Jordan has amended a production order with Pilatus for a new fleet of turboprop trainers, switching its commitment from the PC-9M to the more capable PC-21.

In August 2015, Pilatus received a contract to deliver nine PC-9Ms to the Royal Jordanian Air Force, but recently signed an updated agreement to instead provide the service with eight PC-21s, chief executive Oscar Schwenk told the Swiss newspaper Neue Luzerner Zeitung. Deliveries were due to start in January 2017 under the original deal.

Jordan’s changed commitment sees it join a growing list of nations acquiring the PC-21. The type is operated by the air forces of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates, and is also on order for Australia.

PC-21 - Pilatus

Pilatus

Flightglobal’s Fleets Analyzer database records the current global operational PC-21 fleet as totalling 126 aircraft, with a further 62 units on order.

Source: FlightGlobal.com