Textron Aviation has marked the 50th anniversary of the Cessna Citation 500’s first flight with a public announcement celebrating the popular line of business jets.
The Citation was launched in October 1968 at an NBAA convention as the Fanjet 500, taking its first flight almost a year later on September 15, 1969.
“From that first Citation flight 50 years ago and through every Citation model produced since, our business jet programs are deeply rooted in the combined efforts of our employees, our suppliers and our customers,” said Ron Draper, president and CEO of Textron Aviation.
“The same vision that led to the creation of the original Citation 50 years ago still guides us today. We are building on our history as an industry leader and investing in the future to continue to exceed customer expectations.”
The Citation is today the most popular line of any business jet, with more than 7,500 aircraft delivered worldwide, amazing more than 35 million flight hours.
Today there are seven models in the Cessna Citation family: the M2, CJ3+, CJ4, XLS+, Sovereign+, Latitude, and Longitude.