Eclipse Aviation receives certification to operate its VLJs in India, Australia

16 May, 2008: Eclipse Aviation Corporation, manufacturer of the Eclipse 500 and Eclipse ECJ very light jets (VLJs), has received certification to operate its Eclipse 500 aircraft in India and Australia.

India and Australia has thus become the first two foreign countries outside of the United States to certify the Eclipse 500 very light jet after the civil aviation regulatory agencies of India and Australia granted certifications.

The Director-General of Civil Aviation in India granted the Eclipse 500 certification on April 7, 2008, and the Civil Aviation Safety Agency in Australia approved the jet on April 22, 2008, Eclipse Aviation said in a news release.

The certifications allow customers of Eclipse Aviation Corporation, based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the United States, to register and operate their Eclipse 500 jets in these two countries.

Vern Raburn, president and CEO of Eclipse Aviation Corporation, said in the news release: “These accomplishments mark the first of many worldwide Eclipse 500 certifications. The company has seen tremendous interest for the Eclipse 500 outside the United States. These certifications in India and Australia position us to meet the strong demand for this innovative aircraft in these countries.”

With the certification in India and Australia, Eclipse Aviation gets the approval to export aircraft and receive certificates of airworthiness.

Eclipse Aviation, which employs about 1,600 employees in Albuquerque, said in the news release that it plans to hire 700 additional employees in 2008.

Media reports quoted a company spokesman as saying that Eclipse Aviation expects to receive the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certification in the summer of 2008. Certification by the EASA is necessary for the aircraft to be registered in the European Union, and for European air-taxi companies to operate the plane on revenue flights

According to a statement from the company, Eclipse Aviation Corporation is the world’s leading manufacturer of very light jet (VLJ), making “innovative, affordable jets that are revolutionising air transportation.”

The company created the very light jet category with the design, certification and delivery of the Eclipse 500 – the aviation industry’s first VLJ.

“Eclipse Aviation,” the company statement adds, “applies advanced technologies, manufacturing processes and business practices to create high-performance aircraft that cost a fraction of other jets, and provide the lowest cost of jet ownership ever achieved. By changing the value proposition for private jet travel, Eclipse Aviation is allowing more pilots to enter the world of jet-powered aviation and enabling a new generation of entrepreneurs to help business travellers move between cities on a quick, affordable and convenient basis.