Cessna Assembles First Production Citation Latitude
Cessna Aircraft Company rolled out the first production Citation Latitude at its Wichita, Kansas, manufacturing facility on Thursday, the latest step in the jet’s type certification process. The Latitude will seat nine and feature the widest fuselage of the Citation series. It will also have a new environmental system, Garmin G5000 avionics, two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW306D1 engines, and standard auto-throttles. Cessna currently has four flying aircraft that have accumulated 500 flights and 1,200 hours.
Cessna Aircraft Company rolled out the first production Citation Latitude at its Wichita, Kansas, manufacturing facility on Thursday, the latest step in the jet's type certification process. The Latitude will seat nine and feature the widest fuselage of the Citation series. It will also have a new environmental system, Garmin G5000 avionics, two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW306D1 engines, and standard auto-throttles. Cessna currently has four flying aircraft that have accumulated 500 flights and 1,200 hours.
Thursday's rollout comes three years after Cessna announced the Latitude, and FAA certification is expected this year. The first fully configured aircraft made its public debut at last fall's NBAA convention in Orlando, Florida, and has been used for customer demonstration flights. Cessna said it has also upgraded its production line for the new jet with new automated robotics and ergonomic tooling stations. "Our product investments extend beyond the design and performance features of the aircraft with innovations in our manufacturing processes," said Scott Ernest, president and CEO. "The Citation Latitude team has redefined what customers should expect from a business aircraft in this segment, while also redefining the aircraft build process."
