Cessna Citation CJ1+ Chosen for Lufthansa Flight Training

Atlanta.– Cessna Aircraft Company, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, announced today at the opening of the National Business Aviation Association annual meeting it has an order from Lufthansa Flight Training for four Citation CJ1+ aircraft for its new pilot training program.

The aircraft are scheduled for delivery between October 2008 and mid-2009. The aircraft will be used for basic jet training at Lufthansa’s training center in Bremen.

“Lufthansa is one of the premier airlines in the world, and its training program is an industry leader, so being chosen for this says a great deal about the CJ1+,” said Trevor Esling, Cessna vice president, International Sales. “The combination of advanced avionics, performance and handling characteristics, durable design and low cost of operation make it an ideal aircraft for this high-utilization environment.”

The CJ1+ was first announced at the NBAA annual convention in 2004 and won its type certificate less than a year later. It is designed for two crew and five passengers (though it can be operated single-pilot). It has a top speed of 389 knots (720 km/h) and a range of 1,297 nautical miles (2402 km). Like the rest of the popular CJ line, the 1+ features Williams engines (FJ44-1AP for the CJ1+) and Collins Pro Line 21 avionics.