Turkish Airlines Flight Training Academy has ordered two Citation Mustang business jets, manufacturer Cessna (stand 7091) said at EBACE this morning.
The new aircraft, which are to be delivered later this month, will be based at Istanbul Ataturk airport and used for flight training purposes. The Academy selected the Mustang following its successful experience of operating Cessna 172s as training aircraft.
Mustangs are already being used in Egypt as a training aircraft by Egypt Aviation Academy, which operates two aircraft from October 6th airfield just outside Cairo.
In 2009, Turkish Airlines was the fourth largest airline in Europe in terms of passengers carried. A Star Alliance member, the airline operates a fleet of 134 aircraft flying to 157 destinations around the world. Turkish Airlines was recently named Skytrax's best southern European airline.
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"Turkish Airlines' successful growth reflects our commitment to world-class standards in all activities, including flight training. The Citation Mustangs will bring a new dimension to the work of our training academy, giving our pilots invaluable jet experience and the best possible learning environment," says Menderes Cakici, Turkish Airlines' director of flight training.
"We are delighted with this order from Turkish Airlines Flight Training Academy, which follows similar Mustang orders from other airlines. This confirms the Mustang's great flexibility and docile handling characteristics, which make it as suitable for pilot training as for charter operations," says Trevor Esling, Cessna vice-president, international sales.
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Source: Flight Daily News
