Ibis Aerospace's new propjet, the Ae270, successfully flew for the first time on July 25, 2000. The first flight, which took place over Prague in the Czech Republic, was originally due in April and then, as EBAN previously reported, set for late May.

Regarding the latest postponement, EBAN spoke to Jeff Conrad, marketing director at Ibis. He explained: "The flight was delayed because of a few minor technical issues related to power plant installation detected during engine runs."

During the 20-minute initial flight, the two man crew climbed the aircraft to an altitude of 4,000 feet and established a speed of 110 knots as approved. A series of tests was then performed on the aeroplane's engine, controls, and systems.

When asked about the response Ibis had received for its new propjet from Europeans, Conrad said: "We have had meaningful discussions with numerous potential owner operators as well as distributors. We may not make distributor announcements prior to NBAA, but will probably be announcing appointments of numerous distributors before the end of the year."

With its large, pressurised cabin, the Ae270 is designed to perform multiple missions with speed, economy and safety. The aircraft can carry up to ten people (two crew and eight passengers) over stage lengths of up to 1,250 nautical miles with IFR reserves.