Textron Aviation’s 2025 Safety Standdown reinforces company’s commitment to safety culture and continuous improvement

Textron Aviation's 2025 Flight Operations Safety Standdown brought together nearly 300 employees and industry partners this month to reaffirm the company's unwavering commitment to a robust safety culture and continuous improvement.

The Standdown is a day for teams across the company to learn, connect and focus on continuous improvement. Textron Aviation’s flight departments, Quality and Air Safety teams, as well as the FAA and other industry groups all participated.

“Nothing is more important than our team’s safety – no mission is so important that it has to go,” said Ron Draper, president and CEO. “It’s critically important that we focus on safety and preventable mishaps.”

Cumulatively, Textron Aviation’s flight departments totaled more than 17,000 flight hours in 2024. If Textron Aviation was a charter or fractional operator, the company would typically rank as one of the top 10 largest operators in North America based on flight hours.

The day’s agenda covered several safety-related topics, including:

• Citation Jet Pilots (CJP) Safe to Land initiative

• Pilot mental health

• Risk management begins and ends with culture

• Importance of debriefing successes, not just failures

Additionally, the event focused on individual accountability, character, energy and service as the foundation for a team’s success. The group was encouraged to continue being transparent in their reporting to ensure that the company’s positive safety attitudes and practices are maintained. Trust, it was noted, is foundational to all of this.

Russ Meyer, chairman emeritus, Cessna Aircraft Company, spoke on the company’s long history of successfully designing innovative and industry-leading products, reiterating that safety in the designs and operation of our products has always been one of our highest priorities.

The annual Safety Standdown event is a crucial part of Textron Aviation’s safety culture. It reinforces teams demonstrating accountability and professionalism through their participation in improving processes, acknowledging lapses, sharing them through reporting and mentoring new team members. By bringing together employees and industry partners, the company not only reinforces its commitment to safety but also ensures that every team member is equipped with the knowledge and tools necessary to maintain the highest standards of safety in all operations.