Textron Aviation has delivered the first Cessna Citation Longitude business jets, with the shipments in early October signalling what the US airframer describes as “the start of a new dimension in business travel”.
The super-midsize, clean-sheet Longitude was launched in 2012 as Cessna’s flagship product and secured US Federal Aviation Administration type certification on 21 September. “We are thrilled to now transition this programme into service,” says Textron Aviation president and chief executive Ron Draper.
Textron Aviation
Powered by two 7,660lb (34.1kN)-thrust Honeywell HTF7700L turbofan engines, the Garmin G5000-equipped jet has a maximum cruise speed of 480kt (900km/h) and a range of 3,500nm (6,500km). The fly-wire-wire Longitude has a 5,950ft cabin altitude for “passenger comfort”, and the “longest maintenance intervals in its class”, at 800h or 18 months, says Textron.
Kriya Shortt, senior vice-president global customer support for the Wichita-headquartered company says the 10-passenger aircraft was “designed around maximising reliability and operational availability for our customers”.
Source: Flight International
