Piaggio Aerospace has been contracted by the Italian Ministry of Defence (MoD) to provide maintenance support for P-180s employed across the nation’s armed forces.
As part of the deal – worth approximately €125m – the company will deliver integrated logistics support for P-180s operated by the Aeronautica Militare (Italian Air Force), Arma dei Carabinieri (Italian Carabinieri), Aviazione dell’Esercito (Italian Army Aviation) and the Marina Militare (Italian Navy).
Piaggio will provide scheduled/unscheduled maintenance and will supply engineering services to help ensure the continuous airworthiness of the fleet. The contract will run through to 2029.
![P-180AM [Khalem Chapman] #1](/sites/keyaero/files/inline-images/Piaggio%20P.180AM%20Avanti%20%5BKhalem%20Chapman%5D%20%231.JPG)
In Italian service, the P-180s are mainly used for VIP transport, air ambulance, flight inspection and training missions.
Vincenzo Nicastro, extraordinary commissioner of Piaggio Aerospace, said: “The contract signed today [May 20] allows for us to further strengthen [the company’s] distinctive positioning in the maintenance of both aircraft and aircraft engines, a sector that sees the company competing with the main international operators.
“This is a new important step forward in the project to create a single national hub for the maintenance of the aircraft of the Italian Armed Forces and a further step in the process of relaunching the company, which will shortly see the closure of the first phase of the international tender”, Nicastro added.
Piaggio Aerospace is currently on the market, with potential buyers having until May 29 to submit expressions of interests to acquire the Italian aircraft manufacturer. The recent contract increases the company’s firm order backlog to €640m.
