Cirrus Aircraft reports strongest deliveries in a decade

Cirrus Aircraft officials announced new customer aircraft deliveries for the company’s SR Series showed steady growth and reached 380 aircraft in 2018, an increase of 7% over 2017. The company also announced acceleration of production and delivery of the Vision Jet single-engine jet with 63 aircraft delivered, resulting in nearly 100 Vision Jets currently in service around the world.

“Our annual performance at Cirrus Aircraft demonstrates our long-term commitment to continued core growth, our disciplined approach to maturing our turbine product line, the expansion of Cirrus Services, and another year that validates our customer-focused enterprise strategy,” said Todd Simmons, president, Customer Experience at Cirrus Aircraft.

These annual results mark the fifth consecutive year that Cirrus Aircraft has delivered more than 300 SR Series aircraft. Additionally, the current trajectory of Vision Jet deliveries is setting the pace to make the Collier Award-winning, single-engine Personal Jet one of the best-selling turbine aircraft less than $6 million. Enterprise growth also propelled continued facilities expansion and employee growth across all Cirrus locations including Duluth, Minnesota; Grand Forks, North Dakota; and Knoxville, Tennessee.

Simmons continued, “With this exceptional performance by the Cirrus Aircraft team, we are well positioned for continued success in both existing and emerging global aviation markets. On behalf of all Cirrus owners and operators around the world, these 2018 results again highlight our commitment to reimagining the future of personal aviation.”

Last year, the company celebrated the milestone delivery of its 7,000th SR Series aircraft, and this year, the company will celebrate 20 years of the SR Series entering the high-performance single-engine piston market.

The year also marked a new milestone in the journey of the Vision Jet, with the historic win of the Robert J. Collier Trophy from the National Aeronautic Association.

In January, the company announced the launch of the G2 next-generation Vision Jet with enhanced performance, comfort, and safety.

As production of the Vision Jet continues to accelerate, the company will also see the expansion into significant new markets in 2019, with deliveries to customers in Brazil, South Africa, and Australia.

The launch of Cirrus Services in 2018 signified another milestone in Cirrus Aircraft’s ongoing plans to redefine the personal aviation ownership experience by providing world-class customer service for life. Cirrus Services recognizes the customer’s needs before, during and after initial aircraft delivery by combining Flight Training, Service and Support into a single, dedicated business unit. The newly formed group is focused on growing capabilities and offerings at the company’s expanding Vision Center Campus in Knoxville, Tennessee, as well as through a network of authorized service and training partners across the globe.

Cirrus Aircraft facilities and employment expanded again in 2018 at all three company locations, with growth at the company’s Vision Center Campus in Knoxville, Tennessee continuing ahead of schedule. As the company’s global customer experience Vision Center Campus now includes a state-of-the-art Flight Training center which features world-class FAA-approved Part 142-type rating training for the Vision Jet and a custom Level D full-motion simulator. The new building opened in July 2018 and Cirrus has currently issued nearly 200 Vision Jet type ratings.

The company also broke ground on a new Factory Service Center at its Vision Center Campus in 2018, adding an additional 17,500ft². The new Factory Service Center is scheduled to be operational in Q1 2019.

Also highlighting continued growth over the last year was the addition of technical, manufacturing and service positions across all locations, as well as the expansion of the facility in Grand Forks, North Dakota by nearly 30,000ft².

For the sixth consecutive year, Cirrus Aircraft will have an international presence in the Red Bull Air Race World Championships as a sponsor of Team 99 and U.S. Master Class Pilot, Mike Goulian. In 2018, Goulian set a record pace with an epic year of podium finishes, including 1st place in Abu Dhabi and Indianapolis and a 3rd place overall finish in 2018 world championship series. Goulian, a Cirrus Aircraft Ambassador, owner, and pilot, joined Red Bull Air Race in 2006, claiming his first victory in Budapest in 2009. The Red Bull Air Race World Championship has become globally renowned as the fastest and most exhilarating motorsport on the planet, and Goulian and Team 99 are poised for another winning season following their podium finish at the 2019 season opener in Abu Dhabi.