Textron Delivers 500th CJ4 as Gen3 Nears Certification

Textron Aviation has delivered its 500th Cessna Citation CJ4 series twinjet—a CJ4 Gen2—to a customer in the Philippines. Meanwhile, the CJ4 Gen3 continues its march toward FAA certification, which the company expects before year-end. According to the company, two flight-test CJ4 Gen3 airplanes have logged more than 880 hours to date.

The milestone 500th CJ4 delivered this week rolled out of Textron Aviation’s Wichita facility in June. The light jet series has been in production since 2010.

Unveiled at NBAA-BACE 2024, the Gen3 variant introduces Garmin G3000 Prime avionics and Emergency Autoland. Textron Aviation describes the Gen3, the largest Citation in the light jet segment, as offering the most standard features in its class. It will have a 2,165-nm range, 2,200-pound maximum payload, seating for up to 11 occupants, and 1,040-pound baggage capacity. Like its predecessor, the Gen3 can be flown single-pilot.

“As we look to the future, our focus remains on delivering the performance, efficiency and confidence operators need to succeed in an evolving aviation landscape,” said Lannie O’Bannion, senior v-p of sales and marketing, noting that the figure reflects the CJ4 platform’s track record and customer trust built over more than a decade.

The first CJ4 Gen3 prototype flew in 2024. A second test aircraft, designated P1 and focused on evaluating avionics, human factors, and cabin systems, made its first flight in May 2025.