Awarded At EBACE 2007

What a way to kick off a major aviation exposition. On Monday -- the day before the start of the European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE) in Geneva -- Cessna celebrated the announcement its Citation Mustang very-light jet has achieved European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certification. The Mustang is the first new-generation entry level business jet to be certified in Europe.

"The Citation Mustang has met or exceeded every performance objective established when we announced the program in 2002," said Cessna's Chairman, President and CEO Jack J. Pelton. "The Mustang is proving its capability in the United States where several owner-operators are currently flying their new airplanes. We're looking forward to starting deliveries of the Mustang in Europe later this summer."

Cessna reports the six-place Mustang has a top speed of 340 ktas (nearly 400 miles per hour/644 kilometers per hour), a range of 1,150 nautical miles (1,323 statute miles/2,130 km - NBAA IFR Reserves) and a service ceiling of 12,500 m (41,000 feet).

As ANN reported, the Citation Mustang earned FAA certification last September, followed by the receipt of its production certificate in November 2006. After delivering the first two production Mustangs to dealers to be used as demonstration aircraft, Cessna delivered the first customer bird, the third production plane off the line, in April.

Cessna plans to deliver 40 Citation Mustangs in 2007, with production ramping up to about 150 aircraft per year by the end of 2009.

FMI: www.cessna.com, www.ebace.aero