Sino Swearingen Aircraft has appointed Air Touring Ltd, based at the legendary Biggin Hill Airport, near London, as the authorized sales and service representative for the SJ30-2 business jet in the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland. Air Touring will take delivery of six SJ30-2s between 2004 and 2006.

Air Touring is also the long-established UK distributor for the French Socata range lightplanes, including the TBM 700 turboprop single. Its facilities at the famous Battle of Britain airfield include two hangars totaling approximately 25,000 square feet, with 5,000 square feet of office space. The hangars house avionics, mechanical and engineering workshops, including a new maintenance facility geared primarily to turbine-powered aircraft.

"We are pleased to be representing Sino Swearingen in the UK," said Air Touring's managing director, Michael Pearce. "The performance and range of the SJ30-2 make it ideally suited for the needs of our customers."

"I'm delighted to welcome Air Touring to our world-wide distributor family," said Jack Braly, president and CEO of Sino Swearingen. "Their proven sales capability and reputation for integrity and quality performance makes Air Touring an ideal representative for the SJ30-2 and our company."

Sino Swearingen expects to certify and begin deliveries of the seven-place, Mach 0.80 SJ30-2 in 2003.