Textron Aviation’s Product Investments Reap Rewards in Europe
Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT) company, displays eight class-leading business jet and turboprop aircraft from Cessna and Beechcraft, including Europe’s most recently-certified business jet, the Cessna Citation Latitude, at this year’s European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (EBACE) at Geneva’s Palexpo convention center.
“2016 is off to a strong start, with European jet and turboprop sales up 20 percent from the first quarter in 2015,” says Kriya Shortt, senior vice president, Sales and Marketing. “In addition to the Latitude, we have also achieved EASA certification on all of our King Air turboprops and are experiencing great market acceptance of these products. We are excited to expand our European customer base as we continue to bring innovative solutions and service offerings to market.”
Europe is well-suited for the versatility and performance capabilities of Cessna’s broad range of Citation business jets. With more than 800 Citations in operation throughout Europe, Citations are among the most popular business jet choice in the region.
The Citation Latitude, which made its second EBACE appearance, will feature an all-new standard interior, redesigned to match the comfort and class of the new Citation Longitude. The Latitude is able to provide customers non-stop access to key destinations throughout the continent as well as North Africa and the Middle East. The aircraft brings the amenities of large-cabin aircraft at a midsize acquisition price and best-in-class operating costs. The Latitude also offers short-field performance and was recently certified to operate at La Mole Airport in St. Tropez, France, with the ability to carry significant payload.
“We are thrilled to have achieved EASA certification on the Citation Latitude earlier this year, and we continue to experience great market acceptance of the aircraft with 23 delivered to customers around the world in just seven months,” says Shortt. “Europe continues to be a great market for all of our Citation products and we will continue to bring tailored solutions to meet the needs of our customers.”
With more than 500 King Airs and Caravans operating in Europe, Beechcraft and Cessna’s turboprops have proven to be ideally suited to the region’s needs, due to their ample range, solid load capacity and mission flexibility. With the company’s recently announced single engine turboprop, Textron Aviation has invested in solutions that offer versatile turboprop platforms for commercial operations.
“With EASA anticipated to ease regulation on single engine commercial operations, we are confident the proven Caravan platform and our newly-announced single engine turboprop will provide European commercial operators a best-in-class solution for both passenger and freight operations,” says Shortt.
The Beechcraft King Air 250, equipped with the new Pro Line Fusion avionics system and cabin upgrades, made its debut last year at EBACE. Since then, Beechcraft has delivered 22 Fusion-equipped aircraft. Most recently, the Fusion-equipped King Air 350i/ER and 250 aircraft have achieved EASA certification, paving the way for deliveries throughout Europe. Pro Line Fusion for the King Air introduces its first full touch-screen flight display system. The one-of-a-kind, intuitive flight deck interface enhances the flight experience while reducing pilot workload.