New Zealand Airline Academy Limited (NZAAL) has placed an order for 10 airplanes from Tecnam, the Italian manufacturer announced this week at the Dubai Airshow. The order includes eight single-engine P2008 JC models equipped for nighttime VFR flying, one single-engine P-Mentor IFR trainer with RNAV and a ballistic parachute, and one P2006T light twin.
According to Tecnam, the first aircraft to be delivered will be the P2006T, which is making the flight directly from the company’s manufacturing facility in Capua, Italy, to NZAAL’s facility in Oamaru, New Zealand, this month. Deliveries of the other nine aircraft will begin in the second quarter of 2024.
NZAAL has been training pilots on Tecnam airplanes since the organization was founded in 2018, when it had just one P2008. Following the delivery of the 10 new airplanes, the company’s fleet will include 26 aircraft in all, 24 of which were manufactured by Tecnam.
Walter Da Costa, Tecnam’s chief sales officer, said NZAAL has “developed an almost perfect business model for a flight school that is a paradigm for the region and the world,” adding that the academy based that business model on the Tecnam fleet.
Tecnam CEO Jonathan Manuel said the company’s selection criteria for flight trainers include “unparalleled safety features, the ability to endure the rigorous demands of flight training, seamless transition from training aircraft to modern day jets through state-of-the art technology, a commitment to environmental sustainability, local dealer support and cost-effectiveness.”