GENEVA, Switzerland, May 3, 2010 – Cessna Aircraft Company, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, announced today at the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (EBACE) that Turkish Airlines Flight Training Academy has ordered two Citation Mustang business jets.

The new aircraft, which are to be delivered this month, will be based at Istanbul Ataturk Airport and used for flight training purposes. The Academy selected the Mustang following its successful experience of operating Cessna 172s as training aircraft.

In 2009, Turkish Airlines was the fourth largest airline in Europe in terms of passengers carried. A Star Alliance member, the airline operates a fleet of 134 aircraft flying to 157 destinations around the world. Turkish Airlines was recently named Skytrax’s Best Southern European Airline.

“Turkish Airlines’ successful growth reflects our commitment to world-class standards in all activities, including flight training. The Citation Mustangs will bring a new dimension to the work of our Training Academy, giving our pilots invaluable jet experience and the best possible learning environment,” said Menderes Cakici, Turkish Airlines’ director of Flight Training.

“We are delighted with this order from Turkish Airlines Flight Training Academy, which follows similar Mustang orders from other airlines. This confirms the Mustang’s great flexibility and docile handling characteristics, which make it as suitable for pilot training as for charter operations,” said Trevor Esling, Cessna vice president, International Sales.

The Citation Mustang is the world’s first fully-certified entry-level business jet. The program was announced at the 2002 National Business Aviation Association convention and the aircraft made its first flight in April 2005. The first Citation Mustang was delivered in April 2007.

Coming in at just over $3 million (2010 delivery), the Mustang features Garmin avionics, Pratt & Whitney Canada engines and boasts a maximum 1,200-nautical mile range.

Source: Cessna