Eclipse and Kestrel Join Forces to Become ONE Aviation

April 15, 2015 - Eclipse Aerospace Inc. and Kestrel Aircraft are joining forces to form a new corporation, ONE Aviation Corporation, the new company announced Wednesday at AERO Friedrichshafen, Germany. Kestrel’s Alan Klapmeier is the ONE Aviation CEO, with Eclipse CEO Mason Holland serving as chairman.

According to the announcement, ONE Aviation was formed “to design, develop, and manufacture a family of aircraft starting with the Eclipse 550 twin-engine light jet and the Kestrel K350 single-engine turboprop.” The Eclipse jet is in production and lays claim as the world’s only twin-engine light jet priced below $3 million. It has logged more than 300,000 incident-free fleet hours. The Kestrel is in development.

“I feel privileged to lead this experienced team of aviation professionals as we increase production of the Eclipse Jet, further the development of the Kestrel turboprop, and build a suite of general aviation products second to none in the industry,” Klapmeier said. “I am particularly excited about the Eclipse 550. As our pilot experience and aircraft needs grow, we look to move up - to fly higher, faster, and safer. For many pilots and aircraft owners, the Eclipse Jet, with its incredible efficiency and safety record, provides that next step.”

The announcement further states that the new company will immediately gain operational and marketing efficiencies by consolidating and leveraging the Eclipse and Kestrel business operations, supply chain, marketing, and sales teams all under a single and seasoned management team. A spokesman for the new company stated that current locations will be maintained, including Eclipse operations in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Chicago, and Kestrel’s in Superior, Wisconsin, and Brunswick, Maine.

“Combining the synergies of Eclipse and Kestrel under the leadership of Alan Klapmeier is a perfect fit,” Holland commented. “I believe that our current, as well as our future, customers will appreciate Alan’s vision and his prior experience in leading the design, development, and production of one of the world’s most successful aircraft programs (Cirrus). Alan knows our customers, he is a champion for them, and he is recognized throughout the aviation industry as an innovator and transformational leader.”

The Kestrel K350, currently under development, will redefine the industry’s single-engine turboprop market. Like the Eclipse, the Kestrel K350 is designed to make high performance aircraft more accessible to the General Aviation customer by reducing complexity and increasing value.

ONE Aviation plans its first customer meeting at the Sun ’n Fun International Fly-In & Expo next Tuesday, April 21, in tent No. 2 located near the Florida Air Museum and FAM Pavilion, at 11 a.m. local. For more information, visit the ONE Aviation website.