COLUMBUS, OH – NetJets, Inc, a Berkshire Hathaway company, today celebrated its upcoming delivery of its first Cessna Citation Latitude aircraft at Textron Aviation, Inc., headquarters in Wichita, Kansas. NetJets CEO Adam Johnson received the keys to NetJetsโ first fractional Latitude aircraft from Textron Aviation President and CEO Scott Ernest.
Coming off a successful demonstrator tour this winter and spring, NetJets is taking delivery of its first Latitude aircraft for customer deliveries in mid-July. This aircraft is part of a confirmed order for 25 placed in 2012.
โThe Citation Latitude business jet gives our Owners and their guests best-in-class performance, size, and comfort in the midsize category. As the newest NetJets offering, the Citation Latitude is a great addition to our fleet of the worldโs best aircraft,โ Johnson said. โWith the Latitude we will continue giving Owners unparalleled service and safety, while advancing our long term relationship with Textron Aviation.โ
NetJets expects the Latitude fleet could grow to more than 175 aircraft over the next ten years based on current sales pacing and projections. The Citation Latitude order was part of a $17 billion commitment that the company made for up to 670 new business jets. NetJets will receive its 100th aircraft from these orders in July.
The delivery today also marked Cessnaโs 7,000th Citation aircraft delivered since it entered the business jet market in 1972.
โThe Cessna and NetJets relationship extends more than 20 years and our newest certified business jet is a perfect fit for their operations,โ Ernest said. โThe Citation Latitudeโs performance and value proposition equate to increased productivity for NetJetsโ Owners, while giving them large-cabin amenities at a midsize cost. We are thrilled the aircraft has become one of the fastest selling aircraft in NetJetsโ history.โ
In addition to the Latitudeโs class-leading performance capabilities and cabin comfort, NetJets aircraft will include several custom enhancements such as an expanded refreshment center with a hot beverage maker and the NetJets 360 Connectivity package that includes Wi-Fi, Text & Talk, and the NetJets In-Flight Entertainment System. To date NetJets has pre-sold its first 14 Latitude deliveries.
With a maximum range of 2,850 nautical miles, the Citation Latitude can fly nonstop from Los Angeles to New York, and Chicago to San Francisco. With a flat floor and a cabin height of six feet, the Latitude affords the most open, spacious, bright, and refined cabin environment in the midsize category. Improving cabin comfort for passengers and crew alike, the Latitude features a new cabin cooling system and a new pressurization system. The system provide a 5,950-foot cabin altitude when the aircraft is at its maximum operating altitude of 45,000 feet, allowing Owners to arrive at their destinations feeling more refreshed.