NetJets Adds First Three Citation Ascend Midsize Jets
Textron Aviation just delivered the first three Cessna Citation Ascend business jets to NetJets, their fleet launch customer. NetJets is the first private fleet operator to take delivery of and begin operations with the Citation Ascend, and plans to have 15 Ascends in total by the end of 2026.
Cessna Citation Ascend
The Ascend is the successor to, or next evolution, of the Excel and XLS aircraft, in the Citation 560XL line. Several years ago, Excel and XLS aircraft were the largest component of the NetJets fleet, so there’s a lot of history between the manufacturer Cessna and operator NetJets for this size of aircraft. In addition, NetJets has owned and operated many other Citation business jets, including the Citation S/II, Bravo, V Ultra, Encore, Encore+, VII, Sovereign, X, and the latest Latitude and Longitude models.
The Ascend provides a flat floor cabin, seating for 7 passengers, and flight times of up to 4 hours, or a four-passenger range of 1,940 nautical miles (3,593 kilometers). There’s also a full refreshment center and 79 cu. ft baggage compartment.
“The Citation Ascend represents our continued investment in supporting NetJets customers well into the future,” said Lannie O’Bannion, SVP, Sales & Marketing, Textron Aviation. “Building on the proven performance the Citation family is known for, the Ascend introduces new technology and comfort enhancements that matter to fleet customers. We look forward to supporting NetJets as they take delivery of their first Ascend and continue delivering a premium, dependable experience for customers around the world.”
Patrick Gallagher president, NetJets Aviation told SherpaReport, “We love the efficiency of it. We love the cabin space and the capability of the aircraft relative to the price point, which makes it a really desirable aircraft for our business.”
Patrick then added, “If you think about our product lineup, going from the Phenom to the Ascend to the Latitude to the Praeter 500 to the Longitude to the Challenger 3500, we really have all of our bases covered, so to speak, in that mid-cabin market.”
These three new Ascends will begin operations immediately, and the 15 new Ascends that NetJets are receiving this year, will be part of over 80 airplanes added to the fleet in 2026. Just a couple of months ago, NetJets took delivery of the first of its new flagship Bombardier Global 8000, ultra-long-range jets.
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