Elite Aviation Partners With Piaggio Aero to Expand North American Sales Centers

VAN NUYS, Calif., Oct. 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Elite Aviation, the premier global private jet company with an extensive and diverse fleet that serves high net worth individuals with flights worldwide and Piaggio Aero, makers of the renowned Piaggio Aero P180 Avanti II turboprop aircraft, announced today a partnership to expand aircraft sales in North America.  Elite Aviation will be the West Coast sales center for Piaggio, serving California, Oregon, Washington and Nevada, and spearhead sales of Piaggio Aero's P180 turboprop aircraft out of their office in Van Nuys, California.  The move into sales is a logical extension for Elite Aviation, known for providing the highest levels of personal service to their clients in the air and on the ground.

"This relationship cements Elite Aviation's status as a full-service charter jet company assisting our clients in the acquisition, management and maintenance of aircraft," said Chris Holifield, president and CEO, Elite Aviation. "We're honored to be working with Piaggio Aero in multiple states, and through this partnership we'll be able to provide clients with additional guidance enabling them to make smart purchasing decisions."

Elite Aviation is the female-owned premier global private jet company specializing in full-service aircraft management from turnkey acquisitions to maintenance to crew selection and aircraft sub-leasing. The company provides 24-hour access to staff, industry-leading concierge services and catering.

"We're focusing efforts to expand our presence in North America and this new partnership will help us achieve this goal," said John M. Bingham, President and CEO of Piaggio America. "Elite Aviation has the experience and capabilities needed to connect with buyers, coordinate negotiations and influence purchasing decisions."

For more information on Elite Aviation visit www.eliteaviation.com.  For further information on Piaggio Aero visit www.piaggioaero.com.

About Elite Aviation

Elite Aviation, LLC is a female-owned global premier private jet company with a diverse fleet that can handle short hops and long-range flights worldwide.  The company specializes in full-service aircraft management from turnkey acquisitions to maintenance to crew selection and aircraft sub-leasing.  Elite Aviation has achieved the highest level of flight safety with receipt of the prestigious Platinum ARG/US and WYVERN certifications.  The company serves the needs of high-net worth individuals in delivering a complete luxury experience in the air and on the ground through a concierge service approach that fulfills every imaginable need.  For more information, visit www.eliteaviation.com or call (888) 988-JETS.

About Piaggio Aero

Piaggio Aero Industries S.p.A. is active in Aircraft design, manufacturing, maintenance and overhaul. The company also manufactures Aero-Engines parts and maintains, repairs and overhauls engines under license. Piaggio Aero has facilities in Genoa, Finale Ligure and Naples, Italy and a subsidiary covering North, Central and South America, in West Palm Beach, FL, U.S.A. (Piaggio America, Inc.). Piaggio Aero's core product, the P180 Avanti II, is the fastest and most advanced executive/multi-utility turboprop in the world. The Avanti II offers the speed of a light/mid-size jet aircraft, the comfort of a large, whisper quiet full stand-up cabin, with fuel efficiencies that are nearly 40% higher than most business jets. The P180 Avanti II features fully digital, automatic flight control and utilizes the latest generation "Pro Line 21" avionics system that it is also single pilot certified. The maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of 12,100 lbs. gives the P180 Avanti II greater payload range, and the introduction of the updated engines (P&WC PT6A-66B) provides both higher performance and faster cruise speed. The Piaggio Aero aircraft is able to operate out of smaller peripheral airports with landing and take-off distances that are simply unachievable in a comparably sized jet. The P180 is able to fly at a maximum cruise speed of 402 kts, 745 km/h (MMO 0.70), and has an endurance of just under 1,500 nautical miles and a maximum altitude of 41,000 feet. Piaggio Aero shareholders structure is composed by : Tata Limited, the British Company part of the Indian Tata Groupp, Mubadala Development Company, the development and investment company driving the economic diversification of Abu Dhabi the Italian Ferrari and Di Mase families.

Contacts: Wendy Zaas/Jim Hughes
Rogers & Cowan
310-854-8148/310-854-8275
wzaas@rogersandcowan.com
jhughes@rogersandcowan.com

SOURCE Elite Aviation; Piaggio Aero