Within the first few weeks of 2008, Letters of Intent have soared – including a commitment for three from the first, undisclosed customers from India. This takes the total pledged to US$2 billion, based on the SBJ's US$80 million price tag. The sales status was confirmed by ExecuJet Group Managing Director Gerrit Basson, who is visiting the Singapore Airshow this week.
»We are delighted to have secured our first sales in India,« he said, »coming so close after announcing the first SBJ customer in Pakistan,« said Gerrit Basson. Pakistan's The Akbar Group signed for one aircraft for charter operator Princely Jets during the Dubai Air Shown November 2007, when Aerion announced it was opening the orderbook for the first time. »Asia, and India in particular, represent exciting growth markets for business aviation and it's fair to say the Aerion SBJ has captured a lot of interest,« he added. ExecuJet will present the Aerion SBJ program in Mumbai next month. It follows similar successful events in both London and Moscow.
Aerion Corp., elected to begin taking orders in November because of strong customer interest and advancing discussions with potential OEM partners. The company is still on track to recruit and contract with an OEM manufacturing partner by early 2009 which would lead to certification and service entry by 2014.
On behalf of Aerion, ExecuJet is now offering 40 early delivery positions to customers for a per-aircraft launch price of US$80 million in 2007 dollars. The positions will be secured by initial deposits of $250,000.
The Aerion supersonic business jet was formally unveiled in October 2004. Since then, wind tunnel and other tests have taken the aircraft to an advanced stage of design.
The Aerion jet is designed to cruise at speeds up to 1.15 Mach overland without producing a boom on the ground, and at speeds up to 1.6 Mach in other areas. Over the continental U.S., where regulations require speeds below Mach 1, the aircraft can cruise efficiently just below the speed of sound, offering economies comparable to today's large business jets. The aircraft seats eight to 12 passengers in stand-up comfort and has a range in excess of 4,000 nautical miles.
* *
Aerion Corporation of Reno, Nevada is an advanced engineering group formed in 2002 to reintroduce commercial supersonic flight. Aerion continues research begun more than 15 years ago, with the current focus on the design of a practical and efficient supersonic business jet employing patented natural laminar flow technology.
Aerion's board includes: Robert M. Bass, chairman of Aerion and president of investment group Keystone, Inc; Brian E. Barents, vice chairman of Aerion and former president and CEO of Galaxy Aerospace and Learjet; Dr. Richard R. Tracy, who has pioneered the supersonic natural laminar wing concept and serves as Aerion's chief technology officer; Michael L. Henderson, COO of Aerion and Boeing's former program manager for high-speed civil transport; and Robert L. Morse Jr., a partner of Oak Hill Capital Management, Inc.
Headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, the ExecuJet Aviation Group has facilities and operations across four principal territories; Europe, Middle East, Africa and Australasia, providing tailored business aviation transportation solutions. ExecuJet is a Bombardier Business Aircraft sales representative in 33 countries and represents Grob Aerospace spn business jet aircraft sales globally outside North America. Other services offered include aircraft management, completions management, aircraft charter, aircraft maintenance and FBO facilities. ExecuJet currently manages a fleet of over 110 aircraft, half of which are available for charter from key Middle Eastern, European, African and Australasian bases. ExecuJet's modern fleet is strategically operated under the umbrella of six regional civil aviation issued air operating certificates.
For more information, contact: For Aerion: Jeff Miller Blake-Miller Communications office: (0)1-214-468-0980 cell: (0)1-817-291-2234 jeff.miller@blake-miller.com James Stewart Aerion Chief Financial Officer (01) 514-826-9481 Brian Barents Aerion Vice Chairman (01) 760-333-1759
For ExecuJet For further information contact: Juliane von Heimendahl ExecuJet Aviation Group Tel: +41 44 876 56 89 juliane.von.heimendahl@execujet.eu Media contacts in Singapore: LeadingEdge Communications.aero Alison Chambers: +44 (0) 7721 882939 alison@emeraldmedia.co.uk Tony Harrington + 61 (0) 404 882 742 Abelene Kang: + 65 6235 3400