Textron Aviation Unveils Gen3 Line Of Citation M2, CJ3, CJ4 Light Jets

LAS VEGAS—On the eve of NBAA-BACE, Textron Aviation has announced the next generation of light jets, including the Cessna Citation M2 Gen3, CJ3 Gen3 and CJ4 Gen3, with all three receiving Garmin’s Emergency Autoland technology and other new features. 

The CJ4 Gen3 also gets Garmin's newly announced next-generation Garmin G3000 Prime avionics. Textron Aviation is the first manufacturer to announce the addition of the G3000 Prime on an aircraft.

The Citation CJ4 Gen3, the company’s largest light jet in the product line, is projected to enter service in 2026 followed by the Citation M2 Gen3 and CJ3 Gen3 in 2027.

Textron Aviation is displaying cockpit mockups of the CJ3 Gen3 and CJ4 Gen3 during the National Business Aviation Association’s Conference and Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) here in Las Vegas over Oct. 22-24 on the static display at Henderson Executive Airport.

Following certification, customers with Citation M2 Gen2 aircraft with autothrottles or CJ3 Gen2 aircraft will be offered a service bulletin with the opportunity to add Garmin’s Emergency Autoland to their aircraft.

The new features are exciting, says Ron Draper, Textron Aviation president and CEO.

“Today we unveiled the future of flight and the next generation of Cessna Citation light jets—the M2 Gen3, CJ3 Gen3 and CJ4 Gen3—to carry on the iconic legacy of the trusted Citation brand while introducing cutting-edge advancements and technology,” Draper says. “With the inclusion of revolutionary Garmin Emergency Autoland technology, as well as all-new Garmin G3000 Prime avionics in the CJ4 Gen3, these aircraft promise to elevate the flying experience.”

The three aircraft will feature fully integrated Garmin Autothrottles, Runway Occupancy Awareness for enhanced visibility of runway obstacles and potential runway incursions, and Advanced 3D SafeTaxi that displays runways, fixed base operations and hangars for better navigation.

“Adding the Garmin Emergency Autoland system to our entire Citation light jet family lineup represents a monumental leap in aviation technology,” Draper says. “As the world’s first certified system of its kind, Autoland offers not just an advancement in automated flight capabilities but a profound enhancement in passenger and pilot peace of mind.”

The autothrottles help reduce pilot workload, he says.

“Now you can see the method to our madness of why we’re putting autothrottles in the M2 and CJ3,” Draper says. “You can’t have the Emergency Autoland system until you give that system the authority to control landing gear, throttles, braking—all those systems. So, we’re doing it step by step.”

That said, autothrottles are available on Textron Aviation’s Part 25, two-pilot aircraft, where there is not a need for Garmin’s Autoland system, because of their benefits, he says.

The company is excited to launch the three upgraded aircraft at NBAA, says Lannie O’Bannion, Textron Aviation senior vice president of global sales and flight operations. “This is going to be a very nice improvement to our Citation jet fleet.”

The upgrades add to previous improvements and are the result of input from Textron Aviation’s customer advisory board, he says.

In the unlikely event a pilot is incapacitated, the Autoland system—activated when a passenger pushes a dedicated button in the cockpit—takes control of an aircraft, informs air traffic control of an emergency, calculates a flight path to the most suitable runway taking into account terrain and weather, initiates a stabilized approach, automatically lands the aircraft, brings it to a stop and shuts down the engine.

It also will provide updates to the passengers on the aircraft on the status of the flight, such as flight time to destination, says O’Bannion.

The company introduced the CJ4 Gen2, which seats up to 10 people, with upgraded interior amenities and comfort in February 2021.

“We continue to look at what, how and where we need to invest in this product,” says O’Bannion. “Customers loved it.”

The Citation CJ4 Gen3 is expected to be included under Textron Aviation’s 525 type rating. Its G3000 Prime offers a number of improvements over the Garmin G3000, Textron says.

“This particular system brings exceptional control to the pilot experience; it’s got streamlined touch screens throughout, so you look at the primary flight displays—both the primary flight displays and the multifunction displays are all touch screen interaction,” says Jimmy Beeson, Textron Aviation director of product development. “So, it’s a fully immersive experience for our pilots that creates a smoother flight deck flow and ultimately reduces pilot workload, making this aircraft just even easier to fly.”

G3000 Prime includes enhanced primary displays with interactive multitouch technology for pilots to easily zoom and change waypoints and interact with the system, fewer buttons, a new procedure selector for interactive adjustments for approach transitions, a flat menu interface for pilots to easily navigate across avionic systems and flight operations; interactive slide-outs on the engine indicating strip to allow pilots to easily access engine and system settings, 40% larger secondary display units and the addition of the Garmin Control Unit to allow pilots to easily assume manual operation of avionics.

“It [has] enhanced color palettes, smoother flow [and an] easier-to-use system than aircraft of the past,” Beeson says.

CJ4 customers include owner-flown, charter and corporate flight departments.

The CJ4 Gen3 includes lithium-ion batteries for enhanced starting power, especially in cold weather; new winglets with enhanced formal accent lights on their upper edge; the integration of real-time data with LinxUs to help plan for maintenance and repairs; improved cabin acoustics and upgraded flight deck lighting, including map lighting, overhead flood lighting and side pocket lighting.

“Both for pilots and passengers, it’s all about enhancing the experience and making the aircraft comfortable, either to fly or to ride in,” Beeson says.