The Citation Longitude is finally certified by the FAA
The much-anticipated Citation Longitude has now been certified by the Federal Aviation Authority, following a number of delays in the program. And with a large order book already in place, manufacturer Textron can now finally start to make its first round of deliveries.
The $24 million super-midsize Longitude is a departure for Cessna – it’s biggest and longest range jet yet, which is set to be the flagship of the Citation jet family. While certification came almost two years later than expected, due mainly to issues with the aircraft’s fuel tanks, Textron used the time to take it on world tour, generating a lot of exposure and interest.
The Longitude is capable of a range of up to 3,500 nautical miles and a cruise speed of 483 kts. This makes it capable of private jet charter trips such as New York to Los Angeles, or London to Dubai.
A clean-sheet design, it has 12 fully-berthable seats and a 6-foot tall stand up cabin – effectively the same cabin cross section of the Latitude, but with extra length, to accommodate another row of seats. This gives it more cabin space than any other in the super-midsize category – including rival Embraer’s new Praetor 500 and 600.
Technology is at the heart of this new aircraft, both in the cockpit, which features the latest evolution of the Garmin G5000 flight deck, and in the cabin, where passengers can control lighting, temperature, connectivity and entertainment from any mobile device.
While initial deliveries will be focussed on the fractional ownership market, we’re looking forward to the first Longitude being made available for charter in the next few months.
While we wait for the Longitude to hit the charter market, we can arrange flights on many other Citation models, including the Latitude. Contact our team for advice and pricing on +44 (0)20 7100 6960.
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