Textron Aviation Inc. (NYSE: TXT) announced a purchase agreement with LUMINAIR for nine Cessna Citation Latitude business jets to support the European charter operator's expanding operations.

The announcement was made at AERO Friedrichshafen, with deliveries expected to begin this year. LUMINAIR will use the midsize business jets for charter operations across Europe.

"The Citation Latitude is exceptionally well suited to LUMINAIR customers travelling across Europe, offering a spacious and comfortable cabin experience along with the reliability they need to make regional missions feel effortless, day after day," said Lannie O'Bannion, senior vice president of Sales & Marketing at Textron Aviation.

The Citation Latitude features a stand-up, flat-floor cabin that can accommodate up to nine passengers. The aircraft has a four-passenger range of 2,700 nautical miles at high-speed cruise and requires a takeoff field length of 1,091 meters. The jet can fly nonstop between destinations such as Edinburgh to Larnaca, Riga to Tenerife and Helsinki to San Sebastián.

Alexander Stevens, chief operating officer and founder of LUMINAIR, described the order as "an important milestone in our fleet strategy," stating the company is "scaling with purpose - expanding our capabilities while maintaining the steadfast commitment to safety and excellence our clients expect."

According to the press release, Europe is home to more than 850 Cessna Citation business jets that support various missions including corporate travel, air ambulance and special missions.

Textron Aviation is a subsidiary of Textron Inc., which manufactures aircraft under the Beechcraft, Cessna, Hawker and Pipistrel brands.