On the Record with
CHUCK PIEPER, PRESIDENT AND CEO, FAIRCHILD AEROSPACE

Fairchild Will Send Envoys Everywhere

Chuck Pieper of Fairchild Industries

"The status of the Envoy program is very active, and we have campaigns for aircraft in these categories with operators around the world," reports Fairchild Aerospace president and CEO Chuck Pieper. "We have 28 orders for the Envoy 7 and, while we have no firm orders for the Envoy 3, we have a tremendous interest from possible customers that we believe could bear fruit. Our primary marketplaces to date are the U.S., Europe and the Middle East. However, we do have a few activities in Canada as well."

The interest in the Envoy series comes from a variety of markets-companies around the world, individuals, fractional owners, charter operators, and even some governments, Pieper noted.

"The Envoy series is based on successful airline airframes," he continued. "One is in production-the Envoy 3/328JET; the other is the foundation of the company's future-the Envoy 7/728JET. The commitment to the programs is strong, because it stems from our core business.

"When customers consider our product, we believe the Envoy difference is in cabin size. When compared with aircraft with similar price tags, the customer finds quite a bit more room in the Envoy. Another primary difference in the Envoy series is the fact it is built on an airline airframe. We produce all the aircraft with goals set by the airline industry, so the corporate user gets unprecedented reliability at corporate aircraft prices. The airlines demand nearly 100% reliability and their use-rates are well over (those of) the typical corporate user. At the same time, we realize that maintenance programs designed for the airline don't translate well to the corporate user, so we tailor maintenance programs to each user."

Fairchild airliner platforms allow the company to offer extra-roomy business aircraft, too.

Piper notes that the corporate market is an extremely competitive market, with many companies vying for business. "We think the decision comes down to overall value and usefulness of the product," he says. "The aircraft has to be productive for the corporate executive, and it has to make sense from economic standpoint as well."

Referring to Fairchild Aerospace's recent decision not to proceed with the 428JET, Pieper says, "If anything, it has been seen as a move to help free resources within the company to focus on programs and product support. As for the Envoy 7, we have Lufthansa backing our 728JET, and continued support from our existing Envoy 7 customers. The Envoy series continues to sustain a high level of interest. In addition to Lufthansa support on the airliner, we have Lufthansa as a team member on the Envoy in Europe, and we have Garrett Aviation Services on our team in the U.S., providing interiors, and support for the customer.

"The business customer may not represent as large a segment as the airline customer in the Fairchild Aerospace line-up, but we find the product to be a perfect fit in this market and we intend to keep our hand in the game."