Astronics Selected for Lighting Upgrades for Cessna's Single Engine Aircraft; Potential of $1 million in annual revenue

Business Wire, Oct 18, 2004

EAST AURORA, N.Y. -- Astronics Corporation (Nasdaq: ATRO), a leader in advanced, high performance lighting and electronics systems for the global aerospace and defense industry, today announced that its subsidiary, Luminescent Systems, Inc. (LSI), was selected by Cessna Aircraft Company, a subsidiary of Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT), to supply external and cockpit lighting for the upgrade of its single engine aircraft. Astronics estimates the program could generate in the range of $.7 to $1.0 million in annual revenue with production beginning in late 2004.

LSI will supply the landing and taxi lights for all versions of Cessna's Skyhawk 172, Skylane 182 and Stationair 206. The external lighting will be based on high intensity discharge lighting technology, replacing several of the lights currently employing standard incandescent lamps.

In addition, LSI will produce the illuminated cockpit panels for the Skyhawk, Skylane and Stationair. These aircraft are being enhanced by including illuminated panels. These cockpit panels will employ light emitting diode technology. LSI already provides illuminated cockpit panels for all of Cessna's Citation aircraft.

Peter Gundermann, President and CEO of Astronics, commented, "Cessna has once again given a vote of their confidence in our products and service by selecting us as the supplier of the landing/taxi and cockpit lighting systems for their single engine aircraft. We have long been a supplier to Cessna for their cockpit lighting needs. With this win and the agreement to supply the external lighting for the Cessna Citation Mustang, we are expanding the breadth of products and services we provide to Cessna. This demonstrates the success we are having with our strategy to provide lighting for all aircraft from "wingtip to wingtip and nose to tail".

Cessna Aircraft Company is a subsidiary of Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT). Textron is a $10 billion multi-industry company with more than 43,000 employees in 40 countries. The company leverages its global network of aircraft, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell Helicopter, Cessna Aircraft, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO and Greenlee, among others. More information is available at www.textron.com. More information about Cessna Aircraft Company is available at www.cessna.com.

ABOUT ASTRONICS CORPORATION

Astronics Corporation is a manufacturer of specialized lighting and electronics for the cockpit, cabin and exteriors of military, commercial transport and private business jet aircraft. Its strategy is to expand from a components and subsystems supplier to an aircraft lighting systems integrator, increasing the value and content it provides to various aircraft platforms. Luminescent Systems Inc. is Astronics' primary operating subsidiary which produces its aerospace and defense products.

For more information on Astronics and its products, visit its website at www.Astronics.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined by the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. One can identify these forward-looking statements by the use of the words "expect," "anticipate," "plan," "may," "will," "estimate" or other similar expression. Because such statements apply to future events, they are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include the Company will continue to be selected to supply its customer, that the number of aircraft used to estimate the value of the program will be produced, that its strategy will continue to be effective, the state of the aerospace industry, and other factors which are described in filings by Astronics with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking information in this press release whether to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events or changes in future operating results, financial conditions or prospects, or otherwise.