Chongqing Liangjiang Aviation Industrial Investment Group Co, received a new order in September - of three Switzerland Pilatus PC-6 airplanes - from General Administration of Sport of China. The total number of ordered planes has reached to 7 so far.
The Pilatus Aircraft Ltd, an aircraft giant in Switzerland, set up its headquarters in China in December – including a production base, maintenance base and assembly and delivery center - in the Aviation Industrial City of the Liangjiang New Area in Chongqing. Chongqing Liangjiang Aviation Investment Group has been working closely with Pilatus Aircraft, and assisted the global company to enter the Chinese market with two aircraft models, PC-6 and PC-12.
Liangliang Aviation Investment Group said that they are now involved in flight training concerning the 4 PC-6 planes that constitute the first order from the administration.
The total investment of the airplane manufacturing program, implemented according to the cooperation agreement between Pilatus and Chongqing, will amount to $ 400 million. The Pilatus PC-6 is a single engine commercial aircraft and the Pilatus PC-12 is a single engine corporate aircraft and, after the completion of the program, the annual production capacity will reach either 100 PC-6s and 50 PC-12s, or 50 PC-6s and 100 PC-12s.
The manufacturing line of the Pilatus PC-6 and PC-12 will be moved to Chongqing in the near future, which means that the Liangjiang New Area will become the main production, assembly and after-sales service center for the Pilatus series of airplanes, meeting the requirements of China and also other countries around the world.
John Edwards, the UK trade commissioner for China, praised Chongqing over its rise as a burgeoning center in intelligent manufacturing.