25 January 2010
Following months of speculation, Piper has officially announced an exclusive distribution agreement with Czech Sport Aircraft. There will be three different PiperSports. The base model will sell for $119,000, the LT (aimed at the training market) for $129,900 and the LTD deluxe version for $139,900.
Many industry observers had expected Piper to announce an investment in Czech Sport Aircraft, but Piper’s CEO, Kevin Gould, explained that this would not be the case, and that instead it was a worldwide distribution and licensing arrangement.
“With the PiperSport,” Gould said, “Piper is entering what is undeniably one of the most exciting market segments in General Aviation. This burgeoning segment is becoming vital to our industry and playing an ever-increasing role in developing General Aviation’s next generation of pilots. The PiperSport is an amazing entry-level aircraft that will bring new customers into Piper and lead the way for those customers to step up into more sophisticated and higher performance aircraft within our line over time. Moreover, as the only aircraft manufacturer to have models in every market segment, Piper continues to expand its business model to ensure that we are in tune with the times and that we meet the needs of our customers at every level.”
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