The Italian manufacturer, which now produces the Avanti II twin-pusher, has been working on its P1XX jet project since at least 2006 but has not yet formally launched the programme. John Bingham, the chief executive of Piaggio’s US unit, says a study it recently commissioned on the business jet market gave Piaggio “a very good picture” of the best time to launch sales of its jet, begin test flights and enter service. He declines to reveal the launch date recommended by this study but says the launch will definitely not be in 2010.

Bingham says Piaggio is well advanced with the design, but there is no point launching an aircraft when demand is depressed. Bingham told Flightglobal earlier this year it was “well into discussions” with potential P1XX suppliers. Bingham now says “we’re in good conversations with suppliers with all aspects of the aircraft” and Piaggio is evaluating a “few different options” for the engine.

He adds: “We’ve continued to develop the jet throughout the recession. We haven’t slowed development down at all. We’re on plan. We can launch the jet whenever the market conditions are right.”

Bingham says the delay in launching the programme has given Piaggio more time to work on the aircraft’s details and “make sure the aircraft we bring to market is absolutely the market leader”.

He says there are some indications the business aircraft market will start picking up later this year, but the recovery curve is not likely to be as steep as previous recoveries. If there is a steeper than expected recovery in the next six to 12 months, Bingham says “we’ll be in a position to take advantage of it”.

Meanwhile, Bingham says Piaggio continues to evaluate potential improvements to the Avanti but it has no plans to launch the rumoured Avanti III.

Held on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 July, the first weekend of the summer holiday, the public days of the airshow will offer a huge variety of attractions to keep visitors entertained for the entire day. The family event will once again feature “kids go free”, courtesy of Rolls-Royce
allowing free entry to under 16’s.

Highlights at this year’s show include the Bloodhound Super Sonic Car, the engineering adventure to break the world land speed record; the Space Zone; an area dedicated to Futures in Aerospace featuring Build-A-Plane and Roaming Robots; a whole host of rides from carousels, helter skelters, bouncy castles and climbing walls; the Crafty Arty Party which was a huge success with the kids at the 2008 show; and two flight simulators giving you the full flight experience in the cockpit of a Spitfire and a Red Arrows Hawk Trainer.

Other spectacles include Team Extreme, the world-class skateboard, BMX and inline skate display team. They’ll be pitching up their half-pipe and enthralling us with their dare-devil stunts and tricks across the two days of the public show.

The Farnborough International Airshow would of course not be complete without the air display. Starting from mid-day the display this year has a strong historical theme. To celebrate the 70th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain two ME109s and two Spitfires will once again be dogfighting over Hampshire skies. They will be joined by a genuine WW2 veteran – a Mark 1 Hawker Hurricane R441.

Continuing the nostalgic theme displays by the Shuttleworth Collection Bristol Fighter, the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and the Royal Navy Historic Flight will be sure to warm the hearts of aviation buffs whilst another war veteran – the mighty B52 bomber – will be
thundering overhead.

There will be some awesome flying skills on display – top aerobatic pilot Mark Jeffries will be flying an Extra 330 SC to the limits of its design whilst show favourites the Black Cats Helicopter display team, the Blades and the Red Arrows will be strutting their stuff. Equally impressive will be show-stopping routines by the giant Airbus A380 and the powerful F22 Raptor.

Along with the vast array of static aircraft on display and the exhibitions halls to wander through including the new Space Pavilion, there will be something to entertain the whole family. If visitors really want to make their visit to the show special, the organisers are offering the Diamond Paddock Package where, for an extra fee, visitors can enjoy exclusive entry to a private area away from the crowds with deck chair seating to enjoy the flying display.

Speaking about the public days of the show, Amanda Stainer, Exhibition and Events Director, stated:

“It’s a huge undertaking to turn the trade show into a public festival for all the family. The site doubles in size, the visitor numbers swell and we need to make sure everyone is entertained. This year we have pulled out all the stops and the show looks set to be a groundbreaker.”

Chief Executive of Farnborough International Ltd, Shaun Ormrod, further added: “The public days at the Farnborough International Airshow are just as important as our trade days. The team here has worked hard to ensure the visitor experience is as pleasant as possible from attractions to making sure visitors can enter and leave the site as quickly and easily as possible. In a busy month for public airshows in the UK we want to make sure that Farnborough is first.”