VERO BEACH, Fla. - Piper Aircraft has received an order for 50 Archers from their dealer in China, China Air Shuttle.
China Air Shuttle, based in Beijing with branches in different provinces of China, will begin to take delivery in Q2 of 2017 with 30 aircraft scheduled to be delivered in the first year and the remaining 20 to follow in Q1 and Q2 of 2018. China Air Shuttle also intends to order and stock more trainers to meet the fast-growing flight training market in China.
The fleet of aircraft will be manufactured and certificated at Piper Aircraft’s factory in Vero Beach, Florida, and then shipped to China where they will be assembled/reassembled by China Air Shuttle’s affiliate company in Rizhao, Shandong Province, China. The facilities in Rizhao will be developed to a localized delivery center for prompt service including assembly/reassembly, training, maintenance and product support for Chinese customers
As the approved Piper Dealer for Archer airplanes in China, China Air Shuttle will then distribute those aircraft to some of the major flight schools and general aviation companies of the region. Ruixiang Flight Academy has been announced as the launch customer by Li Chen, Chairman of China Air Shuttle. Ruixiang Flight Academy purchased two Piper Seminoles in Q2 of 2016, and currently operates the popular multi-engine trainer in its ab initio flight training program.
The high demand for pilots, along with the Civil Aviation Authority of China’s move to accommodate General Aviation as well as the infrastructure improvements seen in China, are leading to the establishment of a multitude of new flight schools and General Aviation companies.