Cessna Citation Ascend Program Continues to Advance With Rollout of First Production Unit

WICHITA, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT) company, today announced its Cessna Citation Ascend business jet program continues to advance as the first production unit rolled out of the manufacturing facility in Wichita, Kansas. The aircraft is expected to achieve certification from the Federal Aviation Administration later this year.

Employees held a special celebration to mark the major program milestone of the newest Citation business jet in the legendary 560XL series as they continue to design and deliver the best aviation experience for customers.

“Today is a big celebration and thank you to everyone who has been a part of building up to this point. It is your craftsmanship that continues to make milestones like this possible,” said Todd McKee, senior vice president, Integrated Supply Chain. “By infusing new technology and bringing new features to the market, we continue to drive the future for us to build these legendary aircraft.”

With more than 1,000 delivered throughout the past 25 years, owners and operators consistently choose the Cessna Citation 560XL series for its unparalleled combination of performance, comfort, ease of operation, range of mission capabilities and favorable operating efficiencies.

About the Cessna Citation Ascend

Textron Aviation designed the Citation Ascend based on customer feedback for ultimate performance and comfort.

With sleek and modern features, customers can enjoy many of the luxuries found in the bestselling Citation Latitude and Citation Longitude, including a flat floor to provide generous legroom and flexibility for passengers. The aircraft offers Pratt & Whitney Canada PW545D engines designed to deliver fuel efficiency and increased thrust, as well as Garmin G5000 avionics that feature the latest software and hardware, including autothrottle technology. The Ascend also features a Honeywell RE100 [XL] Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) approved for unattended operations.

With 19 standard USB charging ports and three universal outlets throughout the aircraft, all crew and passengers have access to at least one charging port in the Citation Ascend. The aircraft has a standard seating configuration of nine passengers.

Learn more about the Citation Ascend at cessna.com/ascend.

About Textron Aviation

We inspire the journey of flight. For more than 95 years, Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. company, has empowered our collective talent across the Beechcraft, Cessna and Hawker brands to design and deliver the best aviation experience for our customers. With a range that includes everything from business jets, turboprops, and high-performance pistons, to special mission, military trainer and defense products, Textron Aviation has the most versatile and comprehensive aviation product portfolio in the world and a workforce that has produced more than half of all general aviation aircraft worldwide. Customers in more than 170 countries rely on our legendary performance, reliability and versatility, along with our trusted global customer service network, for affordable and flexible flight. 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, Pipistrel, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, and Textron Systems. For more information, visit: www.textron.com.

Certain statements in this press release may project revenues or describe strategies, goals, outlook or other non-historical matters; these forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update them. 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, unanticipated expenses or delays in connection with significant new aircraft programs and the timing of certification of our new aircraft products.