The production capacity of the Italian aircraft producer Piaggio Aerospace will be increased by five to six times through new investments, as it is being restructured after being acquired by the Turkish drone magnate Baykar, a senior executive said late Monday.
One of the most prolific drone exporters globally, Baykar, bought Piaggio Aerospace in late 2024. The Italian firm had been under government-controlled special administration since filing for protection from creditors in 2018.
The expansion plans also include the scaling up of Piaggio Aerospace's maintenance, repair and engine capabilities, Haluk Bayraktar, chair of the board of Piaggio Aerospace and general manager of Baykar, said in a statement.
Bayraktar said the Italian manufacturer's 140-year aviation heritage, combined with Baykar's engineering strength, creates "unique advantage and potential" for both Türkiye and Italy.
Piaggio operates two facilities, one for manufacturing its P180 light transport aircraft and the other for producing engine parts and carrying out engine maintenance.
"With all the capabilities and expertise, it has a very unique aircraft. It's the world's fastest turboprop aircraft and has a unique design," said Bayraktar.
"When Piaggio's facilities, capabilities, talents, heritage, and brand name are combined with Baykar's new innovations in the field of UAVs, we see a bright future."
Bayraktar said the P180 is a special aircraft and that production capacity has remained low in recent years, but that Baykar aims to revive operations and increase output.
Piaggio currently produces about four to five aircraft per year, but that figure will rise next year, he said.
He said production of the P180 Avanti would increase to 25 to 30 aircraft per year, adding that existing facilities, production setup and supply chains allow such capacity.
"As Baykar, we are committed to new investments, new updates, and making this aircraft attractive again," Bayraktar said.
"We are determined to ensure it gets its share of the market."
More than 250 P180 aircraft have been built to date, and about 220 of them have been actively flying since 1986.
The fleet has accumulated over 1.1 million flight hours, Bayraktar said. "So it's a very reliable and robust aircraft," Bayraktar said.
Baykar also aims to introduce technological updates to maintain the aircraft’s competitiveness, according to Bayraktar.
"In this context, we are investing heavily in system updates and modernizing the avionics. The entire industry is switching to Garmin avionics. We have started our work and will implement Garmin avionics updates in the systems," he said.
He said Piaggio will renovate interiors with updated Italian design features and noted that it already has digital cabin pressurization and new environmental control systems.
"We have new satellite communication technologies on the aircraft. We are working on increasing maintenance intervals and inspection periods," he noted.
Bayraktar said the upgrades will result in a new version of the aircraft to be branded as the "Avanti Next" model.
According to Bayraktar, Baykar will seek to expand Piaggio's footprint, particularly in the United States, which accounts for roughly half of the active global fleet.
Of the P180 aircraft in operation worldwide, about 100 are based in the U.S., with another 100 in Europe.
American customers are "genuinely fans of this aircraft," Bayraktar said. "They are literally in love with its design, performance, speed and cabin comfort."
"That is why making our operations in the U.S. much better than they currently are is our top priority," he added.
Bayratar said maintenance, repair and overhaul are absolutely critical. "We are truly committed to the requirements and demands of our customers," he noted.
According to Bayraktar, the company will make deep-rooted investments in customer service, not only in Europe but also in the U.S.
"Because the U.S. is the largest market. When you look at civil aviation, the U.S. is the most advanced, and it uses these types of aircraft extensively. That is why we are investing in our presence in the U.S.," he noted.
Piaggio has renewed agreements with existing service centers and recently signed an authorized service partnership with Interjet Continental Aerospace, said Bayraktar.
Further authorized repair center deals are planned, he explained, along with the establishment of a U.S.-based logistics hub within a year to improve spare-parts availability and response times.
Bayraktar also stated that they are working on new ventures by bringing together Piaggio's civil aviation expertise and Baykar's agile engineering team, and that these ventures include the production of unmanned aerial vehicles at Piaggio facilities.
Pointing out that they have the capacity to bring UAV manufacturing to Piaggio facilities, Bayraktar mentioned that within the scope of an ongoing joint venture with Leonardo, they plan to serve Europe's needs by localizing UAV manufacturing in Italy.
Recalling that they already carry out maintenance and repair activities for many different engines within Piaggio, Bayraktar said they want to bring investments with new engine alternatives and provide additional engine maintenance and repair capability.
"We are very eager to invest in machinery and equipment; this is already among our plans for this year. We will invest in machinery to increase engine part production and maintenance-repair capacities," he said.
