Textron Aviation builds 500th Citation Latitude

Textron Aviation has built its 500th Cessna Citation Latitude. The aircraft left the company's Wichita, Kansas, factory, and the announcement came Tuesday.

The midsize business jet entered service in 2015, putting the milestone a little over ten years after its introduction. Textron calls the Latitude the world's best-selling midsize business jet.

According to the manufacturer, its design centres on a flat-floor cabin tall enough for passengers to walk upright, paired with short-field capability and the range to cover a range of business and personal trips.

Eric Cardinali, Textron Aviation's senior vice president of manufacturing, credited the company's employees. A team stands behind each aircraft, he said, focused on the quality and workmanship customers expect.

Lannie O'Bannion, senior vice president of global sales and marketing, said the cabin, flexibility and operating economics keep drawing buyers.

Textron said the 500th jet joins a growing worldwide fleet and points to sustained demand for the model. It did not say who will receive the aircraft or give further delivery information.

The Latitude sits within the Cessna Citation line, which spans light jets through larger midsize and super-midsize aircraft. Textron says the Citation family has passed 7,500 deliveries globally.