Cessna is one of the most well-known brands in general aviation aircraft. The company rose to success after its introduction of the Cessna 172 series, a single-engine propeller plane that has become the most produced aircraft of all time. However, the company later became a major player in the development of several private jet offerings, many of which are still produced today.
Cessna was originally founded by Clyde Cessna and Victor Roos in 1927. Clyde had a history of building and testing his own aircraft. The first aircraft the company designed, the DC-6, was certified on the same day as the stock market crash of 1929, and Cessna eventually was forced to shut down in 1932.
However, in 1932, Clyde’s nephews Dwane and Dwight Wallace purchased the company and reopened it. During World War II, Cessna produced several aircraft for the United States military, including the Cessna T-50.
After the conclusion of World War II, Cessna immediately switched into commercial production of civilian aircraft. The company saw success with the Model 120 and the Model 140. However, Cessna did not see huge success until the release of the Cessna 172 in 1956. The Cessna 172 would later become the most produced aircraft in history.
Cessna produced several general aviation aircraft throughout the 1950s and 1960s, including the Cessna 150 and Cessna 182 Skylane. However, in the 1960s, the company developed its first private jet, the Citation I. This aircraft was produced until 1985, with nearly 700 delivered.
The company built on the success of the Citation I by later developing one of the most well-known brands of private jets. The Citation private jet brand would later include aircraft ranging from very light jets all the way to super midsize business jets, and has several aircraft still in production today.
Cessna would end the 1970s with the introduction of the larger Citation II, solidifying the Citation series of aircraft. In the 1980s and early 1990s, Cessna would further expand its private jet offerings with the introduction of super-midsize aircraft, the Citation III, Citation VI, and Citation VII.
However, in 1985, Cessna ceased to be an independent company after it was acquired by General Dynamics. The company also released the Cessna Caravan, the turboprop-powered freighter developed with insight from FedEx.
In 1992, General Dynamics sold Cessna to Textron, a large industrial conglomerate. Just a few years later, in 1996, Cessna released its most ambitious business jet yet, the Citation X. This was the fastest civilian aircraft at the time.
In the 2000s, Cessna continued to expand its private jet offerings. The company released the Citation Mustang and the Citation XLS+, a significant upgrade to the XLS. Cessna had a brief period of financial struggle during the 2008 economic crisis, although it was still able to continue its global expansion, focusing on establishing service centers around the world.
In 2014, Cessna was formally moved under the business subsidiary of Textron called Textron Aviation. Textron had acquired Beechcraft at this time and formed the new company to consolidate Cessna, Beechcraft, and Hawker into one corporate division. Additionally, in the 2010s, Cessna released several new business jets, including the Citation M2, the Citation Latitude, and the Citation Longitude. Cessna has continued to upgrade its current offerings in recent years, including the release of the Citation Ascend, an upgrade to the Citation XLS+, and the CJ Gen3 series.
Cessna produces several popular series of general aviation aircraft. This includes the Cessna 172 Skyhawk, the Cessna 182 Skylane, the Cessna T182 Turbo Skylane, and the Cessna 206 Turbo Stationair, which are all single-engine propeller aircraft. The manufacturer also produces the Cessna Caravan and Grand Caravan, which are turboprop-powered freighter aircraft. One of its most recent introductions is another turboprop-powered freighter, the Cessna Skycourier.
Today, Cessna produces several popular business jet offerings:
| Aircraft Model | Entry into Service | Aircraft Class | Engines | Capacity | Range |
| Citation M2 Gen2 | 2013 | Very light jet | Williams FJ44 | 7 passengers | 1,550 nautical miles |
| Citation CJ3 Gen2 | 2014 | Light jet | Williams FJ44 | 9 passengers | 2,040 nautical miles |
| Citation CJ4 Gen2 | 2010 | Light jet | Williams FJ44 | 10 passengers | 2,165 nautical miles |
| Citation Ascend | 2026 | Midsize jet | Pratt & Whitney PW545 | 9 passengers | 2,100 nautical miles |
| Citation Latitude | 2015 | Midsize jet | Pratt & Whitney PW306 | 9 passengers | 2,700 nautical miles |
| Citation Longitude | 2019 | Super-midsize jet | Honeywell HTF7700 | 12 passengers | 3,500 nautical miles |
The Citation Ascend is Cessna’s most recently developed private jet. This is the latest upgrade to the popular Citation Excel family, which was introduced in the late 1990s.
