Wichita, KS - June 22, 2004 - Cessna Aircraft Company's new Orlando, Florida, Citation Service Center is open for business. Cessna received the new Orlando Citation Service Center's certificate of occupancy from the city of Orlando on Thursday, June 17, 2004. Company personnel began an around-the-clock move on Friday evening, June 18, 2004, and the new Orlando Citation Service Center began serving customers on Monday morning, June 21, 2004.
Located on the west side of the Orlando International Airport, the new Orlando Citation Service Center is 155,000 square feet. It replaces the original 47,275 square foot facility, which has served the southeast United States since 1983. The new Orlando Citation Service Center operates 24 hours a day. It is designed to accommodate all Citation models with a full range of inspections, maintenance, repair, overhaul and other services. It includes 123,000 square feet of hangar space, an expanded aircraft ramp with underground refueling facilities, environmental control systems throughout the facility, specially equipped wash bays, customer courtesy offices, and a fully equipped classroom for advanced employee training.
Cessna has already made plans to expand the new Orlando Service Center to nearly 200,000 square feet. The expansion is expected to be complete in October 2004, and will add a humidity-controlled paint room and aircraft detailing area.
"We're dedicated to providing customers with the best service in the industry. This new building is just one of the many indicators of our customer commitment," said Jim Morgan, Cessna's vice president of service facilities. "As the Citation fleet grows, it's important that customers have as much flexibility as possible when scheduling their aircraft for maintenance. The new Orlando Service Center triples the amount of space we had at the previous facility, so we'll be able to work on more airplanes at the same time, and get customers back in the air sooner."
For approximately six months, the Orlando Citation Service Center will be Cessna's largest Citation Service Center. This designation will be transferred to Cessna's Wichita Citation Service Center in late 2004, when Cessna opens its new 447,259 square foot Wichita facility. Once open, the Wichita Citation Service Center will be the largest general aviation maintenance facility in the world.
Cessna's emphasis on providing customers with the highest-level of customer support remains fundamental. The first three Cessna-owned Citation Service Centers became operational prior to the delivery of the first Citation business jet in 1972. Today, customers' maintenance needs are met at Cessna's 10 company owned Citation Service Centers or 28 authorized Citation Service Centers. The facilities are state-of-the-art and capable of meeting all inspection, maintenance and service requirements for the Citation fleet, which exceeds 4,100 airplanes.
Cessna Aircraft Company is a subsidiary of Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT), 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.
For additional information or questions about the general aviation industry, contact the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) at 202-393-1500 or www.GAMA.aero.