Story ID: 
Textron Aviation Marks Rollout of 500th Latitude
By: Kerry Lynch
Caption: Aircraft entered service in 2015
Word Count: 192
Textron Aviation is celebrating the rollout of the 500th Cessna Citation Latitude, a milestone reached about a decade after the aircraft entered service. A staple in fleets such as NetJets, the midsize aircraft became Textron Aviation’s fastest-selling business jet, reaching the 240th-delivery mark within five years of its August 2015 service entry and then following with the 400th production rollout by 2024. The airframer marked the milestone with production workers at its Wichita factory.
“The rollout of the 500th Citation Latitude is a testament to the employees who build this aircraft with dedication and pride every day,” said Eric Cardinali, senior v-p of manufacturing. “This milestone is only possible because of the skill of our workforce and the trust customers continue to place in our products.”
Introduced at the 2011 NBAA Convention, the midsize twinjet brought the first flat floor to the Citation lineup, as well as the first new cross-section in four decades. The twinjet can accommodate nine passengers, with a typical layout for seven to eight with club seating, and sports a 6-foot cabin height. It can fly 2,700 nm at high-speed cruise (446 ktas) with four passengers.