Textron Aviation‘s Q2 revenue reached $1.54 billion in the second quarter of 2026, a 1.4% rise from $1.52 billion in the same period a year earlier, as higher aircraft pricing compensated for a fall in Citation jet deliveries and squeezed the unit’s profit margin.
Aircraft revenue increased by $17 million quarter-on-quarter, while aftermarket parts and services revenue added a further $5 million. Aftermarket revenue for the period came to $512 million, up from $507 million a year earlier, underlining the resilience of the maintenance and support side of the business even as new-aircraft volumes softened.
Fewer Citation jets, more turboprops
Citation jet deliveries fell to 40 aircraft during the quarter, down from 49 in the second quarter of 2025. Textron attributed the lower volume in part to manufacturing inefficiencies, which also weighed on the unit’s bottom line. Commercial turboprop deliveries moved in the opposite direction, rising 29% to 44 aircraft from 34 a year earlier. That category covers the Cessna Caravan and SkyCourier families as well as the Beechcraft King Air range.
Among the quarter’s deliveries, the first five Cessna Citation Ascend business jets went to fractional provider NetJets. Textron certified the Ascend in 2025 as the newest member of the Citation 560XL family, and the NetJets handovers represent the type’s entry into revenue service.
Despite the revenue gain, profit at the aviation unit fell 3% to $165 million from $170 million. Its profit margin narrowed to 10.7% from 11.2%, with manufacturing inefficiencies and lower aircraft volume cited as the primary causes. Lower warranty costs provided a partial offset.
Backlog grows and Textron Aviation Q2 revenue sets Gen3 context
Order intake held firm through the period. The order backlog reached $8.03 billion at the close of the quarter, edging up from $8 billion at the end of the first quarter and from $7.72 billion at the end of 2025, pointing to continued demand across the product line.
Textron is pressing ahead with the next generation of its light-jet lineup on multiple fronts. The Citation M2 Gen3 has joined the CJ4 Gen3 in flight testing, with both programmes targeting US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification. Beyond those two, Textron Investor Relations confirmed that the Citation CJ3 Gen3 prototype has also completed its first flight, adding a third aircraft to the active test programme. According to Business Jet Interiors International, the CJ3 Gen3 is expected to enter service in 2027, and all three Gen3 light jets will feature Garmin Emergency Autoland as part of their avionics package.
The Garmin Emergency Autoland system, which can autonomously land an aircraft in the event of pilot incapacitation, has become an increasingly sought-after safety feature on business aircraft and its inclusion across the full Gen3 family reflects where operator expectations now sit. With the M2 Gen3, CJ3 Gen3 and CJ4 Gen3 all at various stages of flight testing, Textron is running a broad simultaneous certification effort across the light-jet segment.
Group results and full-year guidance
Across all of Textron’s businesses, second-quarter revenue reached $3.83 billion, up 3% from $3.72 billion in the prior-year period. Net income increased to $248 million from $245 million, and adjusted earnings rose to $1.62 per share from $1.55. The company reiterated its full-year adjusted earnings forecast of $6.40 to $6.60 per share.
Textron CEO Lisa Atherton pointed to the breadth of the group’s performance. ‘The second quarter continued a strong start to the year for Textron with revenue growth in each of our manufacturing segments contributing to higher revenues of $500 million through the first half of the year,’ she said.
Textron Aviation, which builds Cessna and Beechcraft aircraft, absorbed the former Textron eAviation segment at the start of 2026, bringing Pipistrel into the division. The CJ3 Gen3’s first flight, confirmed by Textron Investor Relations, means all three Gen3 variants are now flying ahead of their respective FAA certification milestones.
