Cessna receives type inspection authority for Citation Latitude

prototype Cessna Citation Latitude overflying the factory

The US FAA issues a type inspection authority to Cessna for its new jet, the Citation Latitude.

prototype Cessna Citation Latitude overflying the factory

Cessna Aircraft announced at EBACE 2014 the certification milestone of the FAA issuing a type inspection authority (TIA) for the Citation Latitude business jet. This will allow the first production aircraft to join the flight test programme and begin accumulating flight hours that will apply towards the final certification.

More than 60 flights and 130 hours have been flown in the Citation Latitude test programme to date.

ALSO READ: Citation Latitude fulfills all its speed promises

Chris Hearne, vice president, business jets, said: “All systems are performing as expected on the Citation Latitude prototype and first production aircraft and we’re eager to continue the progress in this next stage of flight testing. We have an aggressive certification programme that is possible because the Citation Latitude uses proven Cessna technologies and mature systems and our team has experience bringing new aircraft to the marketplace.”

The manufacture of the second aircraft is progressing, with the wings and fuselage being mated together on the production line in Wichita.

FAA type certification for the Citation Latitude is expected in the second quarter of 2015.

The Citation Latitude will carry nine passengers with a range of 2,500 nautical miles and a maximum operating altitude of 45,000 ft.