The Cessna Citation Latitude midsize business jet has won certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) with deliveries under way in the region.

“We are thrilled to offer the Citation Latitude to our European customers,” says Kriya Shortt, Cessna Aircraft Company’s senior vice president, Sales and Marketing. “This aircraft is ideally suited for this market and can provide customers non-stop access to key destinations throughout the continent as well as North Africa and the Middle East. Customer input was a key driver in the development of the Latitude, which brings the amenities of large cabin aircraft at a midsize acquisition price and best-in-class operating costs.”

The Latitude, which has a maximum range of 4,352 km (2,850 nautical miles), also recently received certification to operate into and out of La Mole Airport – a popular European vacation destination in St Tropez, France.

The Latitude joins a short list of aircraft able to operate at La Mole, which requires this special authorisation due to the strict aircraft performance requirements, dense terrain and heavy airport traffic at the airport.

Throughout the past year, three Latitude demonstrator aircraft have been on a worldwide tour, travelling to more than 20 countries and stopping at major industry trade shows such as the European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE) in Geneva, Switzerland, Latin American Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition (LABACE) in Sao Paulo, Braxzil, the Dubai Airshow in Dubai, UAE, and most recently the Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition in Las Vegas in the US.

With a flat floor and six feet of cabin height, innovation abounds in Latitude with unique features designed throughout the aircraft. Cessna’s wireless cabin-technology system provides connectivity and entertainment to each passenger through their personal electronic devices. Improving cabin comfort for passengers and crew alike, the Latitude features a new cabin cooling system and a new pressurisation system, which provides a 5,950-foot cabin altitude at the aircraft’s maximum operating altitude of 45,000 feet. With standard seating configurations, the Latitude can comfortably accommodate up to nine passengers.

Cessna Aircraft Company is subsidiary of Textron Aviation, a Textron company.

Textron Aviation is home to the Beechcraft, Cessna and Hawker brands, which account for more than half of all general aviation aircraft flying. Textron Aviation companies include Cessna Aircraft Company and Beechcraft Corporation. It provides the most versatile and comprehensive general aviation product portfolio in the world through five principal lines of business: business jets, general aviation and special mission turboprop aircraft, high performance piston aircraft, military trainer and defence aircraft, and a complete global customer service organisation. Its range of products include such best-selling aircraft as Citation and Hawker business jets, King Air and Caravan turboprops and T-6 military trainer aircraft, all of which are backed by the industry’s largest global service network.

Textron is a multi-industry company that leverages its global network of aircraft, defence, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell Helicopter, Cessna, Beechcraft, Hawker, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Greenlee, Textron Systems, and TRU Simulation + Training.