17 April, 2019: Cessna-AVIC Aircraft, a Textron Aviation joint venture in China, has signed a contract with the Flight Inspection Center of CAAC (CFIC) for eight new Cessna Citation XLS business jets. The aircraft is expected to be delivered from 2019 to 2021.
The signing ceremony was held during the Asian Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (ABACE) at the Shanghai Hongqiao Airport.
"This recent order by the CFIC demonstrates the Center's continued confidence in the products and services provided by Textron Aviation," said Kevin Wu, international vice president of sales, Greater China and Mongolia. "We continue to fully support the operations of the CFIC and its mission to propel the development of the civil aviation safety system in China."
The eight XLS aircraft will be equipped with special flight inspection equipment which will facilitate the expansion of the CFIC fleet and its ability to respond to highly demanding missions throughout the region, such as fulfilling inspection and certification missions for the communication, navigation, radar and flight programmes of newly built airports, as well as performing regular flight inspection missions for airports already in operation. This will help ensure a smooth implementation of airport construction plans and safe operation of corresponding air routes during China's Thirteenth Five-Year Plan period.
"The successful purchase of these aircraft is only possible with the great support for flight inspection operations from the Party Group of Civil Aviation Administration of China, which is significant to the fleet construction of CFIC and ensuring civil aviation transportation safety," said Director of CFIC, XIONG Jie.
CFIC's current fleet of eight 560 XLS/XLS jets will continue to perform inspection missions at many high-elevation airports throughout the region. The XLS is perfectly suited for this mission because of its excellent high-elevation performance, ability to operate in severe weather and harsh environments and economical operating costs.