11:16 am - Tuesday
Green light to the new Piaggio airplane
Genoa, Italy - The aircraft will be manufactured in partnership with other Italian industries
(WAPA) - "We believe to announce the start of the operation within the end of the year", stated Alberto Galassi, Piaggio Aero Industries' Managing Director, after the two P-180 Avanti II's delivery to the Financial police (see AVIONEWS), referring to the design of a new airplane, currently called P-1XX, expected to cost USD 15 m and to be manufactured in partnership with other sector industries.
The only available information is about the choice of the Canadian Pratt&Whitney as partner in the propulsion. No information are available about the other partners. In this regard, Galassi has declared that: "We would be very pleased with a Abu Dhabi government's involvement, it would be a great launching customer", certainly referring to Mubadala Development, that already controls the Italian industry's 35%, and that figures as an investment fund of the above mentioned Emirate.
However, the project will be operative only after the announced move of the plant, from Finale Ligure to Villanova d'Albenga (see AVIONEWS). "I believe that the final match will be between March and April" has optimistically commented Claudio Burlando, Liguria Region's President. (Avionews)
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Direttore Clara Moschini