Paris, France - June 18, 2007 - Cessna Aircraft Company, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, announced today at the Paris Air Show it has put into operation the 5,000th Citation business jet - a Citation X - accounting for nearly half of all jets delivered by US manufacturers.
To celebrate this milestone, Cessna will display the aircraft at various air shows and events this year, including the National Business Aviation Association annual meeting September 25-27th. The 5,000th Citation will be delivered to one of Cessna's largest customers - XOJet - later this year, adding to their growing fleet of Citation X aircraft.
"The 5,000th Citation is an exciting milestone to reach in our 80th year of business," said Chairman, President and CEO Jack J. Pelton. "The Citation line provides more business owners the convenience of point-to-point travel than ever before. From the Mustang - providing a fast, efficient and cost effective way to travel - to the fastest civil aircraft currently in production - the Citation X - our Citation line offers the widest range of business jets in the market today."
Cessna decided to enter into the jet market in the late 1960s to fill the gap between the top-of-the-line twin-engine turboprop and the early business jets of that era. The first Citation - the Citation 500 - was delivered in 1972. It was the first business jet to feature a fan-jet engine setting new standards in economy ease of operation and low noise levels. It soon became known as "The Sensible Citation."
There are currently eight Citation models in production: the Mustang, CJ1+, CJ2+, CJ3, Encore+, XLS, Sovereign and Citation X. Two Citations are in the development process: the CJ4 and the XLS+.
Cessna became the first aircraft company to achieve single pilot certification on a commercial jet powered aircraft with the Citation I SP in 1977. In Cessna's current production line, the Mustang, all CJ series Citations and the Encore+ can be operated by a single pilot.
Citation customers are offered a complete range of support and maintenance options through 10 Cessna-owned Citation Service Centers and many participating authorized facilities around the world.
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Based on unit sales, Cessna Aircraft Company is the world's largest manufacturer of general aviation airplanes. In 2006, Cessna delivered 1,239 aircraft, including 307 Citation business jets, and reported revenues of about $4.2 billion and a backlog of $8.5 billion. Since the company was originally established in 1927, more than 189,000 Cessna airplanes have been delivered to nearly every country in the world. The global fleet of more than 5,000 Citations is the largest fleet of business jets in the world. More information about Cessna Aircraft Company is available at www.cessna.com.
Textron Inc. is an $11 billion multi-industry company operating in 32 countries with approximately 40,000 employees. 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 Company, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Greenlee, Fluid & Power, Textron Systems and Textron Financial Corporation. More information is available at www.textron.com.