Textron Aviation marked a milestone in its latest business jet program with the rollout of the first production Cessna Citation Ascend in Wichita, Kansas.
The twinjet, a continuation of the manufacturer’s Citation 560XL series, is anticipated to receive certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) later this year.
Employees gathered at the company’s Wichita factory to celebrate the rollout, which Textron Aviation described as a key step toward bringing its latest Citation model to customers’ hangars.
“Today is a big celebration and thank you to everyone who has been a part of building up to this point,” said Todd McKee, Senior Vice President of Integrated Supply Chain for Textron Aviation. “It is your craftsmanship that continues to make milestones like this possible. By infusing new technology and bringing new features to the market, we continue to drive the future for us to build these legendary aircraft.”
The Ascend joins a family of midsize Citation jets that has seen more than 1,000 units delivered in the last 25 years. Textron, Cessna’s parent company, said the 560XL line has remained popular among owners and operators thanks to its combination of performance, cabin comfort, mission flexibility, and operating economics.
The rollout of the first production Ascend marks the third aircraft in the program, following two earlier test articles that make up the Citation Ascend flight test fleet. The prototype completed its first flight in 2023, while the second jet, a conforming production test aircraft known as P1, began flying in June 2024. Together, those aircraft have been accumulating flight hours and undergoing extensive systems and certification testing, paving the way for FAA approval later this year.
With the Ascend jet building on a decades-old legacy, this latest iteration updates the airplane with modern cabin features and cockpit technologies drawn from larger Citation models.
One of the most notable upgrades in the Ascend is its redesigned passenger compartment. It offers a flat-floor layout that maximizes legroom and provides added flexibility for passengers during flight, Cessna noted. Standard seating is arranged for nine, and designers have equipped the interior with 19 USB charging ports and three universal outlets, ensuring every occupant has access to power for personal devices.
The aircraft is powered by Pratt & Whitney Canada PW545D engines, which offer both improved fuel efficiency and increased thrust compared with earlier versions. In the cockpit, pilots will find Garmin’s G5000 avionics suite, with the latest hardware and software iterations. The system includes autothrottle technology, bringing a level of automation and workload reduction not previously available in this segment of the Citation family.
Another advancement comes in the form of the aircraft’s auxiliary power system. The Ascend is fitted with a Honeywell RE100 [XL] APU that is approved for unattended operations, giving crews added flexibility on the ground and providing extra convenience for operators.
Textron Aviation emphasized that the Citation Ascend was designed with customer feedback in mind, reflecting a desire for performance improvements alongside enhanced cabin comfort. The result, the company says, is an aircraft that blends the efficiency of the 560XL line with the modern luxuries and technologies found in newer Citation models such as the Latitude and Longitude.
When Textron Aviation launched the Citation Ascend at the EBACE convention in Geneva in 2023, the purchase price was announced as $16.725 million in 2023 dollars.
