Mooney Airplane Company CEO Jerry Chen has described the company as on the comeback trail since the production line restarted.
The 80-year-old US manufacturer had been dormant for several years until taken over by Soaring America with Chinese backing in October last year.
Over 80 people have been hired at the Kerrville, Texas, plant and reportedly millions of dollars have been invested in the facility on lean manufacturing systems and new technology. Mooney plans to deliver six aeroplanes this year.
“It’s an exciting time at Mooney and quite a revolutionary period for our company, to say the least,” said Dr Jerry Chen, CEO. “The company is in full swing, so we’re very enthusiastic to be here, where we can proudly put our airplanes on display and tell our story. We want everyone to know that Mooney is back, better than ever.”
“2014 is a transformational year for Mooney. This is not the year to see how many airplanes we can produce. Instead, this is the year to set new quality standards and put best practices in place without the pressures of a high production count. We are being very methodical at every step in order to significantly ramp-up in the future.”
Mooney is currently offering the 242-knot twin-turbo Acclaim Type S and the Ovation 3, which cruises at 197 knots.