LAKELAND, Fla., April 15, 2010 – Cessna Chairman, President and CEO Jack Pelton issued a call to action to the general aviation community to take a leadership role in defining solutions to environmental issues so that responsible stewardship works in conjunction with economic considerations required for industry growth. Cessna Aircraft Company is a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company.
Pelton made the remarks in a speech after receiving the 2010 Lindbergh Award, given annually to individuals whose work over many years has made significant contributions toward Lindbergh's concept of balancing technology and nature. The award was presented here Wednesday at a dinner at the Sun 'n Fun fly-in and trade show.
"Aviation has established an outstanding track record in reducing its environmental impact as we grow to meet rising demand for transportation around the world," Pelton said. "To further reduce aviation's impact on climate change requires partnerships between industry and government, and a commitment to find realistic solutions . . . technically and financially viable solutions everyone can live with."
Pelton said people in the industry must participate in debate on the issues that should include not only aircraft emissions, but operations, infrastructure and research and development. He also called on the 1.2 million Americans who earn a living from some aspect of general aviation to help tell legislators and the public about the positive steps industry has already taken.
"The market demands efficiency, and business aviation has delivered a 40 percent improvement in fuel efficiency over the past 40 years," Pelton said. "Keep in mind that during the same timeframe, passenger and cargo traffic increased more than six fold, making aviation an extremely greenhouse gas-efficient economic driver." In 2008, Pelton established the Cessna Environmental Strategy Council which focuses on aircraft emissions, industrial emissions/waste/recycling, recycling consumables, energy conservation and engaging employees. Under Pelton, Cessna also launched GreenTrak, a flight planning program for Cessna Citation business jets that allows pilots to optimize flights for time, speed and fuel efficiency which reduces emissions.
Click www.cessna.com/media_releases/Lindbergh_Award_Acceptance_Speech_April_2010.pdf for a complete transcript of Pelton's speech.Cessna is the world's leading general aviation company, based on unit sales, with five major lines of business: Citation business jets, Caravan single-engine turboprops, Cessna single-engine piston aircraft, aftermarket services and lift solutions by CitationAir. In 2009, Cessna delivered 754 aircraft, including 289 Citation business jets, and reported revenues of about $3.3 billion. Since the company was originally established in 1927, more than 192,000 Cessna airplanes have been delivered around the world, including more than 6,000 Citations, making it the largest fleet of business jets in the world. More information about Cessna Aircraft Company is available at www.cessna.com.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 Helicopter, Cessna Aircraft Company, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Greenlee, and Textron Systems. More information is available at www.textron.com.Forward-looking Information: Certain statements in this release are forward-looking statements and speak only as of the date on which they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the statements, including but not limited to the following: [a] changes in worldwide economic and political conditions that impact demand for our products, interest rates and foreign exchange rates; [b] the interruption of production at our facilities or at our suppliers' facilities; [c] the timing of new product launches and certifications of new aircraft products; [d] the occurrence of slowdowns or downturns in customer markets in which our products are sold or supplied; [e] changes in aircraft delivery schedules or cancellations or deferrals of orders; [f] the launching of significant new products or programs which could result in unanticipated expenses; [g] changes in national or international government policies on the export and import of commercial products; [h] bankruptcy or other financial or performance problems at major suppliers or subcontractors that could cause disruptions in our supply chain; [i] continued difficult conditions in the financial markets resulting in adverse impacts to our customers, including difficulty in obtaining financing for the purchase of our products; and [j] continued volatility in the economy resulting in a prolonged downturn in the business jet market.
