Citation Longitude circles the globe: 31,000 nautical miles in 31 days

Press Release




Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron, Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, today announced the Cessna Citation Longitude has successfully circumnavigated the globe, demonstrating its commanding performance and impressive reliability to customers along the way. Throughout its world tour, the Longitude traveled more than 31,000 nautical miles, flew 27 legs and visited 12 countries.

“This far-reaching tour enabled us to fulfill the mounting demand from customers around the world to experience this stunningly capable and impressive aircraft,” said Rob Scholl, senior vice president of Sales and Marketing. “After successfully circling the globe and showcasing its outstanding performance and reliability throughout diverse regions and a wide array of environmental conditions, the Longitude reinforced its ability to suit the needs of operators worldwide.”

The Longitude commenced its world tour on January 27 when the aircraft departed Textron Aviation headquarters in Wichita, Kansas, for its Asia-Pacific debut at the Singapore Airshow. The aircraft then toured throughout the region and demonstrated its outstanding long-range performance with the 3,504-nautical mile flight from Seletar, Singapore to Sydney, Australia. Before returning to the United States, the Longitude flew throughout Europe, making stops for customers in Sweden, France, Italy, Switzerland and the U.K.

On its return flight to the United States, the Citation Longitude flew a crew of two pilots and two passengers on the 3,094-nautical-mile trip from Farnborough, U.K. (EGLF) to White Plains, New York (HPN), for a flight time of 6 hours 50 minutes and a crossing speed of Mach 0.82.

“We are extremely happy with the affirming feedback we have consistently received throughout the Longitude’s worldwide tour,” Scholl said. “With production in full swing and type certification and entry into service approaching, we look forward to introducing this superior aircraft to the market.”

About the Citation Longitude

With a range of 3,500 nautical miles (6,482 kilometers) and full fuel payload of 1,600 pounds (726 kilograms), the Citation Longitude is designed to elevate passenger expectations in the super-midsize class by delivering the quietest cabin, a low cabin altitude (5,950 feet/1,814 meters), more standard features and a comfortable, bespoke interior. With seating for up to 12 passengers, including an optional crew jump seat, the Longitude features a stand-up, 6-foot tall flat-floor cabin. A standard double-club configuration delivers the most legroom in the super-midsize class. Fully berthable seats are designed and manufactured in-house and a class-leading walk-in baggage compartment is accessible throughout the entire flight. State-of-the-art cabin technology enables passengers to manage their environment and entertainment from any mobile device, while high-speed internet maximizes in-flight productivity.

The clean-sheet design of the Longitude integrates the latest technology throughout the aircraft, bringing customers the lowest ownership cost in its class. It features the next evolution of the Garmin G5000 flight deck and is powered by FADEC-equipped Honeywell HTF7700L turbofan engines with fully integrated autothrottles with envelope protection. With Garmin’s new Head-up Display (GHD 2100) and enhanced vision capability, the Longitude facilitates eyes-up flying. The spacious cockpit incorporates easier access and an ergonomic design that fully focuses on crew comfort and efficiency.

No super-midsize business jet offers more range, greater payload or higher cruise speed at a lower expected total ownership cost. The Longitude is designed to feature the longest maintenance intervals in its class – 800 hours or 18 months – expected to make it the most cost effective to operate in its category.