Cessna Senses Thawing of Business Aviation Market

ORLANDO, Fla.--(Business Wire)--
Cessna Aircraft Company, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, comes to the 62nd
National Business Aviation Association Meeting (NBAA) and Convention with
optimism that the business aviation market is thawing.

"I`m far from ready to call a turnaround, but we do continue to see some
encouraging developments," said Cessna Chairman, President and Chief Executive
Officer Jack J. Pelton. "Financing is more readily available, used aircraft
inventory is lowering and prices for used aircraft have increased for the first
time in several quarters. Average Daily Utilization figures for the Citation
fleet have stopped dropping and bookings for maintenance work are on the rise.
We are seeing signs of stabilization and some indicators that the business jet
market is starting to move in a positive direction. Single engine retail sales
have been particularly strong in recent weeks which is usually a forerunner for
the rest of the product line."

Cessna`s static display at Orlando Executive Airport features the full line of
current production Citation business jets: the Citation X, Citation Sovereign,
Citation XLS+, Citation Encore+, Citation CJ3, Citation CJ2+, Citation CJ1+ and
a Citation Mustang. On Wednesday, Oct. 21 only, a Citation CJ4 will be on hand.
An upward extension of the CJ family, the CJ4 is currently in the flight test
phase of development. The exhibit also will include two ValuePlus previously
owned Citations: a Citation Excel and Citation V. A Grand Caravan and Cessna
Corvalis TT will be on hand to represent Cessna`s line of turboprop and
single-engine piston models.

"We`re going `back to basics` this year at NBAA, concentrating on exhibiting our
products at the static display and not having a booth in the convention hall,"
Pelton said. "We do upward of 60 events a year, and NBAA is still one of just a
handful of shows that truly brings people from throughout the world to one place
for business aviation. This is increasingly important as the international
markets seem less frozen than our domestic market right now, particularly
Western Europe and South America."

About Cessna

Based on unit sales, Cessna Aircraft Company is the world's largest manufacturer
of general aviation airplanes. In 2008, Cessna delivered 1,301 aircraft,
including 467 Citation business jets, and reported revenues of about $5.662
billion. Since the company was originally established in 1927, some 192,000
Cessna airplanes have been delivered around the world, including more than 6,000
Citations, making it the largest fleet of business jets in the world. More
information about Cessna Aircraft Company is available at www.cessna.com.

About Textron

Textron Inc. is a multi-industry company that leverages its global network of
aircraft, defense, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with
innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its
powerful brands such as Bell Helicopter, Cessna Aircraft Company, Jacobsen,
Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Greenlee, and Textron Systems. More information is
available at www.textron.com.

Forward-looking Information: Certain statements in this release are
forward-looking statements and speak only as of the date on which they are made,
and we undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking
statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and
uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those
contained in the statements, including but not limited to the following: [a]
changes in worldwide economic and political conditions that impact demand for
our products, interest rates and foreign exchange rates; [b] the interruption of
production at our facilities or at our suppliers` facilities; [c] the timing of
new product launches and certifications of new aircraft products; [d] the
occurrence of slowdowns or downturns in customer markets in which our products
are sold or supplied; [e] changes in aircraft delivery schedules or
cancellations or deferrals of orders; [f] the launching of significant new
products or programs which could result in unanticipated expenses; [g] changes
in national or international government policies on the export and import of
commercial products; [h] bankruptcy or other financial or performance problems
at major suppliers or subcontractors that could cause disruptions in our supply
chain; [i] continued difficult conditions in the financial markets resulting in
adverse impacts to our customers, including difficulty in obtaining financing
for the purchase of our products; and [j] continued volatility in the economy
resulting in a prolonged downturn in the business jet market.

Investors:
Textron
Doug Wilburne, 401-457-2288
Bill Pitts, 401-457-2288
or
Media:
Cessna
Robert Stangarone, 316-305-3738
Doug Oliver, 316-213-8973
or
Textron
Michael Maynard, 401-457-2474

Copyright Business Wire 2009