Cirrus Aircraft Deliveries in 2013 Drive Strongest Performance in Five Years

DULUTH, Minn., Feb. 19, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Cirrus Aircraft today announced that in 2013 it delivered 276 new aircraft, nearly a 10 percent increase over 2012, marking its best aircraft shipment performance since 2008. With these results, Cirrus Aircraft's annual market share has grown to an all-time high of 37 percent and the SR22/22T model remains the best-selling four- or five-seat airplane for the 11th year in a row.

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"The key driver to this past year's outstanding performance was Cirrus owners' and pilots' strong response to Generation 5 - which was introduced in early 2013 with the new capability to carry 200 lbs more than any previous Cirrus airplane," said Todd Simmons, Executive Vice President Sales, Marketing and Customer Support at Cirrus Aircraft.

Simmons continued, "But what makes 2013 results more important than any other year in our history is the real expansion of the Cirrus customer base in the last 12 months. The most significant examples include current Cirrus owners upgrading to new 'G5' airplanes, first-time Cirrus owners moving up to the performance and capability of G5 from other airplane brands, corporate aircraft operators adding a Cirrus to a previously all turbine fleet, and both domestic and international training partners upgrading to new Cirrus aircraft. This broader and more diversified customer portfolio continues to drive the enterprise in 2014." 

Performance in New Markets

A highlight for Cirrus Aircraft in 2013 was final delivery in Saudi Arabia of more than 20 new Cirrus aircraft to the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) for its pilot training needs. "Cirrus is proud to have been selected by the RSAF," stated Jon Dauplaise, Vice President of Fleet and Special Mission Aircraft at Cirrus. "This new fleet of Cirrus aircraft by partners in the Middle East is the most recent example of impressive global institutions choosing to train its new pilots with technically advanced aircraft." The Royal Saudi Air Force is the third national Air Force that has recently selected Cirrus Aircraft for its training needs, following the United States and France.

Recognition for Safety

Pilot and passenger safety is the cornerstone of aircraft design at Cirrus. Every Cirrus aircraft ever built comes standard with CAPS™, the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System, and now many other 'Cirrus first' safety features such as the 'blue' level button, airbag seatbelts, enhanced stability and protection and information rich avionics. Recognizing the importance of Cirrus Aircraft's innovative efforts in the area of safety, the Cirrus Aircraft Safety Design Team was recognized with the prestigious Joseph T. Nall Safety Award in late 2013 for pioneering many of these important safety innovations and improvements. While receiving the award on behalf of the design team at Cirrus, Co-Founder and CEO Dale Klapmeier noted, "We have the deepest regard for the aviation leaders who have received this award in past years, and Cirrus Aircraft is honored to join them. However, our work is far from done as we continue to challenge ourselves to make flying safer for new and seasoned pilots alike."

2014 Generation 5 Aircraft

2014 models of Generation 5 Cirrus aircraft are improved with striking new features that will be noticed immediately on the ramp. With Cirrus Integrated LED Technology™, luxury automobile LED lighting is integrated for the first time into a high performance, single-engine airplane, increasing functional capability while enhancing aesthetic appeal. Combined with a new palette of exterior paint colors and the redesigned Carbon and Platinum aircraft paint schemes, 2014 Cirrus Aircraft are again set apart for new owners.

Less visible and equally important are other new upgrades for 2014. Single caliper Beringer Performance brakes reduce weight while enhancing braking performance and safety. This new brake system provides the same stopping power but with less mass, achieved with a smaller rotor that performs at cooler overall operating temperatures. The new Beringer brake system also features tubeless tires, providing higher reliability when compared to traditional tube tires while reducing the risk of leaks and failures.

Momentum into 2014

"Our trajectory turned upward in 2013 at Cirrus," concluded Simmons. "That momentum can be felt in our employees, our owners, and our partners and it is accelerating our work on new Cirrus aircraft like the SF50 Vision Jet. We plan to take key learning from last year's success and continue those strong results as part of the official Cirrus Aircraft story over the next several years."

ABOUT CIRRUS AIRCRAFT

Cirrus Aircraft is a recognized leader in general aviation. Its all-composite line of personal aircraft - the SR20, SR22 and the turbocharged SR22T - incorporate innovative and advanced performance, electronic and safety technologies, including Cirrus Perspective™ by Garmin® avionics and the unique Cirrus Airframe Parachute System™ (CAPS). To date, total time on the worldwide Cirrus Aircraft SR-series fleet surpassed five million flight hours with 86 lives saved as a direct result of CAPS being a standard safety feature on all Cirrus aircraft. The Cirrus Vision SF50 jet, with over 550 production positions reserved, will provide a new personal and regional business transportation solution: the personal jet. All Cirrus aircraft are made in the U.S. with a direct sales force in North America and authorized sales centers covering export markets in 60 countries around the world. Cirrus Aircraft is wholly owned by China Aviation Industry General Aircraft Co., Ltd (CAIGA). For additional information on Cirrus and its products please visit cirrusaircraft.com.

SOURCE Cirrus Aircraft