Pelton: Cessna will maintain the civil aircraft speed crown
When the Cessna Citation X received FAA certification in June 1996, it officially became the fastest business aircraft, with an Mmo of Mach 0.92.

When the Cessna Citation X received FAA certification in June 1996, it officially became the fastest business aircraft, with an Mmo of Mach 0.92. Only the Concorde was a faster civil airplane at that time. So when British Airways and Air France announced in April 2003 that they had decided to ground the Concorde for good, the Citation X assumed the mantle of fastest civil aircraft, as well.

Then Gulfstream announced its G650 in March 2008, claiming that its new long-range business jet would achieve an Mmo of Mach 0.925, which would make it the fastest certified civil aircraft by 3.31 knots. The G650’s FAA/EASA certification is planned for 2011. Not to be outdone, Cessna president, CEO and chairman Jack Pelton, in responding to a question at an EBACE press conference on Tuesday said, “If the G650 is certified to 0.925, we will be sure it goes back to number two.”