Cessna on Tuesday announced to a small group of aviation journalists that its Citation Latitude midsize jet is on track for certification and first deliveries early next year. Announced just two years ago, the Latitude is a clean-sheet airplane designed to compete in a new supercharged midsized market characterized by airplanes with bigger cabins and longer range. The Latitude is right there in both regards.
On Tuesday I had the chance to tour the third flying example, complete with a beautiful production interior, and to witness the first flight of the fourth conforming aircraft, from Wichita Mid-Continent Airport, home base for Cessna Aircraft. That flight lasted two and a half hours and allowed the crew to complete Cessna’s standard first flight profile. The interior, with a flat floor and six feet of actual headroom, was roomy and luxurious, featuring the same new-design seats as on the Citation X+ and Sovereign+.
