Textron Launches Cessna Citation Ascend

Textron Aviation announced the newest addition to its bestselling business jet family, the Cessna Citation Ascend, at the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (EBACE) being held in Geneva, Switzerland.

The Citation Ascend is the newest member of the Citation business jet family and features an all-new cockpit, improved performance, and Garmin G5000 avionics. Other features include a “game changer” flat floor and a new window design that is 12% larger.

In addition, the Citation Ascend is powered by Pratt & Whitney Canada’s PW545D engine, which was designed to deliver better fuel efficiency, greater power, and easy maintenance.

Textron expects the Ascend’s airframe maintenance intervals to be 18 months or 800 hours, and the PW545 engine will have a longer time between overhauls (TBO) of 6,000 hours and 3,000 hours for the hot section inspection.

The TBO is the manufacturer’s recommended number of running hours or calendar time before an aircraft engine or other component requires an overhaul. The overhaul process for an engine is a meticulous and labor-intensive process that involves disassembling, cleaning, inspecting, repairing, and replacing parts as needed. This process is usually expensive due to the amount of work required.

Ron Draper, President and CEO, Textron Aviation stressed the popularity of the Citation 560XL series and how the newly-revealed Citation Ascend can add value to its product line.

“Of the Citation family, there’s none more flown than the Citation 560XL series. With a 560XL aircraft taking off or landing every two minutes somewhere in the world, this aircraft will be part of the most successful business jet family,” Draper said.

Talking about the legacy built upon the 560XL series, Lannie O’Bannion, senior vice president, Global Sales and Flight Operations, said the Cessna Citation Ascend builds upon more than 20 years of the 560XL series’ success in the market. “It’s designed to outperform and take our customers further in style,” O’Bannion said.

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