Feedback ‘integral part’ of Textron Aviation’s business, CEO says

Textron Aviation CEO Scott Ernest told about 400 of his company’s customers that it’s their feedback that has led to the development of its newest Cessna Citation business jets and plans for a single-engine turboprop.

“Your feedback is an integral part of how we run this business, day in, day out,” Ernest said.

His comments came during the company’s annual customer conference, which kicked off Tuesday in Wichita.

Ernest was among four people who spoke during the conference’s nearly 2 1/2-hour opening session Tuesday morning at Century II. The session included presentations from Brad Thress, Textron Aviation senior vice president of customer service, and Ed Bolen, chief executive of the National Business Aviation Association.

The annual conference, which runs through Wednesday, is for owners and operators of Beechcraft turboprops and Cessna Citation jets.

Ernest said the midsize Latitude, deliveries of which began in the third quarter of 2015, and super midsize Longitude, expected to make its maiden flight in summer 2016, are the result of customer feedback in what they want in a next airplane.

“Those conversations also led us down the path … to the Citation Hemisphere,” he said. The long-range, large-cabin jet that will be Cessna’s biggest ever, fits a market “segment that really hadn’t seen any investment in the last 20 years.”

The Hemisphere is expected to make its first flight in 2019.

Ernest also teased Textron Aviation’s plans for a new single-engine turboprop, which he said is a “natural” step up for owners of Beechcraft and Cessna piston-engine airplanes. The company is expected to release more details about the new turboprop in coming months.

In his update, Thress – whose duties include oversight of the company’s global service centers – said Textron Aviation has added a dedicated Citation CJ3 jet to provide technicians and emergency repair services for aircraft customers in Europe. That airplane adds to its aircraft service fleet in the U.S. that includes a CJ3 and a Sovereign jet.

He also said the company’s fleet of specially equipped trucks for emergency aircraft maintenance has grown to 70 vehicles.

NBAA’s Bolen, a Salina native, focused largely on the House’s stalled Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill. The House bill includes air traffic control privatization, which Bolen said is an example of “airlines working very hard to get control of the nation’s air traffic control system.”

“Our ability to respond to that kind of power grab by the airlines is directly attributable to how our industry comes together and communicates with legislative leaders,” he said.

Bolen said business and general aviation’s concern with air traffic control privatization will affect operations of non-commercial aircraft and lead to high fees that will impact the industry, including users and manufacturers such as Textron Aviation.

Last week the Senate passed its version of an FAA reauthorization bill that did not include the “poison pill” of privatization.

“Our hope is that the poison pill will actually be eliminated from the (House) bill,” Bolen said.

This story was originally published April 26, 2016 at 6:05 PM with the headline "Feedback ‘integral part’ of Textron Aviation’s business, CEO says."