Textron Aviation announced an agreement with BAA Training for the purchase of 48 Cessna Skyhawk aircraft, expected to be delivered in 2026. The deal, inked at the Dubai Airshow, substantially expands BAA Training’s existing fleet, offering increased capacity for students, streamlining the flight training process and ensuring an overall enhanced student experience.

The Cessna Skyhawk is designed and manufactured by Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT) company.

“For over six decades, the Cessna Skyhawk has inspired the next generation of pilots and served as the world’s leading flight trainer,” said Chris Crow, vice president of Piston Sales. “We are delighted to continue the relationship with BAA Training to provide their students access to the most produced single-engine aircraft globally.”

The stable flight characteristics, advanced avionics and demonstrated dispatch reliability of the Skyhawk have made it a dependable training platform. The new airplanes will be used by students to put them in the pilot’s seat of the most popular training aircraft in the world.

“BAA Training has set an ambitious milestone to achieve a capacity of 500-1000 students per year, necessitating a significant expansion of our fleet. We are glad to finalize this order, as the addition of 48 Cessna Skyhawks will bolster our resources, enabling us to accommodate the growing demand for training and further solidify our position in the industry,” said Marijus Ravoitis, CEO, BAA Training.

BAA Training offers comprehensive aviation training solutions for aspiring commercial pilots, ranging from Ab Initio training to Type Rating, available across multiple locations, including Spain, Lithuania, France and Vietnam. Additionally, pilot training services are provided through its consultancy office in India and a sales representative office in the UAE.

About the Cessna Skyhawk  

The Cessna Skyhawk is considered the aircraft of choice for pilot training, and it is the most popular single-engine aircraft in aviation history. Since the aircraft first took flight in 1955, over 45,000 Cessna 172 aircraft have been delivered to customers around the world — more than any other aircraft in the industry. The single-engine, four-seat, high-wing Skyhawk is renowned for offering the best combination of modern features, including the Garmin G1000 NXi avionics with wireless connectivity, a standard angle-of-attack display system, and proven dependability. The aircraft also features McCauley’s aluminum fixed pitch propeller, providing greater reliability and operating time and a Lycoming IO-360-L2A engine with 180 horsepower.