Piaggio Flies First Avanti EVO Produced at New Plant

An Avanti EVO—registered as I-PDVS—this month became the first airplane to come off the production line at Piaggio Aerospace’s new Villanova d’Albenga, Italy plant, the company announced today. The twin turboprop made its maiden flight from the facility's adjacent runway at Clemente Panero International Airport on Thursday, less than one year after aircraft production was moved from Genoa. The EVO is due to be delivered next month to an unidentified customer.

“This event was very energizing for the whole Piaggio Aerospace team and it retains a highly symbolic value—with our new production center of Villanova, we are now able to compete as a main actor in the production of both commercial and defense systems,” said Piaggio Aerospace CEO Renato Vaghi.

Meanwhile, a new prototype of Piaggio’s P.1HH HammerHead, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) based on the Avanti platform, will roll off of the Villanova d’Albenga production line in the coming weeks and then will be transferred to its operational base.