Textron Aviation has delivered the 500th Cessna Citation CJ4, 16 years after the light business jet entered service. The aircraft, a CJ4 Gen2, was handed over to a customer in the Philippines.
The CJ4 is the largest member of Cessna's CJ family and has remained in production through successive updates rather than major changes to the basic aircraft. It is certified for single-pilot operation and is used by private owners, corporate flight departments and special-mission operators.
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The 500th delivery comes as Textron Aviation prepares another update of the model. The CJ4 Gen3 is expected to receive FAA certification later this year, with two test aircraft having accumulated more than 880 flight hours.
Despite the Gen3 designation, the new version retains the basic airframe and performance characteristics of the current CJ4. Most of the changes are concentrated in cockpit equipment and onboard systems.
The principal addition is Garmin's G3000 PRIME avionics suite, which replaces the existing G3000 flight deck. The new system uses larger touchscreen displays and revised interfaces for pilots.
Textron is also adding Garmin Emergency Autoland, which can automatically take control of the aircraft and select an airport, navigate, descend, land and stop the jet if the pilot becomes incapacitated.
Performance remains close to the existing aircraft. Textron lists a maximum range of 2,165 nautical miles (4,010 km) and a maximum payload of 2,200 lb (998 kg) for the CJ4 Gen3. The cabin can accommodate up to 11 occupants, depending on configuration.
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The CJ4 traces its origins to the CitationJet family introduced in the early 1990s. The original CJ4 was certified in 2010, followed by the CJ4 Gen2 in 2021. That update brought changes including a redesigned cabin entrance, new seats and additional cabin features.
The Gen3 is part of a wider update of Cessna's smaller Citation models. Textron Aviation introduced the Citation M2 Gen3, CJ3 Gen3 and CJ4 Gen3 together in 2024, with new Garmin avionics among the main changes across the three aircraft.
