The Odense airport-based Air Alpha Group reports full order books for the PC12-NG but is increasing its focus on arranging finance because of the economic downturn. Jesper Carvalho Andersen, ceo, reports: "The order books for the PC12-NG are quite full and Pilatus is one of the few aircraft manufacturers that still expects to produce more aeroplanes this year than they did last year." But Andersen says: "Given the current problems on the credit markets, we are also focusing more on financing and helping our customers identify innovative financial solutions."

He points out: "Flying a single engine aeroplane provides extremely attractive operating economies. The orders for the Pilatus keep growing because the acquisition costs at about US$4 million, coupled with low operating and maintenance costs, provide our customers value which is not attainable with other aircraft." The latest version, the Pilatus PC-12 NG, is more than 5 per cent faster than the previous version, he says.

The Russian market, Andersen confirms, is important for the future. "There is, without doubt, a growing need for aviation in Russia and we anticipate that the low acquisition costs and highly attractive operating costs will make the Pilatus a very popular aircraft in the private and corporate segment - as well as in niche markets such as air taxi and air ambulance. By the end of this year, we should have 15 or 16 Pilatus PC-12s flying in Russia, and the number of calls we receive is growing."

Air Alpha has gained Russian certification of the PC-12 NG. Andersen says: "The certification is a commercial breakthrough, since we are the sole distributor in Russia and the Baltic States. As the distributor of Piper aircraft in Russia, the Baltic States and Scandinavia, Air Alpha, he says, has achieved Russian certification of the Piper Seminole, Seneca, Malibu Mirage and Malibu.