Story ID: 
Grob Might Complete SPn Jet at Altenrhein
By: Thomas Stocker
Caption: The Swiss Altenrhein Airport, located about 50 miles east of Zurich, recently said a major business aircraft manufacturer will build a new completion and d
Word Count: 164
The Swiss Altenrhein Airport, located about 50 miles east of Zurich, recently said a major business aircraft manufacturer will build a new completion and delivery center with a pilot training facility on airport land. The European press mentioned last fall that Grob Aerospace considered opening a delivery center at Altenrhein for its new SPn jet there, but none of the parties concerned–including sales representative ExecuJet–would confirm that the company is Grob. However, industry observers firmly believe that Grob will indeed set up shop at Altenrhein. Grob headquarters for the SPn program are in Zurich, while development and manufacturing remain at the company’s original location at Tussenhausen-Mattsies, west of Munich, Germany. Grob has a factory airfield there, but there are no customs or landing aids. The single runway is only 3,080 feet long and weight is limited to 12,560 pounds. On the other hand, Altenrhein, roughly midway between Tussenhausen and Zurich, is an airport seeking to grow, with plenty of building land and capacity available.