Bloomberg Businessweek (Asia)

Raising the Bar Sky-High

CESSNA’S NEWEST JET REVOLUTION­IZES BUSINESS AVIATION—AGAIN

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How does the largest private jet fleet in the world bolster its impressive market share? When you’re Net-ets—the country’s first private business jet charter company— you call Cessna Aircraft Company.

With its order of up to 150 Cessna Citation Latitude aircraft, Net-ets affirmed the industry consensus that the midsize jet category had its most refined entrant. At the time, the nine-seat plane soared alone as the ideal combinatio­n of comfort and efficiency— but that was before the Citation Longitude.

Cessna’s latest release, scheduled to enter the market at the end of 2017, sets a new standard in the super-midsize business jet segment, with a design driven by customer input that offers class-leading comfort and performanc­e.

For Textron Aviation, Cessna’s parent company, that approach is nothing out of the ordinary. ´We look at the best systems that will yield the performanc­e parameters that our customers have told us that they want—the speeds, the distances and the total cost of ownership,” says Kriya Shortt, Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing.

The smallest details have been considered in the design of the Longitude. ´We are conscious that customers need an environmen­t that is well equipped to do business,” Shortt explains. ´We have the amenities to make the cabin a flying boardroom or conference room. For example, this will be the quietest cabin in its class, and connectivi­ty is a standard feature.”

The Citation Longitude includes seating for up to 12 passengers, and a stand-up, flat-floor cabin with a standard double-club configurat­ion, allowing the most legroom in the super-midsize class. When the work is done, fully berthable seats, a low cabin altitude (5,950 feet) and 15 large windows optimally placed for natural light offer passengers maximum comfort throughout the trip.

By adopting a clean-sheet design approach, Cessna allowed for the very latest in technology. The Longitude features the next evolution of the Garmin G5000 flight deck, and is powered by FA'EC-equipped Honeywell HTF7700L turbofan engines.

´That means our customers have the ability to connect city pairs that matter to them,” Shortt explains. ´For instance, they can do New York to Los Angeles nonstop. If they want a transatlan­tic crossing, they can travel from Boston to Paris. If they are European customers, they’ll be able to travel from London to 'ubai.”

This range and performanc­e come with the bonus that the Citation Longitude is the most cost-efficient aircraft in its class. ´It’s not only about the acquisitio­n price, but also what total ownership costs will be over time,” says Shortt. ´By using the latest technologi­es, we’re able to offer a product that will have lowest-in-class operating costs.”

And Cessna isn’t done. To complete its Citation family, the company will enter the large business jet category with the 4,500 nautical mile-range Citation Hemisphere, with a first flight scheduled for 2019.

´The aircraft in that class are 20-plus years old, which means they don’t have the benefit of having cross-functional teams to create a best-in-class product,” says Shortt. ´In terms of design, that is something that we hold at our core.”

At Cessna, a business jet is about more than getting from points A to B. ´Really, these are productivi­ty tools that we offer to our customers,” says Shortt. ´They can meet with their customers or send their teams to visit prospects, all to drive their business needs forward.”

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