Additionally, Cessna is also working on certifying several new aircraft in other popular families. All three aircraft in the CJ family, the M2, CJ3, and CJ4, are set to be upgraded into a Gen3 family. The CJ4 Gen3 is expected to be certified in late 2026, while the M2 Gen3 and CJ3 Gen3 are expected to be entered into service in 2027.
Cessna has produced a wide range of aircraft since it began producing aircraft in the 1920s. This ranges from single-engine propeller planes to super-midsize business jets. Some of the company’s most popular aircraft can be traced back to the 1950s, including the Cessna T-50, Cessna 150 series, and the Cessna 170.
Other previously produced propeller aircraft include the Cessna 175 Skylark, Cessna 177 Cardinal, Cessna 180/185 Skywagon, and the Cessna 210 Centurion. Cessna also found success with various twin-engine aircraft, such as the Cessna 421 Golden Eagle, Cessna 414, and the Cessna 441 Conquest II.
However, Cessna eventually ventured into the business jet industry with the introduction of the Cessna 500 Citation I, a twin-engine private jet that was introduced in 1969. Cessna eventually introduced an upgraded variant of this aircraft, called the Citation I-SP, although the company ended production of this series in 1985.
The Citation II was the company’s next private jet, which was produced from 1978 to 2006. Cessna also introduced the Citation S/II in 1984, a parallel variant to the Citation II. Cessna followed the success of the Citation II with the Citation III, produced from 1983 to 1992.
In the late 1990s, Cessna began the development of several other private jets. This includes the following aircraft:
Additionally, Cessna introduced its lightest jet yet in 1993 with the CitationJet, later designated the CJ and CJ1. This series would later be paused briefly in the early 2010s before returning under the M2 designation.
The 1990s also brought the acceptance of the Citation Bravo, which was produced from 1995 to 2006. However, in 1996, Cessna introduced its most ambitious private jet yet, the Citation X. This was one of the world’s fastest-flying private jets:
In 1996, the company also began deliveries of the Citation Excel. This aircraft would be produced from 1996 to 2004, although several upgrades were later introduced. Cessna now produces the Citation Ascend, which is the latest upgrade in this family.
Cessna also introduced the Citation Ultra and the Citation Encore in the 1990s, although production of these aircraft did not last as long as other models:
In the 2000s, Cessna expanded its CitationJet family, offering several larger variants that utilized a similar airframe. The M2, CJ3, and CJ4 are aircraft that are still produced that fall in this family.
One of the company’s smallest jets, the Citation Mustang, was introduced in 2006. However, due to market overlap with the M2, production of this aircraft ended in 2017. Another popular family of private jets produced by Cessna was the Sovereign family. However, Cessna ended production of this series after the Citation Latitude was later introduced.
Cessna is a major brand that is currently owned by Textron Aviation, which in itself is a subsidiary of Textron, a corporate conglomerate based in Providence, Rhode Island.
| Founded | 1927 |
| Headquarters | Wichita, KS |
| Manufacturing Locations | – Wichita, KS
– Independence, KS – Chihuahua, Mexico |
| Company Type | Textron Aviation is a wholly owned subsidiary of Textron |
| Stock Symbols | New York Stock Exchange (NYSE): $TXT |
| Approximate Employees | 34,000 (2025) (Textron Aviation) |
| 2025 Revenue | $14.8 billion USD (Total Textron) |
| 2025 Net Income | $921 million USD (Total Textron) |
Cessna produces some of the most widely used private jets in the world. Many of its aircraft are utilized by ultra-high-net-worth individuals for business use. However, Cessna aircraft are also utilized heavily by private jet providers around the world.
This includes the following companies:
