Textron Aviation have been shortlisted for Private Jet Design Award in  The International Yacht & Aviation Awards 2023.

At Textron Aviation, innovation is not brought about by a specific aircraft need. Rather, they have a dedicated team consistently reimagining private aviation years, if not decades, into the future. They consistently look for design inspiration across the universe and keep updated mood boards on hand to capture every “ah-ha” moment. The customer-facing teams spent hours with true Citation customers, pilots, passengers and even competitive owners to dive deep into what aviators want and need.

From there, innovation came to life as industrial designers, engineers and interior designers aimed to solve for those challenges and concerns while also pushing the envelope of what private aviation can be. Time, expertise and intentionality bring earth-shattering vision at Textron Aviation. This is the framework for what they identify as the concept of Gen2.

For the Citation XLS Gen2, it was about enhancing the customer experience through purposeful shape development, accent lighting, and quality materials. The teams compiled the primary needs of customers to include aesthetics, convenience, technology, comfort and durability. They designed concepts ranging from “mild to wild” and utilised additional feedback to align on a path forward.

A sleeker design across the cabin from the size of latches to the leather quilting. Durability and versatility describe the fold down seats that have intentional material to support weight of baggage without harming the luxurious leather of the seatback. The entry step boasts a similar material with longevity in mind. Newly designed lighting inside the cabin as well as the entry steps increase awareness in dark settings while also adding unmatched ramp appeal. A convenient, user-friendly cabin management system allows the individual to adjust any of these factors to their liking. Adding additional device charging capabilities and bringing wireless charging first to market allows the users to be as productive as they choose.

The design and connectivity focus comes without compromise on comfort. Teams specialising in creature comforts designed sport seats that are contoured to the human body, forming intentionally around the spine, angled with the ideal amount of foam for ample support. An acoustic curtain now sits at the entry to separate inclement weather, extreme temperature or engine noise from the cabin inside.

The Citation XLS Gen2 is truly a culmination of customer feedback, industry-leading design dreams and a business direction to support their customers with the best. It’s a new approach to designing aircraft, but one that is already pleasing customers and aviators across the globe.

Photography: Paul Bowen

Textron Aviation

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