Indian training academy, Chimes Aviation, orders 20 Cessna Skyhawk 172s

Singapore: Cessna Aircraft Company, a Textron Inc company, announced an order from India's Chimes Aviation for 20 single engine piston Cessna 172-Skyhawks for its aviation academies at the Singapore Airshow.
 
The order includes 11 172R aircraft for immediate delivery and nine turbo-diesel 172 models for delivery later this year.

The aircraft will be used for flight training by the Chimes Aviation Academy, which operates from Sagar airport in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India.

 It plans to add a second training location by October 2008.

Chimes Aviation Academy expects to train about 120 students per year at each location and considers this order the first phase of the academy's venture. It expects additional orders this year to cover its growth requirements for 2009.

Uday Punj, managing director and YN Sharma, chief operating officer, Chimes Aviation, are expected to sign the agreement with Cessna at the Singapore Airshow.

Based on unit sales, Cessna Aircraft Company is the world's largest manufacturer of general aviation airplanes. In 2007, Cessna delivered 1,272 aircraft, including 387 Citation business jets, and reported revenues of about $5 billion. Cessna has a current backlog of $12.6 billion. Since the company was originally established in 1927, some 190,000 Cessna airplanes have been delivered to nearly every country in the world.

Textron Inc is a $13.2 billion multi-industry company operating in 34 countries with approximately 44,000 employees. It has powerful brands such as Bell Helicopter, Cessna Aircraft Company, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Greenlee, Fluid & Power, Textron Systems and Textron Financial Corporation under its Group umbrella.