Summary
- Citation family offers exceptional options at various price points, with popular models in the US.
- Unique features include the M2’s fresh air system, Excel’s advanced avionics, and Latitude’s spacious design.
- The real-time LinxUs system helps with diagnostics, while Longitude offers the quietest cabin in its class.
The Citation family of jets entered production in 1972 and has since become one of the world’s most popular business jet platforms, with over 8,000 units sold across the lineup.
From the entry-level Citation M2 to the flagship Citation Longitude, the Citation lineup offers something special at every price level. The aircraft are especially popular in the US thanks to charter companies such as NetJets, which is the home to the largest Citation Latitude fleet in the world.
There are currently 12 main models and many more variants in the Citation family. They are:
| Model | Production Run |
| Citation I | 1971 to 1985 |
| Citation II | 1978 to 2006 |
| Citation III | 1983 to 2000 |
| Citation V | 1988 to 2011 |
| Citation Excel | 1996 to present |
| CitationJet | 1991 to present |
| Citation Mustang | 2006 to 2017 |
| Citation X | 1996 to 2018 |
| Citation Sovereign | 2004 to 2021 |
| Citation Latitude | 2014 to present |
| Citation Longitude | 2019 to present |
| Citation Hemisphere | Development suspended |
Over the years, Cessna has created unique and innovative features throughout the Citation lineup. Here are five noteworthy features.
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1
Citation M2: Fresh air system
A breath of fresh air for passengers onboard
The Citation M2 features a unique Fresh Air System that cycles fresh air within the cabin every two minutes. This is quite a step up from other business jets and jetliners, which recirculate the same air through the cabin for a few revolutions before replacing it with fresh air.
The system also heats the air to high temperatures to kill any possible pathogens. It ensures that passengers are kept safe and healthy. Here is how it works:
- Air is drawn from the atmosphere.
- The air is compressed and heated to kill pathogens.
- Air is routed to dedicated air conditioning evaporators, which cool it down.
- Air enters the cabin through distribution ducts.
- Stale air exits the cabin through specialized outflow valves.
2
Citation Excel: Garmin’s best
The G5000 is a cutting-edge avionics suite
The Citation Excel was the second-ever aircraft and the first in the Citation line to feature the Garmin G5000 avionics suite with phase II upgrades.
The Garmin G5000 is an advanced integrated flight deck optimized for crew-flown business jets. The system can have up to four large GTC touchscreen vehicle management controllers with WXGA high-resolution displays. The G5000 has done away with physical knobs and buttons in favor of an uncluttered touchscreen-controlled cockpit, which is fully customizable to suit the pilot’s needs.
Each display can independently display the Primary Flight Display (PFD) or Multifunction Display (MFD) or even function in a dual mode, which shows the PFD and MFD side by side on the same screen.
The following functionalities can be added as required during or after purchase, making it a modular and easily upgradable system:
- Synthetic Vision Technology.
- Satellite weather and communications and digital radar.
- Traffic receivers.
3
Citation Latitude: Fresh food fast
Extra space and storage for better service
According to Cessna, the Citation Latitude is currently the best-selling midsize jet in the world. It features a newly designed flat floor and a stand-up cabin, which increases passenger comfort.
In its standard configuration, the aircraft seats eight passengers with six club seats and a two-seat divan. However, the aircraft features a unique extra large refreshments center, which reduces the seating capacity to seven, as it occupies the space needed for the two-seat divan. A single seat replaces the couch.
The refreshment center allows operators to store plenty of catering supplies to serve passengers during those extra-long journeys.
Like many business jets, the Latitude’s interior can be customized to your heart’s desire. But Cessna provides buyers with a plethora of standard interior colors. These include:
- Glacier
- Sandstone
- Ecru
- Truffle
- Jet Black
- Bisque
4
Instant diagnostics
Real-time information for when it’s needed most
Many of the Citation models are now equipped with LinxUs and LinxUs Air. The system works with the Central Diagnostics Maintenance System (CDMS) to function as a fault isolation system that monitors the aircraft from top to bottom.
If there is an issue onboard, the system will provide actionable information to maintenance technicians in real time, helping to get the aircraft fixed and back in the air in record time. The system needs to be connected to WiFi, but if the aircraft is equipped with a GSR56 Iridium Satellite Receiver, it can be used in the air.
The components of the LinxUS Air include:
- LinxUs™ Air
- Central Diagnostics Maintenance System (CDMS)
- GSR56 (Iridium Satellite Receiver)
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5
Citation Longitude: Silence is golden
The lowest cabin noise in its class
The Citation Longitude has been engineered to have the quietest cabin in its class. With only 67 decibels in the aft cabin during a cruise flight, it beats the Gulfstream G280 by two decibels and the Bombardier Challenger 350 by five.
According to Cessna, having a quiet cabin was one of the main points. The quiet cabin was achieved in three steps:
- Engineers identified potential noise sources within the cabin and the aircraft’s exterior.
- Noise levels were measured from every seat of the aircraft by using computer models based on flight data.
- The sources were targeted, and engineers used state-of-the-art noise-dampening techniques and materials to soundproof the cabin.