Senior Editor

Jerry Siebenmark

Continuing a refreshment cycle of its legacy aircraft that began last year with the King Air 360 and 260 and in February with the Citation CJ4 Gen2, Textron Aviation on Monday announced interior upgrades to the M2 and XLS+ light and midsize twinjets at NBAA-BACE. “We’re trying to accelerate upgrading all existing products,” Textron Aviation president and CEO Ron Draper told AIN. “We have such a broad product line up, we feel you need a mix of new aircraft as well as bringing nice performance, interior, and other enhancements to existing products.”
Inside the flight deck of M2 Gen2, Textron Aviation has added three inches of legroom in the copilot’s position. In the cabin, entry threshold materials have been improved for durability and maintainability, including the side-facing seat that folds down.
In the past, M2 operators and their passengers have used that seat for luggage stowage, which&nbsp;over time wears on the leather-covered seat, said Christi Tannahill, senior v-p of customer experience. With the top half of the seat folding down in the M2 Gen2, the backside has been reinforced with a hard surface.
Other improvements in the M2 Gen2 cabin are redesigned sidewall ledges, a mix of more durable flooring, including wood and carpet; ambient accent lighting; illuminated cupholders; and wireless charging and USB-A ports at each cabin seat. USB-C ports are also available in the aircraft’s club seating area.

<figure style="margin:0;">
<div style="margin-bottom:5px;"><img alt="Cessna Citation M2 Gen2 interior" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="092361f7-b0cd-4bd8-a23d-5d6ec4032751" src="/sites/default/files/m2_gen2_interior_copy.jpg" width="800" height="533" loading="lazy"></div>
<figcaption style="font-size:1.5rem;line-height:1.2;font-style:italic;">Improvements in the M2 Gen2 cabin are redesigned sidewall ledges, a mix of more durable flooring including wood and carpet, ambient accent lighting, illuminated cupholders, and wireless charging and USB-A ports at each cabin seat. (Photo: Textron Aviation)</figcaption>
</figure>

Additionally, there are four new cabin designs available on the M2 Gen2: mist, driftwood, ebony, or cashmere. “We’re seeing as the market continues to work into a backlog scenario, a lot more of our customers are doing fully customized airplanes as well,” Tannahill told AIN. “Usually that’s just been on the larger jet products, but we’re seeing all the way to the M2 and turboprops that a lot of people want to customize their airplanes.”
Deliveries of the M2 Gen2, priced at $5.85 million, are expected to begin in the first quarter of 2022.
For Textron’s top-selling Citation 560XL, upgrades on what will now be the XLS Gen2 are more extensive, starting with a lighted airstair door. Beyond that, a new entry curtain has been added for protection from inclement weather and improved acoustics in flight, and Textron Aviation has added a high-power outlet to the refreshment center. A new pedestal seat design with&nbsp;individual controls and an optional quilted pattern is intended to maximize passenger comfort in the XLS Gen2.
In terms of cabin technology, the XLS Gen2 features an intuitive wireless cabin management system with a touchscreen moving map monitor as well as wireless charging and USB-A and -C ports that are available at each seat. Other upgrade options on the midsize jet are a forward, fold-down couch for passenger baggage stowage and in-flight access, and a Bongiovi speakerless surround sound system.

<figure style="margin:0;">
<div style="margin-bottom:5px;"><img alt="Citation XLS Gen2 interior" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="1042d947-1f63-48ba-91e7-cfcb770e15b7" src="/sites/default/files/xls_gen2_interior_copy.jpg" width="800" height="533" loading="lazy"></div>
<figcaption style="font-size:1.5rem;line-height:1.2;font-style:italic;">Other upgrade options on the Citation XLS Gen2 are a forward, fold-down couch for passenger baggage stowage and in-flight access. (Photo: Textron Aviation)</figcaption>
</figure>

Also, Textron Aviation is offering what Tannahill called a new “eco-sustainable” interior for the XLS Gen2. “As we continue to invest in the sustainable world, this is very important,” she said. “A lot of our European customers fly this airplane and that’s important to them as well.”
The eco-sustainable&nbsp;interior features “rapidly renewable textile materials” that have been approved by the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), including leathers that are 100 percent organic and biodegradable and veneers that are approved through the Forest Stewardship Council. Tannahill added that the carpets, too, have to pass an environmental air quality standard. “So every aspect of the airplane really incorporates that sustainability piece,” she said. “A lot of our materials and designs use these processes as well.”
The XLS Gen2 is priced at $15.5 million and deliveries are expected to begin in the second quarter of 2022.

News and developments about airplanes, helicopters and unmanned air vehicles used in all varieties of operations, including airlines, military, business, commercial, general aviation and private.

Textron Aviation Unveils Citation M2 Gen2, XLS Gen2

Textron Aviation is giving the light and midsize Cessna Citation jets refreshed Gen2 cabins.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Kerry Lynch

News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

Trump calls for a ban on Bombardier products

Amid Trade War, Trump Takes Aim at Bombardier Once More

Charlotte Bailey

News and issues about aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), covering all segments of the aviation industry; and modifications for aircraft and engines. Subjects include product support of aircraft, engines and avionics, MRO company mergers, acquisitions, announcements and personnel, Airworthiness Directives, Supplemental Type Certificate approvals and other topics.

News and information on safety procedures and concerns.

News and issues relating to the aerospace industry that are related to the science, engineering and business of flight in space involving civil, industrial and military applications, and similar topics related to flight in the atmosphere of the Earth that are not covered more directly by other AINonline subject channels. In other words, both astronautical and aeronautical subjects, except for those aeronautical topics that are specifically covered elsewhere on this website.

ATR 72 aircraft performs pre-modification flight in Toulouse

Kepplair Starts Converting ATR 72 Into Water Bombers

Curt Epstein

Only the piston aircraft segment posted a decline

GAMA: Bizjets, T-props, and Rotorcraft Deliveries Up

Hanneke Weitering

Two captains held the prototype 33 feet above the water for 30 seconds

Regent Flies Electric Seaglider with Crew for First Time

News about bills, laws, regulations and other governmental decisions affecting aviation and aerospace. Topics include FAA re-authorizations, taxes on fuel and aviation activities, environmental legislation, ICAO decisions, governmental mediation of labor conflicts and World Trade Organization disputes and decisions.

Icing approval would open year-round service to northern communities

Horizon Begins Icing Tests for Cavorite X7 eVTOL

Deal to close this year

Bombardier To Grow Manufacturing Capacity with MHICA Buy

David Donald

Essential news and analysis on the defense aerospace business. Your trusted source for new and ongoing programs and requirements in military aircraft (manned and unmanned), engines, avionics, weapons and associated systems, including ground-based air defense.

The two NATO allies will purchase seven of the tanker/transport aircraft

Spain and Poland Agree to Buy A330MRTT Tanker Transports

News and developments about aircraft engines, including turbofan, turboprop, turboshaft and piston.

News and issues relating to international air transport and cargo carriers, national airlines and regional airlines, including aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

More In Aircraft