WICHITA, KAN., September 13, 2013 – Cessna Aircraft Company, a Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT) company, today announced an order for 79 Cessna 172 Skyhawk aircraft, one of the largest orders on record for the aircraft, at Moscow’s JetExpo 2013.

Moscow-based ViraZH, plans to use the Skyhawks for training purposes at various flight schools throughout western Russia. The order is part of a multi-year agreement between Cessna and ViraZH, with all 79 aircraft set to be delivered by the third quarter of 2014.On completion of the final delivery, ViraZH will have one of the world’s largest fleets of Skyhawk 172 aircraft in operation.

Kriya Shortt, Cessna senior vice president of Sales, said: “We are delighted to have a strong relationship with ViraZH and are proud they have selected the Cessna 172 Skyhawk to be their training platform. This order augments an additional 11 Skyhawks purchased by ViraZH in 2011, highlighting their confidence in our product. It is encouraging to see an increase in both our global customer base and flight training accessibility in Russia.”

Jodi Noah, Cessna senior vice president for Single Engine/Propeller Aircraft, added: “Cessna’s reputation for producing reliable and safe products precedes us both in the US and globally. The Cessna 172 Skyhawk is the world’s most popular training aircraft and we are confident that this next generation of aviation students who now have the access to this fleet will benefit immensely, as have many aviation students before them.”

The 172 Skyhawk has become the best-selling, most-flown single-engine aircraft in the world. With an all-glass Garmin G1000 integrated flight deck, the Cessna 172 Skyhawk has earned a reputation for offering the best combination of modern features and proven dependability among general aviation aircraft.