CEO Pelton Says EU Will Be Cessna's Largest Non-U.S. Market For "Some Time"

Speaking at the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (EBACE) in Geneva, Switzerland, Jack J. Pelton, chairman, president and CEO of Cessna, said the business jet industry is showing signs of returning to life in Europe. “Levels of interest in our aircraft are definitely beginning to pick up and, while the recovery may be slow, there are reasons for optimism," he said.

“Europe is arguably the most diverse region in the world for business aviation," Pelton continued. "There are established major markets like Germany and the UK, and I’m also optimistic about emerging markets. Before the economic downturn, for example, Eastern Europe was a very strong region for us and we are beginning to see signs – including Citation sales – of that business coming back."

Pelton said Europe will undoubtedly remain a growth area for Cessna, driven by the significant advantages that stem from business aviation. "We expect the European Union to remain our single largest market outside the U.S. for some time," he continued.

Citation CJ4

“In the current economic situation, European customers are balancing the desire for the time-saving advantages of business aviation with a pragmatic assessment of cost," Pelton concluded. "The Citation Mustang, Citation XLS+, CJ2+ and CJ3, in particular, do well here. And we’re very optimistic about the Citation CJ4 entering the market and offering current Citation owners and operators an opportunity to upgrade.”

The CJ4, on show in Europe for the first time at EBACE, is approved for single-pilot operations and shares a common pilot type rating with the other CJ aircraft, so a pilot rated to fly any one of the CJs is rated to fly them all. EASA certification for the CJ4 is slated for the end of this year.

FMI: www.cessna.com