Vijay Mallya welcomes Epic Aircraft

New Delhi, Sep 27: Mr Rick Schrameck, president and CEO of high performance airplane manufacturer Epic Aircraft, has announced a new partnership with Kingfisher Airlines' chairman Vijay Mallya.

The deal provides Epic an ability to accelerate the process of bringing the company's growing line of aircraft to the certified market, as well as strengthening the company's relationships with customers and vendors worldwide.

''Epic was really looking for a strategic partner, not just an investor,'' said Mr Schrameck. ''Dr Mallya now has a significant interest in our company, and we will immediately benefit from his relationships with a variety of companies, including Airbus and Pratt&Whitney.'' Dr Mallya owns and operates India's private carrier Kingfisher Airlines. ''I am very excited about the phenomenal opportunities that Epic has in the industry today and this strategic investment will pave the way for the company to embark on an unprecedented growth trajectory,'' he said.

Mr Schrameck said Dr Mallya has already brought Airbus into the role of consultants for Epic's certification programmes. Epic is in advanced stages of flight testing for the Dynasty, its 1200hp single-engine turboprop.

The company recently unveiled two new very light jets, the twin-engine Elite and the single-engine Victory. The jets will begin their certification process immediately following certification of the Dynasty.

Epic has recently experienced an unprecedented surge in sales, booking more than 23 million dollars worth of orders at the Sun 'n Fun fly-in April, then selling another 40 million dollars worth of aircraft only three months later at AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

UNI