AeroGuard Flight Training Center placed an order to acquire 90 Piper Archer TX piston single-engine aircraft as it lays the groundwork to dramatically scale up its activities, the companies said on Tuesday during the Dubai Airshow. The flight training provider plans to increase its student pilot population to 2,000—from the current 800—by the end of next year and to double its fleet to more than 200 aircraft.
With two facilities in the Phoenix area—at Deer Valley and Chandler—another in the greater Austin, Texas area, and a fourth outside of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, AeroGuard trains airline students through agreements with companies such as Cathay Pacific, SkyWest, and Korea Aerospace University.
The U.S. facilities combine for a total of 75,000 sq ft, and the Saudi facility encompasses another 10,000 sq ft, along with dedicated training airspace and an airport. “We have a lot of room for growth,” said Joel Davidson, CEO of AeroGuard Flight Training Center. “And we've really invested heavily now as you can see in airplanes, but also in building the relationships with airlines around the world.”
The companies did not provide a value for the Piper order, but based on reported list prices, the deal could carry a value above $36 million. Plans call for deliveries to begin in 2024 and continue over about a five-year timeframe.
Drew McEwen, Piper v-p of international and direct sales, jested the order was comparable to the 90-aircraft 777X order Emirates and Boeing announced on Monday, at least in terms of the number of aircraft, albeit at a much different value. More seriously, he noted that the sale was “a big deal” for Piper. “We really value the partnership we have with AeroGuard,” he added.
Most of the aircraft will be stationed at AeroGuard’s U.S. bases, but Davidson sees potential for increased demand at the Saudi base as the nation continues to build its aviation and tourism infrastructure.
Along with the new Archers, the company will pick up about 25 more used Archer and Cessna Skyhawk trainers to ensure it can expand its student population. AeroGuard also trains in the Piper Seminole twin, but Davidson said that it has an adequate fleet for current demand. He noted that airline customers primarily focus on single-engine training.
“This investment represents our commitment to providing our airline partners’ student pilots with every resource they need to succeed while experiencing the highest quality flight training in the world,” Davidson said. “With these additional aircraft, AeroGuard has the capacity to welcome hundreds of new airline cadets to our pilot training programs.”
As for Piper, the order is the latest in a string of contracts that the Vero Beach, Florida, manufacturer has collected over the past year for its trainers, including from Blue Line Aviation for 55 Archer TXs and Seminoles and options for 60 more. Piper also has received orders for a combined 47 Archer DX diesel-engine trainers from Indian flight schools Synex Aero, Dunes Aviation Academy, and Vman Aero Services.