WICHITA, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Cessna Aircraft Company, a Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT) company, is today beginning deliveries of the newly certified Citation Sovereign+ midsize business jet.

Citation Sovereign+ (Photo: Business Wire)

The new Citation Sovereign+, whose name now includes a “+” to more clearly differentiate it from its predecessor, brings increased range, updated technologies and enhanced performance to the company’s established Citation Sovereign business jet.

Brad Thress , Cessna senior vice president of Business Jets, says: “The Citation Sovereign+ makes a great airplane even better. We started with an aircraft popular for having one of the most comfortable cabins in its class, not to mention superb performance and reliability. We increased the full fuel payload, added winglets, cutting-edge Garmin G5000 avionics, auto throttles and outstanding performance for hundreds of dollars less per hour than any aircraft in its category. Our customers are looking forward to seeing the aircraft with winglets, giving it a distinct appearance as well as an aerodynamic boost that means 150 additional nautical miles of range.”

Cessna achieved Federal Aviation Administration certification on the new Sovereign+, clearing the way for deliveries to order holders from around the world.

Featuring winglets and the new Pratt & Whitney Canada PW306D engines providing 5,852 pounds of thrust, the Citation Sovereign+ has a range of 3,000 nautical miles (3,452 statute miles), a top speed of 458 knots (527 miles per hour) and a direct climb to 45,000 feet.

The new cockpit is designed around the Cessna Intrinzic Flight Deck powered by Garmin G5000 avionics. An integrated, workload-reducing auto throttle system streamlines the pilots’ tasks. New cabin amenities include the integrated Cessna Clairity™ cabin management system with user-friendly touch-screen controllers and all new, larger and more comfortable seats.

Cessna is offering the Sovereign+ with a unique Sovereign Shield program covering all scheduled maintenance and parts costs for the aircraft’s first five years or 1,500 flight hours, practically eliminating maintenance-related direct operating costs and allowing owners to operate the Citation Sovereign+ for far less than other business jets in the midsize category.

In service since 2004, the Citation Sovereign has reached a fleet of 349 aircraft worldwide and amassed more than 802,000 flight hours. Cessna announced plans for the new Sovereign+ at NBAA in October 2012. The first production aircraft rolled off the assembly line in Wichita in early March followed by first flight of the unit in April.

For more information about the Citation Sovereign, visit Cessna.com, and for images of the Citation Sovereign please visit the Cessna image gallery.

About Cessna

Cessna is the world's leading general aviation company. Since its inception in 1927, Cessna has designed, produced and delivered nearly 200,000 airplanes around the globe. This includes 6,500 Citation business jets, making it the largest fleet of business jets in the world. Today, Cessna has two principal lines of business: aircraft sales and aftermarket services. Aircraft sales include Citation business jets, Caravan single-engine utility turboprops, single-engine piston aircraft and lift solutions by CitationAir. Aftermarket services include parts, maintenance, inspection and repair services. In 2012, Cessna delivered 571 aircraft, including 181 Citation business jets, and reported revenues of $3.111 billion. More information about Cessna Aircraft Company is available at cessna.com.

About Textron

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 textron.com.

Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements which may project revenues or describe strategies, goals, outlook or other non-historical matters; these statements 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 statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the efficacy of research and development investments to develop new products or unanticipated expenses in connection with the launching of significant new products or programs; the timing of our new product launches or certifications of our new aircraft products; our ability to keep pace with our competitors in the introduction of new products and upgrades with features and technologies desired by our customers; changes in government regulations or policies on the export and import of our products; volatility in the global economy or changes in worldwide political conditions that adversely impact demand for our products; performance issues with key suppliers or subcontractors; difficult conditions in the financial markets which may adversely impact our customers’ ability to fund or finance purchases of our products; and continued demand softness or volatility in the markets in which we do business.

About Pratt & Whitney Canada (pwc.ca)

Founded in 1928 and a global leader in aerospace, P&WC is shaping the future of aviation with dependable, high-technology engines. Based in Longueuil, Quebec (Canada), P&WC is a wholly owned subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (UTC). UTC is a diversified company that provides a broad range of high-technology products and services to the global aerospace and building systems industries.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/multimedia/home/20131223005372/en/

Source: Textron