Cessna Aircraft Company, a subsidiary of Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. company, today celebrated the roll out of the first production Citation Latitude at the company's Wichita, Kansas manufacturing facility, just three years since being announced to the market. The assembly of the Latitude features a variety of technological advancements including the use of new automated robotics and ergonomically friendly tooling stations. Today's event is the latest in the aircraft's progression toward type certification by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which is expected in the second quarter of this year.

“Our product investments extend beyond the design and performance features of the aircraft with innovations in our manufacturing processes,” said Scott Ernest, president and CEO. “The Citation Latitude team has redefined what customers should expect from a business aircraft in this segment, while also redefining the aircraft build process.”

The Citation Latitude certification program, which includes four flying aircraft, has accumulated 500 flights and 1,200 hours to date. The first fully-configured aircraft made its public debut at last fall's National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Convention & Exhibition in Orlando, Florida and has since been touring the country for customer demonstration flights.