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RUAG is embarking on a new sales push for Do228 utility and special missions turboprop in the USA.
Having recently received US Federal Aviation Authority certification for the latest variant of the workhorse turboprop, the Swiss manufacturer has appointed North Carolina-based AMC Aviation as its authorised distributor and service centre in North America.
“In terms of the US market, it is important to have a partner that we can work with, that can be a local presence for us and our channel to market in the United States to our customer segments,” says Martin Büsser, senior vice-president sales and marketing at RUAG.
Chris Stern, general manager of AMC Aviation, says that the company will be targeting both government special missions requirements, and ‘blue-chip’ commuter airline customers in North America.
“We felt that the time is right now to push this aircraft, There is no real competitor in that class in the Do228,” he adds.
Stern says that the government of North Carolina has also been crucial to AMC securing the distributorship of the aircraft.
John Skvarla III, North Carolina’s secretary of commerce, says that, as an “aviation state”, the government is keen to support the relationship with AMC and RUAG.
“We are very, very proud of this relationship and we want to do everything we can to help it grow, and to have them part of North Carolina,” he says. “RUAG has other things that North Carolina can possibly benefit from too. This is the beginning of a very multi-faceted relationship.”
The push into North America comes as RUAG prepares to commence series production of the turboprop at it Oberpfaffenhofen facility near Munich. It is targeting production of 8-12 aircraft per year from early 2017.
“We have been preparing this new production series over the last 12-18 months, and now we are in the position to run a sustainable production,” says Büsser.
Source: Flight Daily News
