Dubai, United Arab Emirates - November 11, 2007 - Cessna Aircraft Company, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, announced today at the Dubai Airshow that Wallan Aviation has placed an order for 11 Citation business jets and 14 single engine aircraft valued at more than $110 million.
The order comprises four SkyCatchers, 10 Skyhawk TDs, four Mustangs, one CJ2+, one CJ3, one XLS+, three Sovereigns and one Citation X. The aircraft will be delivered during 2008, 2009 and 2010.
Wallan Aviation, based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, is Cessna's authorized sales representative for the Middle East.
“We are seeing considerable interest from a new generation of entrepreneurial owners who are attracted to Cessna's combination of performance and value,” said Saad Wallan, chairman, Wallan Aviation.
Cessna has delivered some 190,000 aircraft including more than 5,000 Citation business jets, more than any other manufacturer.
“Today's order from Wallan Aviation demonstrates that business aviation in the Middle East is entering a new era. With our strong and growing sales and support organization in the region, Cessna is well placed to meet this rising tide of demand,” said Cessna Vice President, International Sales Trevor Esling.
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. Cessna has a current backlog of $11.9 billion. Since the company was originally established in 1927, some 190,000 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 http://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 http://www.textron.com.