Sabena Airline Training Center (SATC) has placed an order for six Diamond DA20-C1, four DA40s and three DA42 Twin Stars. The fleet will be used in SATC's flight training program at its new location at Falcon Field Airport in Mesa, Arizona.

"We selected Diamond because it offers us a family of aircraft ­ from 2-seater to twin ­ that have important cost advantages over other training aircraft, while providing our customers (airlines) next generation training with the G1000. We believe that the combination of recently developed aircraft and state-of-the-art instruments will yield the best possible airline pilot training at a competitive price. We expect high fleet use (100-150 hrs per month per aircraft), low maintenance cost (parts ­ labor), low downtime (labor ­ fleet use) and low operating cost (fuel)," said Kris Van den Bergh, Managing Director / Head of Flight Training at SATC, Scottsdale.

"SATC also uses Diamond aircraft at their European location, and we are delighted that they have selected Diamond again for their operation in Arizona," said Chuck Glass, Diamond's Director of Fleet Sales.

"The operation will benefit from the excellent safety, and the low downtime and maintenance costs associated with Diamond airplanes, and students and instructors alike will appreciate the cockpit commonality between the singles and twins." Deliveries to Sabena Airline Training Center will begin in January 2007.

FMI: www.diamondaircraft.com, www.sfa.be