Citation Longitude wraps up APAC tour with longest flight to date; bolstered company investment in region underway
WICHITA, Kan. (March 5, 2018) – Textron Aviation Inc, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, today announced the Cessna Citation Longitude completed a non-stop trip from Singapore to Sydney, Australia, demonstrating the outstanding range and payload capabilities of the aircraft. The flight follows the Citation Longitude’s demo tour throughout the Asia-Pacific region and its regional debut at the Singapore Airshow earlier this month.
The Citation Longitude flew a crew of two pilots and five passengers on the 3,504-nautical-mile trip from Seletar, Singapore (XSP) to Sydney, Australia (SYD), making a direct climb to 41,000 feet for a total flight time of 7 hours 39 minutes at Mach 0.80.
“This flight is a compelling demonstration of the aircraft’s outstanding long-range performance capability for common mission profiles throughout the Asia-Pacific region,” said Scott Ernest, president and CEO. “It also signals Textron Aviation’s commitment to investment in the region – in both products and support.”
With more aircraft operating throughout the APAC region than any other manufacturer, Textron Aviation continues to invest in its infrastructure, parts inventory and customer service resources to enhance its direct support model.
Textron Aviation’s Singapore Service Center is part of a robust international support footprint of factory-direct service centers, equipping customers with access to a team of expert service representatives delivering timely maintenance, inspections, parts, repairs, avionic upgrades, equipment installations, refurbishments and other specialized services.
“Nobody is better suited to care for our customers throughout their ownership, and we remain committed to providing best-in-class support,” said Ernest. “We’ve seen remarkable success in establishing direct sales and support in other areas of the world – including the United States and Europe. Now, we’re taking that same approach and tailoring it to fit the needs of our APAC customers. And as we continue to expand our accessibility to customers, we are also evaluating additional factory-direct sites throughout the region.”
About the Citation Longitude
With a range of 3,500 nautical miles (6,482 kilometers) and full fuel payload of 1,600 pounds (726 kilograms), the Citation Longitude will be able to travel nonstop within the Asia-Pacific region from Singapore to Beijing or from Hong Kong to Mumbai with four passengers. The Citation Longitude is designed to elevate passenger expectations in the super-midsize class by delivering the quietest cabin, a low cabin altitude (5,950 feet/1,814 meters), more standard features and a comfortable, bespoke interior. With seating for up to 12 passengers, including an optional crew jump seat, the Longitude features a stand-up, 6-foot tall flat-floor cabin. A standard double-club configuration delivers the most legroom in the super-midsize class. Fully berthable seats are designed and manufactured in-house and a class-leading walk-in baggage compartment is accessible throughout the entire flight. State-of-the-art cabin technology enables passengers to manage their environment and entertainment from any mobile device, while high-speed internet maximizes in-flight productivity.
The clean-sheet design of the Longitude integrates the latest technology throughout the aircraft, bringing customers the lowest ownership cost in this class. It features the next evolution of the Garmin G5000 flight deck and is powered by FADEC-equipped Honeywell HTF7700L turbofan engines with fully integrated autothrottles with envelope protection. With Garmin’s new Head-up Display (GHD 2100) and enhanced vision capability, the Longitude facilitates eyes-up flying. The spacious cockpit incorporates easier access and an ergonomic design that fully focuses on crew comfort and efficiency.
No super-midsize business jet offers more range, greater payload or higher cruise speed at a lower expected total ownership cost. The Longitude is designed to feature the longest maintenance intervals in its class – 800 hours or 18 months – expected to make it the most cost-effective to operate in its category.
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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. For more than 90 years, the Textron Aviation brands have represented unrivaled innovation, performance and leadership in the industry, offering 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, Greenlee, Textron Off Road, 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 commercial 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.
SOURCE: Textron Aviation