WICHITA, Kan., Oct 30, 2013 — Cessna Aircraft Company, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, celebrated the company’s Citation CJ4 and Citation XLS+ as winners in the annual Robb Report “Best of the Best” in their respective jet aircraft categories. The honor was made official, as Cessna was presented with the award in a ceremony at Cessna this month.
“Cessna is one of the most successful companies in the history of the Best of the Best award,” said Daniel Curtis, Robb Report Director of Aviation. “This is our highest accolade. In the last 25 years of the ‘Best of the Best’ awards, Cessna Aircraft Company has taken a category title 29 times. We cannot wait to see what you continue to develop and build, and this year we are very proud to recognize the CJ4 and XLS+ as the ‘Best of the Best’ in their categories.”
The XLS+ is being recognized in the light midsize category for “offering the agility of a light jet and the roomy interior of a midsize.” The editors cited the XLS+ as well known for possessing fantastic short runway performance and capable of very smooth landings. The Citation jet combines transcontinental range and first class cabin luxury for up to 12 passengers, along with remarkable performance efficiency. The 19-foot long cabin supplies plenty of leg room and six fully reclining leather seats. This is third time the XLS+ has been awarded a “Best of the Best” award in the light midsize category, while its predecessor the Citation Excel has won twice; once in 1999, and again in 2001.
The CJ4 is the winner in the light category. This is the third win for the CJ4, having previously won in 2007 and 2012. Robb Report points out that the CJ4 is bigger and better than its CJ predecessors, with a longer cabin and seating for nine passengers with a roomy cabin and plenty of room for baggage. The cabin “features an entertainment system that integrates with laptops” and has the range to cover the distance “from Boston to Belize City or Edinburgh to Istanbul.” The aircraft also boasts fuel consumption as low as 175 gallons per hour.
Brad Thress, Cessna senior vice president for Business Jets, said: “What an honor to be recognized in the Robb Report ‘Best of the Best’. It is rewarding to have our world class business jets inspire others. Recognition belongs to those on our team at Cessna who continue to innovate in the design and manufacture of the XLS+ and CJ4 aircraft.”
This is the 25th year in which Robb Report has published their “Best of the Best” issue, in which the year’s best in aviation, wine, spirits, cigars, travel and fashion are announced. For aviation, the Robb Report views all options on the market for the segment, and involves their full editorial staff and industry experts on the process. In winning this award, the CJ4 and XLS+ have been named as the most innovative, and are expanding what general aviation can do for customers.
