CESSNA HAS SET ITS Citation X sales sights firmly on the Raytheon Hawker 800 and other similar types in the mid-sized business-jet-replacement market. Cessna says that the larger aircraft's direct operating costs per kilometre are "...guaranteed not to exceed those of the much smaller Raytheon Hawker 800".
Cessna believes that the early flight-test experience gained in the run-up to Citation X certification proves that it will meet the guarantees. According to marketing and product support executive vice-president Gary Hay, the aircraft "...has continued to exceed even the ambitious goals we set for it when we announced the programme". Hay cites the recent increase in cruise speed from Mach 0.9 to 0.92 as an example.
The Citation X is scheduled for US Federal Aviation Administration certification "in a matter of weeks", says marketing vice-president Phil Michel.
Source: Flight International
