Textron and NetJets have made a groundbreaking move in the aviation industry by placing an order for up to 1,500 Citation corporate jets. This order signifies the growing demand for corporate jets and highlights the partnership between Textron and NetJets. The order is expected to have a significant impact on the industry, including job opportunities for pilots interested in working for NetJets.
The order allows NetJets to take delivery of up to 100 airplanes per year over the next 15 years and gives NetJets flexibility to mix the order between the Citation Longitude, the Citation Latitude, and the new Citation Ascend. The order makes NetJets the launch customer for the new Citation Ascend.
“Expanding and adding the Citation Ascend to the NetJets fleet will provide its global customers with even more versatility and flexibility to accomplish their missions, building upon the exceptional performance and popularity of the Latitude and Longitude’ said Ron Draper, president and CEO, Textron Aviation.
“As a longtime, trusted ally who shares our commitment to safety and service, Textron Aviation is the ideal partner to help us expand our offerings to NetJets Owners, first with the introduction of the new Ascend to our midsize jet class, and second by growing our overall fleet,” said Doug Henneberry, NetJets Executive Vice President, Aircraft Asset Management.
About the Citation Latitude
The Citation Latitude is a midsize corporate jet originally launched in 2011. The airplane seats 7 passengers and has a range of 2,700 nm. The Citation Latitude shares the wing and engines from the Citation Sovereign but includes a new fuselage that has more passenger headroom in the cabin and features a flat floor.
About the Citation Longitude
The Citation Longitude is a super-midsize corporate jet originally launched in 2012. The airplane seats 8 passengers and has a range of 3,500 nm. The Citation Longitude shares the same fuselage profile with the Citation Latitude, though the Longitude fuselage has been stretched to increase the passenger cabin size. The Longitude has a different wing, engines, and empennage than the Latitude. While the Latitude has a wing sweep of 16 degrees, the wing of the Longitude has significantly more sweepback at 28 degrees.
About the Citation Ascend
The Citation Ascend is a midsize corporate jet launched in 2023. The airplane is an evolution of the very successful Citation Excel/XLS family, which has already sold almost 1,100 airplanes. The Ascend will feature improvements to the flight deck, engines, as well as many other systems. The Ascend will update the passenger cabin and will include a flat floor. The airplane will have a range of 1,900 nm.
Historic Aircraft Order Increases NetJets Pilot Jobs Opportunities and Stability
The order placed by NetJets signifies an increase in long-term corporate jet job opportunities for pilots, while also providing stability within the industry. This order demonstrates a strong and continued demand for pilot jobs, and provides long-term stability for corporate jet pilot jobs.
The expansion of NetJets’ fleet not only creates immediate job openings, but indicates a sustained growth trajectory for the company, which is likely to result in a stable demand for hiring pilots well in the future.
Airplane fleet growth at NetJets accelerates pilot seniority progression. Faster seniority progression allows pilots to advance quicker into captain roles and improves quality of life as pilots gain more control over scheduling preferences and the ability to get specific time off.
Greg started his professional pilot journey in 2002 after graduating from Embry Riddle. Since that time he has accumulated over 8,000 hours working as a pilot. Greg’s professional experience includes flight instructing, animal tracking, backcountry flying, forest firefighting, passenger charter, part 135 cargo, flying for a regional airline, a national low cost airline, a legacy airline, and also working as a manager in charge of Part 135 and Part 121 training programs.
