Textron Aviation’s business jet deliveries slipped in the third quarter to 42 aircraft, down from 49 jets delivered in the second quarter, though the business still turned a hefty $179 million third-quarter profit.
Parent Textron disclosed the results on 23 October, the day after revealing that Textron chief executive Scott Donnelly will step down on 4 January. He will be succeeded by Lisa Atherton, now CEO of Textron’s Bell helicopter division.
Donnelly will retain his role as board chair.
Textron Aviation’s $179 million third-quarter profit is up 40% year on year. The division generated $1.5 billion in third-quarter revenue, up 10% year on year. It attributes the result to “higher aircraft revenues of $116 million and higher aftermarket parts and services revenues of $22 million”.
The 42 jets delivered in the third quarter compares to 41 deliveries in the same period of 2024 and included 11 midsize Cessna Citation Latitudes and five super-midsize Longitudes.
Textron Aviation also in the third quarter delivered 39 commercial turboprops, including 20 Cessna Caravans, four SkyCouriers and 15 Beechcraft King Airs. By comparison, it delivered 34 turboprops in the second quarter and 25 in the third quarter of 2024.
Textron’s electric aircraft eAviation unit lost $15 million in the third quarter and generated only $5 million in revenue. The company last week disclosed plans in January to eliminate the eAviation business by integrating its components into the company’s other business units.
Incoming Textron CEO Atherton joined the company in 2007 and has been Bell’s CEO since April 2023.
