Pilatus Aircraft is seeking to certificate its PC-12 in China and is looking for a Chinese agent to help drum up sales of the single-engine aircraft.
Pilatus believes there is a market for the PC-12 in China as a corporate aircraft and in certain government roles. But of the more than 500 PC-12s sold over the last decade, none have been delivered to China and attempts to begin the certification process have not been successful. “The reaction so far is not too good from civil aviation authorities,” says PC-12 sales and marketing executive Fred Muggli. “We’re trying to find the best way for certification of the PC-12 and also the market.”
Pilatus has been told it first needs a launch customer before it can certify the aircraft in China and is now looking for a local agent to help secure an order. The Swiss manufacturer promoted the PC-12 for the first time in China last week at the Asian Business Aviation Conference and Exhibition in Shanghai and hopes to demonstrate the aircraft in China in the near future.
There are six Raytheon King Airs and eight Cessna Caravans operating in China, according to the manufacturers. The Caravans are used for commercial passenger services and the King Airs for government missions.
Source: Flight International
