A Cessna vs Pilatus showdown in the turboprop class. The Cessna Grand Caravan EX carries 9 passengers with 912 nm of range; the Pilatus PC-12 NGX carries 6–9 with 1,803 nm. Cabin dimensions land at 4'6" × 5'4" versus 4'10" × 5'0", and runway numbers read 2,160 ft against 2,485 ft.
CESSNA
The Cessna Grand Caravan EX is the world's most popular utility turboprop. Nine passengers, rugged short-strip capability and proven Pratt & Whitney power make it the default choice for Caribbean, Greek and Indian Ocean island hopping.
FULL CESSNA GRAND CARAVAN EX PAGE →PILATUS
The Pilatus PC-12 NGX is the latest evolution of the world's best-selling single-engine turboprop — Pratt & Whitney PT6E engine with autothrottle, larger windows and a digital BMW Designworks cabin.
FULL PILATUS PC-12 NGX PAGE →Compare the published range of 912 nm for the Cessna Grand Caravan EX with 1,803 nm for the Pilatus PC-12 NGX, but do not treat either as a guaranteed nonstop distance. Request the operator's payload and routing check with your departure airport, passengers and bags. A fuel stop, airport restriction or positioning flight can change which aircraft is the better charter.
Our records list cabin height and width of 4'6" × 5'4" for the Cessna Grand Caravan EX, compared with 4'10" × 5'0" for the Pilatus PC-12 NGX. Published baggage figures are 143 cu ft and 40 cu ft. Ask for photos and the seating plan of the aircraft actually offered: a model's passenger capacity does not confirm your preferred beds, table layout or space for oversized luggage.
A model-specific hourly tariff is not available from our class pricing engine for every aircraft in this comparison. Request a confirmed trip quote rather than substituting an invented rate. Compare the same itinerary, positioning and included services for both options.
SPECIFICATIONS
| METRIC | Grand Caravan EX | PC-12 NGX |
|---|---|---|
| Passengers | 9 | 6–9 |
| Range | 912 nm | 1,803 nm |
| Cruise speed | 185 ktas | 290 kts |
| Cabin height | 4'6" | 4'10" |
| Cabin width | 5'4" | 5'0" |
| Baggage | 143 cu ft | 40 cu ft |
| Runway | 2,160 ft | 2,485 ft |
CHARTER PRICING
| Nassau → Exuma | Estimate on request |
| Mahé → Praslin | Estimate on request |
| Aspen → Telluride | Estimate on request |
| London → Le Touquet | Estimate on request |
One-way estimates from our pricing engine (standard season), estimated, confirmed quote within 1–2 hours.
EXPERT VERDICT
The Grand Caravan EX pulls ahead on airport access; the PC-12 NGX answers with range / non-stop reach. Both sit in the turboprop class, so charter pricing is broadly aligned — let the use case (range, group size, airport pair) drive the final call.
Range / non-stop reach
PC-12 NGX
1,803 nm of range — the better choice for transcontinental and intercontinental missions.
Cabin comfort
Even
Matched specifications.
Group capacity
Even
Matched specifications.
Airport access
Grand Caravan EX
Shorter 2,160 ft balanced-field requirement — opens up restricted alpine, island and city-adjacent airfields.
Speed & block time
Even
Comparable on this dimension.
Verdict based on published manufacturer specifications, charter market data and Limitless Sky brokerage experience.
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Tell us your route — our desk returns estimated prices on both aircraft straight away and confirmed options within 1–2 hours, so you can compare like-for-like on your exact mission.
CHOOSE WITH CONFIDENCE
A tailored summary for the Grand Caravan EX and PC-12 NGX: the deciding reasons in this matchup, plus the buyer archetypes each aircraft serves best.
CESSNA
BEST FOR
Short-field departures
2,160 ft balanced field unlocks airports the PC-12 NGX cannot use, putting passengers closer to the door.
Island & alpine access
Short, unpaved or high-altitude strips that jets simply cannot use.
Sub-500 nm hops
Operating cost per seat-mile beats every jet on quick regional legs.
Cargo-heavy missions
Large cabin door and floor loading for ski, dive and field-kit travel.
PILATUS
BEST FOR
Longer non-stop reach
When the mission is on the edge of the Grand Caravan EX's envelope, the 1,803 nm legs of the PC-12 NGX keep reserves intact.
