Cessna Aircraft Company, a subsidiary of Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, today announced it received type certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) for the Cessna Citation CJ3+, paving the way for deliveries to begin in Europe later this year.

“This is a significant milestone as the Citation CJ3+ is perfectly suited for the European environment, combining a number of attributes that benefit passengers and operators alike,” said Chris Hearne, vice president, Jets and Interior Engineering. “We've maximized productivity, technology and comfort in the passenger cabin, and operators and pilots benefit from superb performance characteristics, all at operating and acquisition costs that make the CJ3+ the smart choice for today's business transportation requirements.”

The Citation CJ3+ gained initial certification from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration in September, less than six months after its market introduction in March 2014. By the end of 2014, Cessna had already delivered 10 Citation CJ3+ aircraft, contributing to the company's stronger business jet delivery performance in 2014.

With a range of 3,778 kilometers (2,040 nautical miles), the Citation CJ3+ can easily fly non-stop from London to Moscow or Cairo, or Madrid to St. Petersburg. The CJ3+ accommodates up to nine people and can climb to 13,716 meters (45,000 feet) in just 27 minutes, allowing it to operate above some weather and avoid more crowded flight levels. 

The Garmin G3000 avionics suite in the Citation CJ3+ includes turbulence detecting weather radar, TCAS II, advanced Terrain Awareness Warning Systems (TAWS), and automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B). Designed to provide the most efficient flight profile by minimizing fuel costs and environmental impact, the Citation CJ3+ burns, on average, 10 percent less fuel and costs 5 percent less in maintenance per flight hour versus other aircraft in the light jet segment.

Cessna created and continues to invigorate the light jet segment, giving customers the widest product range on the market. From the popular entry-level Citation Mustang and Citation M2 jets, to the upgraded efficiency and comfort of the CJ3+ and the top performing CJ4, Cessna's Citation CJ family of light business jets has evolved to offer a range of capabilities, systems and options unmatched in its class.

Cessna's Citation series of jets are the most popular line of business jets ever produced, with more than 6,750 jets delivered to customers around the world. Citations are the largest fleet of business jets in the world and have surpassed 31 million flight hours.