B/CA Show News - NBAA 2007 Day 2 - (Page 4)

N BA A 2007 Cessna’s Order Book Brimmeth Over $363 Million for XOJet Includes First Bizav Money from Texas-Based TPG XOJet weighed into NBAA with an order for no fewer than 30 Citation X jets, and followed it up with an order for 80 Challenger 300s. The California operator that’s challenging fractionals with a new on-demand model for frequent business flying, will reveal today how it’s paying for all those aircraft: XOJet secured $143 million in equity and debt financing from TPG and David Bonderman. Lehman Brothers GPS, and an additional $220 million in aircraft lease financing from Lehman Brothers GPS. The new money brings total financing raised to date to $542 million, XOJet says. “Global demand for private jet travel continues to grow more than three times the rate of the broader economy,” says TPG founding partner David Bonderman. “After studying this substantial $33 billion global industry, TPG concluded that XOJet’s model is well positioned to take advantage of growth opportunities by delivering top quality service cost-effectively.” XOJet says it’s been able to combine guaranteed availability and on-demand service “to quadruple the industry averages for aircraft utilization, delivering dramatic cost efficiencies to customers.” XOJet’s orders have a combined market value of $2.5 billion, and will increase XOJet’s fleet of super-midsize jets to 127 by 2011. Bonderman and colleagues have become members of the XOJet board of directors. —Rich Piellisch With eight different models of business jets, along with six models of single-engine piston aircraft and three versions of the single-engine turboprop Caravan in current production, Cessna (Booth 8550) now has the highest backlog in its history, said Jack J. Pelton, chairman, president and CEO, at the convention. Pelton noted that the total backlog as of August 31 is more than $11 billion, representing roughly 2,700 units, half of which are business jets. In the current year up to August 31, Cessna has booked orders for 525 business jets, compared to 496 business jet orders booked in all of 2006. “Last year, we delivered 307 business jets. This year we expect to deliver 380. Next year, we plan to deliver 470,” said Pelton. Lufthansa Orders CJ1+ for Pilot Training For the first time, Lufthansa is to use jets for its own pilot training program and has placed an order with Cessna for four Citation CJ1+ aircraft. The decision to renew the airline’s training fleet paves the way for a new training concept that will be launched at the Lufthansa Pilot School in Bremen, January 2008. In the future, the program will be more closely tailored to the specific flight operation needs of a large scheduled airline with a global network.The aircraft are scheduled for delivery between October 2008 and mid-2009. Piaggio Pushes Production Pace Piaggio has been promising to ramp up production for years, but this time it’s really happening. Having taken 70 orders since the 2005 NBAA convention, the Italian company has built-up via 14 and 19 machines in 2005-06 to being on track for 23 this year. Then, when production moves to a new factory at Villanova d’Albenga, about 40 miles west of Genoa, that will jump to 35. It has just been revealed that in 2008, Piaggio will begin installing a brand new interior in the Avanti. Designed by Nordam, with inputs from Infusion and Piaggio, this will improve the already spacious and quiet cabin for which the P.180 has become known. NetJets Orders Nine Falcon 7X Aircraft While customers have begun taking delivery of Dassault’s Falcon 7X, NetJets Europe has ordered nine more aircraft. This brings their total order of Falcons to 33. Dassault has not disclosed the value of the order. NetJets Europe originally placed an order for 24 aircraft in Sept. 2006. The contract then was worth $1.1 billion. It was also the second largest order of business aircraft in history at the time. According to Dassault, deliveries of the first 24 aircraft will begin in the second quarter of 2008. Those deliveries will continue over the next six years through 2014. Cessna Reveals European Mustang Order Cessna’s Roger Whyte, svp of sales and marketing, says the company has secured a fleet order from a European customer for 30 Mustangs. However, the company won’t reveal the name of the customer until later this year, probably in November, he adds. Cessna has sold 350 Mustangs. The aircraft has a list price of $2.52 million. More Phenom Order and Options Announced Kansas City-based Executive AirShare has signed with Embraer for three Phenom 100 and two Phenom 300 aircraft, with options for an additonal three Phenom 100s and two Phenom 300s. Also announced at the show, Eagle Creek Aviation Services has confirmed five additional Phenom 100 options from its original announced in October 2006. Left photo (l to r): Embraer’s Fred Curado, Executive Air Share president & CEO Robert Taylor, and Embraer’s Luis Carlos Affonso. Right photo (l to r): Curado, and Eagle Creek Aviation Services CEO Matt Hagans, and Affonso. 4 September 26, 2007 www.aviationweek.com/shownews http://www.aviationweek.com/shownews

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of B/CA Show News - NBAA 2007 Day 2

Contents Spectrum Stresses Freedom Adam Shows A700 Cabin User Fee War of Words Execujet Boosts Services Saab's Got Your Back CAE Covers the Field London Airports Roundup Pratt & Whitney Canada Another Show! A More Digital Jeppesen CMC Rides Bizjet Wave Thales Weighs In We Fly the Eclipse 500

B/CA Show News - NBAA 2007 Day 2

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