Cessna to Use Bell's European Parts Center to Enhance AOG Support

May 12, 2009
Agreement with sister company allows use of Bell's European parts distribution facility at Amsterdam Airport Schipol.

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND -- Cessna Aircraft Company announces it has reached agreement with sister company Bell Helicopter to use Bell's European parts distribution facility at Amsterdam Airport Schipol (AMS/EHAM) to further enhance parts distribution to Citation operators in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Both Cessna and Bell are Textron Inc. companies.

"This announcement is a continuation of the process begun more than a year ago to increase Citation parts availability in Europe, and will greatly decrease our response time for AOG situations," says Mark Paolucci, Cessna senior vice president, Customer Service. "We looked at a number of other options but chose Bell’s Amsterdam distribution group for their experience in aerospace, their leadership in customer service, and the synergies afforded by working with another Textron company."

Paolucci says operators will continue to work directly with Cessna's full customer support network of authorized service centers, the company's own Paris Citation Service Center, or Citation Parts Distribution.

"This new process is completely transparent to the customer, other than seeing their aircraft operational again much quicker as this new process moves the part one day closer," says Paolucci.