Wichita, KS - October 18, 2007 - Cessna Aircraft Company, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, ended the 2007 National Business Aviation Association convention in Atlanta last month with 178 new aircraft orders valued at more than $1 billion.
During the three-day event, Cessna took orders for 101 Citations, 59 Caravans, 13 single-engine pistons and five SkyCatchers. These orders were in addition to those announced at the opening-day press conference for 30 Citation Xs from XOJET and 30 Citation Mustangs from an unnamed European charter company.
"The significant aspects of this show were that we had tremendous success across the range of products - from SkyCatcher to Citation X - and that the international market continues to expand," said Roger Whyte, senior vice president, Sales and Marketing for Cessna. "I think this is strong proof the recent bullish forecasts on global business jet sales are right on target."
Sales for Citations ranged from Citation Mustangs to Citation Xs, but the most popular at NBAA were the CJ3 and the XLS+. Fifty-seven of the 101 Citation orders logged at the show, as well as those announced at the opening-day press conference, were included in the company's $11.9 billion September 30, 2007 backlog, while 44 will enter into backlog during the fourth quarter as contracts are completed.
Caravan sales also continue to be strong. Cessna announced at the show a new avionics suite for the Caravan - the Garmin G1000 - and an increase in annual production, up to 120 aircraft, to meet the increased demand.
Cessna also continued to gauge interest in its Large Cabin Concept aircraft on display at the company's exhibit. Cessna expects to make a decision on whether to proceed with the project in early 2008. "All indications point to a strong business case for this new model, which would be our largest aircraft in the Citation family," Whyte said.
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 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.
Forward-looking Information: Certain statements in this release are forward-looking statements and speak only as of the date on which they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the statements, including but not limited to the following: [a] changes in worldwide economic and political conditions that impact demand for our products, [b] the interruption of production at Textron facilities or Textron's customers or suppliers; [c] slowdowns or downturns in customer markets in which Textron products are sold or supplied; [d] changes in aircraft delivery schedules or cancellation of orders; and [e] changes in national or international government policies on the export and import of commercial products.