Textron Aviation plans to add 16,000 sq ft to its interior manufacturing facility in Wichita to support growing demand for unique and custom Cessna and Beechcraft aircraft interiors, the company said yesterday. Textron expects the expansion to help streamline production processes by centralizing machinery within the space to support efficient interior manufacturing for its entire line of Cessna Citation twinjets, as well as Beechcraft King Air and Cessna SkyCourier turboprops.
The larger footprint allows the company to support newer models such as the Citation M2 Gen2, CJ4 Gen2, Cessna SkyCourier, Beechcraft King Air 360, and King Air 260. Additionally, the facility will support two products currently in development—the Cessna Citation Ascend (the latest Excel/XLS variant) and Beechcraft Denali—once they enter service.
The facility upgrades include energy-saving LED lighting and high-efficiency systems. Textron expects to complete construction on the expansion by mid-year 2024.
"Our highly skilled team designs each interior to create a customer’s ideal aircraft environment and experience, such as relaxation, innovation, or productivity,” said Textron Aviation senior v-p of customer experience Christi Tannahill. “This expansion supports our team in exceeding our customer’s expectations with unmatched quality, craftsmanship, and efficiency.”