Citation Latitude Becomes Billion-dollar Business
Textron Aviation has taken a strategic approach to moving into new markets as it works to increase its customer base. As a result, the company has already created a new billion-dollar business with the success of the Citation Latitude, said president and CEO Scott Ernest.
The company is set to deliver the 100th Latitude this week, to NetJets, a milestone achieved in a little more than two years since the first Latitudes reached customer hands in summer 2015. Textron Aviation had already delivered 81 through June, including 23 in the first six months of this year alone.
The Latitude, which incorporates the widest and tallest cabin in the in-service Citation lineup, has eclipsed the M2 as the company’s most delivered product currently in production, he noted, and said the program is building momentum as the fleet continues to grow, particularly on the international front. The company recently sold the first of the midsize models to a customer in the Philippines. With NetJets as a key customer—the fractional operator is taking 28 of the aircraft this year—it also is attracting fleet interest, he added.