Island & alpine access
Short, unpaved or high-altitude strips that jets simply cannot use.
Sub-500 nm hops
Operating cost per seat-mile beats every jet on quick regional legs.
Cargo-heavy missions
Large cabin door and floor loading for ski, dive and field-kit travel.
PROS & CONS
CESSNA
PROS
CONS
PILATUS
PROS
CONS
REAL-WORLD MISSIONS
Four scenarios our charter desk sees regularly — and which of these two we would actually quote.
SCENARIO 01
Shorter runway requirement (2,160 ft) opens up the airfield.
SEE FULL AIRCRAFT →SCENARIO 02
Shorter runway requirement (2,160 ft) opens up the airfield.
SEE FULL AIRCRAFT →SCENARIO 03
Shorter runway requirement (2,160 ft) opens up the airfield.
SEE FULL AIRCRAFT →SCENARIO 04
Shorter runway requirement (2,160 ft) opens up the airfield.
SEE FULL AIRCRAFT →ROUTE RECOMMENDATIONS
| ROUTE | DISTANCE | RECOMMENDED | WHY |
|---|---|---|---|
| London → Le Touquet | 120 nm | PC-12 NGX | Both reach it, but the longer-legged option keeps more fuel reserves for weather and routing changes. |
| Zurich → St Moritz | 95 nm | PC-12 NGX | Both reach it, but the longer-legged option keeps more fuel reserves for weather and routing changes. |
| Aspen → Telluride | 115 nm | PC-12 NGX | Both reach it, but the longer-legged option keeps more fuel reserves for weather and routing changes. |
| Nantucket → Teterboro | 180 nm | PC-12 NGX | Both reach it, but the longer-legged option keeps more fuel reserves for weather and routing changes. |
Distances are great-circle approximations; actual fuel planning accounts for winds, weather and reserves.
FAQ
The Cessna Grand Caravan EX has a published range of 912 nm; the Pilatus PC-12 NGX is rated at 1,803 nm. The longer-range aircraft opens up more non-stop city pairs without a tech stop.
Cruise speeds are 185 ktas for the Cessna Grand Caravan EX and 290 kts for the Pilatus PC-12 NGX. The difference in block time grows with trip length; on a Male → Resort islands (Maldives) trip it is usually minutes rather than hours.
The Cessna Grand Caravan EX seats 9; the Pilatus PC-12 NGX seats 6–9. Charter prices below assume a typical executive layout — high-density configurations are available on request.
From our pricing engine's class rates: the Cessna Grand Caravan EX on request (no class rate in our pricing engine), and the Pilatus PC-12 NGX on request (no class rate in our pricing engine). These are estimates; the confirmed quote within 1–2 hours depends on positioning, season and airport fees.
The Cessna Grand Caravan EX cabin is 4'6" high and 5'4" wide; the Pilatus PC-12 NGX is 4'10" high and 5'0" wide. Baggage: 143 cu ft vs 40 cu ft.
For trips within the Cessna Grand Caravan EX's published 912 nm, either aircraft can fly non-stop and the choice comes down to cabin (4'6" vs 4'10" cabin height), seats (9 vs 6–9) and price. Beyond that, the Pilatus PC-12 NGX (1,803 nm) flies non-stop where the Cessna Grand Caravan EX may need a fuel stop. Real-world range drops with passengers, bags, winds and winter reserves, so we confirm it per trip.
Both belong to the Turboprop category, but range, payload and runway performance differ. See the route-recommendations table on this page for our specific pick per corridor.
Cabin comfort is the everyday difference passengers feel most. Both the Cessna Grand Caravan EX and Pilatus PC-12 NGX sit in the Turboprop class, so cabin height, width and layout differ subtly — on flights over 3 hours those details matter more than raw range. Ask us for a side-by-side floorplan.
Both aircraft in this comparison are operated under ARG/US, Wyvern or IS-BAO safety programmes when chartered through Limitless Sky. Safety is driven by operator, crew currency and maintenance regime — not the airframe. We only book operators meeting our verified due-diligence checklist.
The hourly class rate is only one input. Total mission cost includes positioning legs, overnight fees, landing/handling, catering, de-icing and FET where applicable. Our confirmed quote itemises every line so there are no surprises.
MORE COMPARISONS
GRAND CARAVAN EX × PC-12 NGX CLUSTER
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POPULAR COMPARISONS
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