General Aviation Citation Longitude and Global 6500 celebrate entry-into-service

At the beginning of October, the first Citation Longitude and Global 6500 have been delivered to their respective launch customers. Both aircraft types received their type certificates from various aviation authorities at the end of September this year.

For both manufacturers, the delivery is a huge milestone in their aircraft program.

David Coleal, President, Bombardier Aviation confirmed: “We are celebrating a significant milestone today with the entry-into-service of this exceptional aircraft [...] We’re proud of the work our team and our suppliers have done to deliver a technologically advanced aircraft that exceeds our customers’ expectations in terms of unparalleled comfort, superior performance and an incomparable smooth ride. The Global 6500 business jet continues to maintain the longstanding winning DNA of our Global family of aircraft, the most successful long-range business jet platform.”

Textron Aviation president and CEO Ron Draper commented: “The newly certified Citation Longitude brings unrivalled technology to the business travel market, for both the passenger and the pilot, offering our customers the most efficient and productive super-midsize jet now in operation [...] We are thrilled to now transition this program into service.”

Both aircraft went through a test program over the past month. The Cessna Citation Longitude test beds performed close to 6,000 hours of flight time. The manufacturer tested structural, component and robust variables to ensure a maximum of safety when in normal operations. The Longitude completed a 31,000 nautical miles world tour as well.

Textron Aviation will build all Citation Longitudes at its facility in Wichita, United States. Bombardier on the other hand, manufacturers the Global 6500 in Canada. The test program of Bombardier however has been performed from Wichita as well.

The entry-into-service means that both manufacturers now have their definition of state-of-the-art business jet on the market. The Citation Longitude and the Global 6500 benefit from new technologies on board that ensure bettered operational performances and more safety on board.