NetJets President Pat Gallagher talks fleet disposition strategy as the first three midsize Citation Ascends enter service, replacing the XLS.
The first three Citation Ascends from Textron Aviation’s Cessna brand have entered service with NetJets.
The Ascends are from a 2023 agreement that provides NetJets with options for up to 1,500 aircraft from Textron.
They will eventually replace the Citation XLS as NetJets’ entry-level midsize jet.
There were 49 XLS aircraft in the fleet at the beginning of April.
NetJets President Patrick Gallagher tells Private Jet Card Comparisons that plans call for the remaining XLS jets to exit the fleet by the end of 2027.
It stopped selling jet cards on the XLS fleet last December.
In the midsize category, NetJets also offers the Embraer Praetor 500.
The world’s largest private jet operator categorizes the Sovereign and Latitude as midsize jets, although based on their maximum takeoff weight, they are generally classified as super-midsize.
The Ascend becomes the 13th Citation jet to have served in the NetJets fleet.
Textron Aviation SVP, Sales and Marketing, Lannie O’Banion says, “Building on the proven performance the Citation family is known for, the Ascend introduces new technology and comfort enhancements that matter to fleet customers.”
Citations that NetJets has flown include the Citation S/II, Bravo, V Ultra, Encore, Encore+, VII, Excel, Sovereign, X, Latitude, and Longitude models.
The Ascend offers a flat-floor cabin, eliminating the aisle well found in the XLS.
Cabin height in the Ascend is five feet.
The Ascend delivers increased thrust, improved fuel efficiency, and extended range compared to the XLS.
Like the XLS, the cabin has seven passenger seats.
An eighth passenger can be accommodated via a belted lav (below).
The jets will have Gogo’s Galileo connectivity.
NetJets expects to take 15 Ascends this year.
Overall, the company expects to receive around 80 new private jets in 2026.
During an interview with CNBC on Friday, Berkshire Hathaway CEO Greg Abel said deliveries are projected to continue at the same pace in 2027.
An important benefit for buyers is that NetJets considers the XLS a downgrade from the Ascend.
That means when an Ascend isn’t available, they will likely find themselves on a larger aircraft.
Gallagher says, “Our discerning owners have shown a preference for midsize jets, and the Citation Ascend represents the next evolution in midsize jet travel, delivering the latest in exceptional design and comfort.”
Gallagher also spoke to how NetJets plans to dispose of aircraft it no longer needs.
Fleet disposal has long been an issue from several perspectives.
Individual owners worry that mass fleet disposals of a specific type by fleet operators would depress the value of their aircraft on the pre-owned market.
Program operators have worried that, by selling fleets as they exit service supporting their program customers, their former aircraft could be used to compete against them.
However, that hasn’t stopped large sales to other operators.
Last year, Flexjet sold 20 Challenger 300s to Baker Aviation.
Vista sold its remaining Citation X fleet to Jet Excellence.
NetJets had previously sold 27 Falcon 2000s to Dumont Aviation.
Both Baker and Jet Excellence focus on the wholesale market.
Dumont quickly used the Falcons for its jet card program and to create a pre-owned fractional program.
“Our fleet disposition strategy has changed a lot since then,” Gallagher says of the 2018 deal.
He adds, “We’re very carefully managing where the aircraft are dispositioned versus selling them or trading them in as we’ve done in the past.”
Speaking of the exiting XLS fleet, Gallagher says, “You won’t see them out in the market.”
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