Citation gains winglets

The new models—the Cessna Citation M2 Gen3, CJ3 Gen3, and CJ4 Gen3—were announced at the company’s static display at Henderson Executive Airport during the National Business Aviation Association Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition.

The Gen3 version of each aircraft will include Garmin Emergency Autoland, and the Citation CJ4 Gen3 additionally features the new Garmin G3000 Prime integrated avionics suite. The CJ4 Gen3, currently under development, achieved its first flight in early October, and is expected to enter service in 2026. The M2 Gen3 and CJ3 Gen3 are expected to enter service in 2027.

All three new aircraft will include Runway Occupancy Awareness, which provides visibility of runway obstacles and potential runway incursions, and Advanced 3D SafeTaxi, which displays runways, FBOs, and hangars to make airport navigation easier.

The Garmin Emergency Autoland system “provides a means for the aircraft to automatically land safely in the event of a pilot becoming incapacitated,” said Textron Aviation Senior Vice President of Global Sales and Flight Operations Lannie O’Bannion. “The M2 and CJ3 aircraft are single-pilot aircraft. This gives pilots and passengers the peace of mind knowing that if an event like this happened in the cockpit, a passenger can go into the cockpit, press a dedicated button, and have the aircraft take over.

“By adding the Emergency Autoland, along with the autothrottle technology on [the M2 and CJ3], both the Gen3 aircraft will continue to define the light jet segment and reinforce our commitment to performance, productivity, and profitability for our customers.”

After certification of the Gen3 aircraft, customers who own a Citation M2 Gen2 with autothrottles or a CJ3 Gen2 aircraft will receive a service bulletin about the opportunity to incorporate Garmin Emergency Autoland into their aircraft.

The new Citation CJ4 Gen3, expected to be included under the CE-525 type rating, is the first aircraft to announce the inclusion of Garmin’s next-generation G3000 Prime integrated avionics suite.

“The Gen3 offers the same great performance pilots appreciate in a CJ4 with a modern yet familiar avionics system,” said Textron Aviation Director of Product Development Jimmy Beeson.

Some of the features of the new avionics include touch-screen primary displays that let pilots easily zoom and change waypoints and interact with the system; an intuitive menu interface that helps pilots navigate across avionics systems and flight operations; and secondary display units that are 40 percent larger than previous versions.

Additional new features in the CJ4 Gen3 include new winglets with enhanced lighting; lithium-ion batteries to provide enhanced starting power; integration of real-time data with LinxUs to support owners and operators in planning for maintenance and repairs; improved cabin acoustics; and upgraded flight deck lighting.

A Citation CJ3 Gen3 mockup and a CJ4 Gen3 cockpit mockup are available for attendees to view at the company’s static display.