French medevac and cargo operator Oyonnair ordered a Piaggio P.180 Avanti Evo in medevac configuration this week at the Farnborough International Airshow, with the purchase arranged through its Investairs financial arm. The Evo will be outfitted with an enlarged 29-inch wide door and an additional fuel tank for improved performance and mission flexibility, with delivery expected in the second quarter of next year.
Oyonnair CEO Daniel Vovk called the new Avanti Evo “the perfect-fit aircraft for medevac operations. With this new configuration, we can offer our clients even better performance. For this reason, and according to our growth strategy, we are now aiming at ordering three more aircraft by the end of this year.” The Lyon-based firm began operating its first Piaggio P.180 in 2015, and the new purchase will bring its P.180 fleet count to eight aircraft.
“Now that we are definitely close to identifying a new owner [for Piaggio Aerospace],” said Vincenzo Nicastro, Piaggio Aerospace’s extraordinary commissioner. “Such an announcement confirms that the company is healthy and ‘on the market,’ ready to further unleash its potential.” Italy’s Piaggio Aerospace went into extraordinary administration in 2019 and is in the process of identifying a qualified buyer for the company.