Southern Sky Aviation, a full-service aviation company headquartered at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International airport in Alabama, has added a 2006 Cessna Citation XLS to its Part 135 charter certificate. The aircraft, which has been cleared by the FAA, is a medium size jet that seats up to eight passengers and offers a nm range of 1,500 nm with a cruising speed of 499 mph. It received a full interior and exterior refurbishment in 2016. Passengers onboard can stay connected in the air with Wi-Fi while enjoying a spacious cabin with ample headroom, a galley area for refreshments as well as a private enclosed lavatory. The jet also has a substantial baggage storage capacity of 90 cubic feet. It features seven passenger seats with an optional belted lavatory.

The arrival of the XLS will bolster Southern Sky Aviation's fleet to three aircraft. The company's existing charter operations include a Citation V and a King Air 200 operated from its home base at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International and from Peachtree-DeKalb airport in Atlanta, Georgia.

“We've been looking for an opportunity to add this jet to our charter certificate for years.” says CEO Bo Andrews. “The Citation XLS is the industry standard for business jets, certainly one of the best ever made, and is the full package with a comfortable ride, wonderful speeds and great range. I'm so excited to have the XLS in our fleet as an option available to our customers, no matter where they're travelling.”

President Donald Howell adds: “As our company continues to see a record-setting number of charter flights, having this jet as part of our fleet is the best possible addition in our mission to provide best-in-class service to everyone who flies with Southern Sky Aviation.”