Light Jet Now Certified For Operation In 51 Countries

Overshadowed by the news of significant layoffs at Cessna, was last month's announcement the Kansas-based planemaker earned Canadian and Japanese certifications for its Citation Mustang light jet.

Cessna announced the receipt of Transport Canada and Japanese Civil Aviation Bureau certifications November 18. Receipt of those approvals paves the way for deliveries to begin to customers in both countries.

The current fleet of Citation Mustangs totals 130 aircraft. The fleet has accumulated more than 19,000 flight hours, with the high-time aircraft logging more than 500 hours.

The six-place Mustang is now certified in 51 countries.

As ANN reported, Cessna announced November 12 it would lay off some 665 positions, blaming the move on the global economic crisis. The company handed out pink slips this week... though not as many as the planemaker had stated previously, thanks to about 150 workers who opted to take voluntary severance packages.

It's worth noting none of those involuntary layoffs reportedly came from the Independence, KS production line that builds the Mustang, due to strong sales of the light jet.

FMI: www.cessna.com