General aviation manufacturer Tecnam is planning to expand its service centre offering in the Middle East to support the region’s installed base of the ­Italian-built aircraft.

Tecnam’s regional distributor, Aviation Home, is stepping up its sales efforts for the 14-strong aircraft line for which it has already seen "considerable interest".

"We have sold 11 aircraft – from the entry-level P92 Echo Classic light sport aircraft to the certificated P2002 – to owner flyers and training schools in Qatar and Saudi Arabia," says Aviation Home manager Rajesh Velu.

Eight of the aircraft have been delivered and the remaining three are being manufactured at Tecnam’s Capua headquarters.

The company hopes to sell the aircraft to six training schools across the UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait. "The Tecnam line is particularly appealing for Middle Eastern customers as they run on avgas and mogas, which is very cheap here," Velu says.

Source: FlightGlobal.com