Cessna to end production of Cessna Citation X Plus

Textron Aviation will end production of its iconic Cessna Citation X Plus, which for two decades was the Wichita plane manufacturer’s biggest and fastest business jet.

The Wichita-based plane manufacturer confirmed the decision in a statement to the Eagle on Monday morning, adding that it eliminates some crossover with Textron Aviation's newest jet that's awaiting type certification.

"The Citation X platform has a storied heritage within the Citation brand and has become a beloved aircraft by operators and passengers alike as the fastest civilian aircraft in the world," the statement said. "With the upcoming entry into service of the Citation Longitude, we are taking the opportunity to minimize overlap within this customer segment and discontinuing production of the Citation X+."

A Textron Aviation spokesperson said in an e-mail that employees won't be affected by the decision. Workers on the Citation X will move to other production lines and programs.

Besides the Longitude, Textron Aviation has other new airplane programs in development, including the Cessna Denali and SkyCourier, Scorpion jet and Citation Hemisphere.

Announced in the early 1990s, the first Citation X — then priced at $15 million — was delivered to golf legend Arnold Palmer in 1996.

A year later the jet and its Cessna design team won the prestigious Robert Collier Trophy from the National Aeronautic Association for bringing advances in speed and altitude performance – it can fly up to 51,000 feet – to general aviation.

Through the first quarter of 2018, Textron Aviation has delivered 338 of the mid-size jets, according to shipment data from the General Aviation Manufacturers Association.

The Citation X can seat up to 12 people, though it is typically configured for eight to nine passengers.

Its Rolls-Royce engines power it to a top speed of Mach 0.935, flirting with the speed of sound.

Rolland Vincent, a business aviation forecaster, said the Citation X had "a good run" but its size and $23.4 million price was too close to the $26.9 million Longitude — which has longer range and a wider cabin than the Citation X.

"(Textron Aviation) needed to make some room for the new birds," Vincent said. "And the price point for the X was always running up against the Longitude.

"They needed to do what they're doing."

This story was originally published June 25, 2018 at 11:49 AM with the headline "Cessna to end production of Cessna Citation X Plus."