Cessna and China Aviation Industry General Aircraft Company, Ltd. (CAIGA) have finalized a deal to assemble Citation XLS+ business jets in China. The deal, which was announced as a strategic partnership earlier this year with CAIGA parent AVIC involving the assembly and sale of Caravans in China, will involve subassembly and parts production in Wichita with assembly, paint and flight testing for in-country aircraft to take place in Zhuhai, the site of Airshow China, which is on this week.
“This is an exciting opportunity for Cessna, given the tremendous growth potential of the region and our ability to bring high quality, proven aircraft that people have come to expect from Cessna,” said Scott Ernest, president and CEO. Cessna and CAIGA will jointly manage the venture but Cessna gets to pick the manager. “Customers can expect rigorous testing and quality controls that are the hallmark of our reliable aircraft family,” said Bill Schultz, Cessna’s senior vice president of business development for China.
