 pmSad. Next in the news, Cessna is bought by CAIGA or most likely, a Caravan copy is made using the same tools and technology provided by Cessna.
KK says
May 4, 2012 at 3:06 pmOnce again, selling U.S. jobs to China. no wonder our debt keeps rising.