Aviation Week Show News - November 12, 2007 - (Page 7)

BUSINESS AVIATION D U B A I 2 0 07 Mubadala Is Helping to Pilot Piaggio Aero Dubai,” said Galassi, “But things are moving fast and interest from the region is extremely high. The company’s Avanti II was fully booked for a week of demonstration flights at Abu Dhabi before the show started.” Piaggio has already announced that the Saraya aircraft will be maintained in Jordan, and Galassi says that he is hopeful that Piaggio will announce “some other maintenance centers” here. Piaggio’s Avanti II marketing push is Mubadala is influencing new Piaggio designs. focused on the aircraft’s wide, quiet, and comfortable cabin, its lean fuel burn, and its 404 kts existing, potential, and prospective customers. The result came as a staggering 80% acceptance cruise speed at FL 310. Never slow to put the boot into the for a green environmental campaign. “Social opposition, Galassi gave the full sales responsibility is picking up in civilized countries “The Avanti II is the Ferrari of the pitch; “The Avanti II is the Ferrari of the and to be honest all the manufacturers should do skies and when you race it with skies and when you race it with any other this,” Galassi says. But Piaggio’s one problem is that customers any other turboprop it’s like them turboprop it’s like them chasing a Ferrari are having to wait two years to get their Avanti with a firetruck!” chasing a Ferrari with a firetruck!” The green ticket will also continue to II. The current backlog stands at 113 aircraft, be played, says Galassi, as the Avanti II is worth a healthy $780 million. “We have to clear Gulf region. “Saraya is calling us weekly for news the most fuel-efficient twin turboprop in its class. our production quickly,” says Galassi. “We’ll pro(despite deliveries not planned to start until 2008) Piaggio’s “More Green for the Pocket—More duce 28 aircraft this year and ramp-up to 36-37 as it is getting so much pressure to start operat- Green For The Planet” advertisements will con- in 2008. “Like Ferrari we want customers to wait for tinue to run, he confirmed. “Because of high fuel ing its corporate flights.” So can we expect further orders from the Mid- prices this is a really big story now and a very big their masterpiece—but there is a limit.” For the first time at Dubai, Piaggio Aero Indusdle East at the show as a result of Mubadala’s marketing tool for us.” Piaggio conducted market research on four dif- tries is exhibiting with Mubadala (Stand W300). contacts, asked Show News? “Because of the timing we don’t know for sure if this will happen in ferent campaign angles in the USA, it monitored —Mike Vines Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Development, which owns 35% of Piaggio Aero, is not a back seat investor but is jointly managing the Italian aerospace company, says Alberto Galassi, senior member of Piaggio board and executive committee member. The partnership gives Piaggio a distinct advantage in terms of future aircraft designs and investment. “Mubadala’s involvement in Piaggio is the best thing that could have happened to us,” he says. “We gained six Avanti II sales from Jordan almost immediately after Mubadala joined with us.” The aircraft are for Saraya Private Aviation which plans to operate them on charters into the Avanti II Lends Cachet to Ferrari Piaggio’s Avanti II demonstrator is here sporting the exclusive Ferrari Racing Department badge, underlining the close ties between the two Italian companies. At the Ferrari auto parked by the aircraft both companies are still celebrating Ferrari’s nail-biting win, a full two weeks after the race season finished. Also involved in the celebrations is Mubadala Development, a principal investment company wholly owned by the Government of Abu Dhabi, which Piaggio’s Alberto Galassi synergizes with two Ferrari has a 35% stake in Piaggio Aero Indus- race car drivers. tries and 5% in Ferrari. Both Piaggio and “The drivers probably won’t be here in Mubadala sponsorship appears on the racing Dubai as the Dubai show dates coincide with kit of new World Champion Kimi Räikkönen, the first week of testing the new 2008 Ferand team mate Felipe Massa, and Piaggio suprari Formula One car,” said Alberto Galassi, plies an Avanti II to transport the drivers around senior member of the Piaggio board and execthe circuits. utive committee member. Piaggio and Mubadala Near New Jet Decision Piaggio is very close to making a decision on whether or not to proceed with its twin-engine business jet. “We have been working seriously on the project and it is almost ready,” says Alberto Galassi, senior member of the Piaggio Aero board and executive committee. But, he told Show News, the go-no-go decision will be taken jointly with Abu Dhabi based Mubadala Development (a 35% shareholder in Piaggio Aero) after final market research and an analysis into recent news from competitors. “We are researching the final positioning, and I don’t think the announcement will be this year. “Gulf customer expectations have been taken into consideration, and together with Mubadala, we have clear ideas on what to do and when,” Galassi said. He said that the aircraft will look different from the company’s P180 Avanti II, and that it will be larger and have a longer range. Piaggio has already said that the aircraft will be distinctive and have real ramp appeal. —NV 7 November 12, 2007 www.aviationweek.com/shownews http://www.aviationweek.com/shownews

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