Cessna Anticipates Strong European Demand for New Aircraft

FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, Germany, April. 9, 2014 — Cessna Aircraft Company, part of the Textron Aviation segment of Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT), is showcasing its latest aircraft to the European market at the AERO Friedrichshafen trade show in Germany this week. Aircraft on display include the Cessna Citation M2 business jet, Cessna Grand Caravan EX utility turboprop and Cessna TTx high-performance single-engine aircraft.

“We have several exciting products launching in Europe this year – we expect the Citation M2, Cessna Grand Caravan EX and Cessna TTx to all achieve European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) type certification in 2014,” said Tom Perry, vice president of sales, Europe. “Each aircraft brings distinctive capabilities to the European market and we anticipate they will be extremely popular with our customers.”

The Citation M2 has a maximum cruise speed of 400 knots true airspeed (460 miles per hour) and a range of 1,300 nautical miles. The aircraft can operate at airports with runways as short as 3,250 feet and will climb to 41,000 feet in 24 minutes.

Perry continues: “There is already significant interest in the Citation M2 from our European customers. Customer feedback has indicated a strong demand in Europe for a Citation with the size, speed and range of the Citation M2.”

The Cessna TTx is the world’s fastest certified single-engine fixed-gear aircraft. The TTx is a high-performance composite airplane designed for advanced pilots, with progressive technology and luxury interiors. The TTx is the first aircraft to be equipped with the Garmin G2000® avionics system, featuring a glass cockpit with dual 14.1-inch (35.81 cm) high-definition displays and touch screen controls.

“The TTx is a popular choice for advance single-engine pilots seeking jet-like performance,” said Brian Steele, business leader for the Cessna TTx. “The aircraft’s speed and luxury is set to be a winning combination in Europe and we look forward to introducing the TTx to the market when the aircraft receives EASA certification later this year.”

The Cessna Grand Caravan EX offers operators a 38 percent improvement in the rate of climb over the Grand Caravan. The aircraft has an appeal to “hot and high” operators in many remote parts of the world, allowing for missions in more remote, mountainous areas.

“The aircraft has shown itself to be the ideal solution for safely getting people or cargo into places other aircraft simply cannot go,” said Jeff Umscheid, business leader for the Cessna Caravan. “We anticipate the Cessna Grand Caravan EX being just as popular with European operators as with the rest of our global customer base.”

Cessna is exhibiting at AERO Friedrichshafen in Hall A3, stand 127.