Atlanta, GA – October 18, 2010 – Cessna Aircraft Company, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, announced today at the 63rd annual NBAA Meeting and Convention that Hong Kong-based charter provider Asia Jet will add a leased Citation XLS+ to its fleet. The aircraft will be available for charter by Asia Jet’s customers and will also perform demonstration flights in Hong Kong and mainland China. The aircraft will enter service with Asia Jet in the early part of 2011.
With one of the largest charter fleets in the region and branch offices in Shanghai and Tokyo, Asia Jet is already well known for its outstanding service quality and has been highly-rated by elite travelers for offering the best and most comprehensive choice in private jet solutions. Asia Jet partner MetroJet was recently named an authorized Citation service facility for the region.
The Citation Excel/XLS/XLS+ series has proven popular in the region with six models already in operation in the Peoples Republic of China.
The Citation XLS+, part of the mid-size Excel/XLS family, is the latest version of the world’s best-selling business jet model. It features the fully integrated Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 avionics suite and electronically controlled (FADEC) engines from Pratt & Whitney Canada. Exterior and interior restyling is also integrated into the new model, most prominently the extended contour of the nose and expanded seat widths, both introduced to more closely resemble Cessna’s Citation X and Citation Sovereign models.
The Citation XLS+ travels as fast as 441 knots per hour (817 kilometers) with a range of more than 1,858 nautical miles (3,441 kilometers). At maximum takeoff weight it will depart from runways as short as 3,560 feet (1,085 meters) at standard sea-level conditions. It will land on runways as short as 2,700 feet (823 meters) at its typical landing weight.
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About Cessna Aircraft Company
Cessna is the world's leading general aviation company, based on unit sales, with five major lines of business: Citation business jets, Caravan single-engine turboprops, Cessna single-engine piston aircraft, aftermarket services and lift solutions by CitationAir. In 2009, Cessna delivered 754 aircraft, including 289 Citation business jets, and reported revenues of about $3.3 billion. Since the company was originally established in 1927, more than 192,000 Cessna airplanes have been delivered around the world, including more than 6,000 Citations, making it the largest fleet of business jets in the world. More information about Cessna Aircraft Company is available at www.cessna.com.
About Textron Inc.
Textron Inc. is a multi-industry company that leverages its global network of aircraft, defense, 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, and Textron Systems. More information is available at www.textron.com.