SHANGHAI (April 16, 2019) – Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT) company, today announced that Cessna-AVIC Aircraft (Zhuhai) Co., Ltd., a Textron Aviation joint venture in China, has signed agreements with the Flight Inspection Center of CAAC (CFIC) for eight new Cessna Citation XLS+ business jets. Deliveries of the aircraft are expected to take place from 2019 to 2021. The two companies held a signing ceremony today during the Asian Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (ABACE) at the Shanghai Hongqiao Airport.
“This recent order by the CFIC demonstrates the Center’s continued confidence in the products and services provided by Textron Aviation,” said Kevin Wu, international vice president of sales, Greater China and Mongolia. “We continue to fully support the operations of the CFIC and its mission to propel the development of the civil aviation safety system in China.”
The eight XLS+ aircraft, which will be outfitted with special flight inspection equipment, will facilitate the expansion of the CFIC fleet and its ability to respond to highly challenging missions throughout the region, such as fulfilling inspection and certification missions for the communication, navigation, radar and flight programs of newly built airports, as well as to perform regular flight inspection missions for airports already in operation. This will help ensure a smooth implementation of airport construction plans and safe operation of corresponding air routes during China’s Thirteenth Five-Year Plan period.
According to the Thirteenth Five-Year Plan for the Development of China Civil Aviation, jointly issued by CAAC, National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Transport, China will complete work on 30 airports, commence work on 44 new airports, reconstruct and expand 139 airports, relocate 19 airports and conduct 51 additional projects to accelerate the construction of airports and lay the foundation for sustainable development of civil aviation. The Plan promotes the construction of more than 200 general aviation airports and encourages qualified civilian airports to concurrently provide general aviation services.
“The successful purchase of these aircraft is only possible with the great support for flight inspection operations from the Party Group of Civil Aviation Administration of China, which is significant to the fleet construction of CFIC and ensuring civil aviation transportation safety,” said XIONG Jie, Director of CFIC.
CIFC’s existing fleet of eight 560 XLS/XLS+ jets continue to perform inspection missions at many high-elevation airports throughout the region. The XLS+ is ideally suited for this mission due to its excellent high-elevation performance, ability to operate in severe weather and harsh environments and economical operating costs.
About Cessna Citation XLS+
Business owners have consistently chosen the Citation XLS+ more than any other aircraft in the light midsize category for its unparalleled combination of superb performance, comfort, ease of operation, range of mission capabilities and favorable operating efficiencies.
The Citation XLS+ equips operators with speeds of up to 441 knots (817 kilometers/ hour) with a maximum economy range of 2,100 nautical miles (3,889 kilometers), a takeoff roll distance as short as 3,560 feet (1,085 meters) and climbs to 45,000 feet (13,716 meters) in 29 minutes. With outstanding high-elevation performance and navigation system precision of RNP 0.3, the Citation XLS+ can take off and land at airports with an elevation of up to 15,000 feet (4,572 meters) and meets the standards of ILS CAT II.
About Special Missions
Textron Aviation offers the most comprehensive solutions using innovative technologies and our advanced engineering techniques with the broadest lineup of special mission platforms in the industry. With its entire product range available in special missions configurations, Textron Aviation’s family of aircraft, including single and multi-engine pistons, turboprops and Citation jets, provide the high performance and flight characteristics required to fit mission profiles such as air ambulance, float operations, flight inspection, aerial surveillance, training, utility transport and more. All aircraft are backed by the industry’s most capable global service network.
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CFIC Signing Ceremony
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About Textron Aviation Inc.
Textron Aviation Inc. is the leading general aviation authority and home to the Beechcraft, Cessna and Hawker brands, which account for more than half of all general aviation aircraft flying. The Textron Aviation brands represent unrivaled innovation, performance and leadership in the industry, and offer an unmatched value proposition rooted in the total ownership experience. Leveraging unparalleled speed-to-market, Textron Aviation provides the most versatile and comprehensive business and general aviation product portfolio in the world through five principal lines of business: business jets, general aviation and special mission turboprop aircraft, high performance piston aircraft, military trainer and defense aircraft and a complete global customer service organization. Textron Aviation has delivered more than 250,000 aircraft in over 143 countries. Its broad range of products include such best-selling aircraft as Citation business jets, King Air and Caravan turboprops and T-6 military trainer aircraft, all of which are backed by the industry’s most capable global service network. For more information, visit www.txtav.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, Cessna, Beechcraft, Hawker, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Arctic Cat, Textron Systems, and TRU Simulation + Training. For more information, visit: www.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; volatility in interest rates or foreign exchange rates; risks related to our international business, including relying on joint venture partners, subcontractors, suppliers, representatives, consultants and other business partners in connection with international business, including in emerging market countries.
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