News
Cessna to use Bell’s European Parts Centre

May 25, 2009 – Geneva, Switzerland, – Cessna Aircraft
Company has announced at the annual European Business Aviation
Convention and Exhibit (EBACE) it has reached agreement with sister
company Bell Helicopter to use Bell’s European parts distribution
facility at Amsterdam Airport Schipol (AMS/EHAM) to further enhance
parts distribution to Citation operators in Europe, the Middle East and
Africa. Both Cessna and Bell are Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) companies.

“This announcement is a continuation of the process begun more than a
year ago to increase Citation parts availability in Europe, and will
greatly decrease our response time for AOG situations,” said Mark
Paolucci, Cessna senior vice president, Customer Service. “We looked at
a number of other options but chose Bell’s Amsterdam distribution group
for their experience in aerospace, their leadership in customer
service, and the synergies afforded by working with another Textron
company.”

AOG, or Aircraft on Ground, means the aircraft needs a part to operate
and is the most serious of any aircraft service requirement.

Paolucci said operators will continue to work directly with Cessna’s
full customer support network of authorized service centers, the
company’s own Paris Citation Service Center or Citation Parts
Distribution.

“This new process is completely transparent to the customer, other than
seeing their aircraft operational again much quicker as this new
process moves the part one day closer,” Paolucci said.