A Cessna vs Daher showdown in the turboprop class. The Cessna Grand Caravan EX carries 9 passengers with 964 nm of range; the Daher TBM 960 carries 5 with 1,730 nm. Cabin dimensions land at 4'6" × 5'3" versus 4'0" × 3'11", and runway numbers read 2,055 ft against 2,380 ft. Indicative charter pricing on a representative sector: from $2,200 on the Caravan EX, from $4,800 on the TBM 960.
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 →DAHER
The Daher TBM 960 is the fastest single-engine turboprop in production — 330 kts cruise, fully-digital Garmin G3000 deck and Pratt & Whitney PT6E-66XT engine with autothrottle.
FULL DAHER TBM 960 PAGE →SPECIFICATIONS
| METRIC | Grand Caravan EX | TBM 960 |
|---|---|---|
| Passengers | 9 | 5 |
| Range | 964 nm | 1,730 nm |
| Cruise speed | 186 kts | 330 kts |
| Cabin height | 4'6" | 4'0" |
| Cabin width | 5'3" | 3'11" |
| Baggage | 111 cu ft | 16 cu ft |
| Runway | 2,055 ft | 2,380 ft |
CHARTER PRICING
| Nassau → Exuma | from $2,200 |
| Mahé → Praslin | from $2,500 |
| Teterboro → Martha's Vineyard | from $4,800 |
| Munich → Innsbruck | from €4,200 |
All-inclusive indicative one-way pricing. Confirmed quote in 10 minutes.
EXPERT VERDICT
The Grand Caravan EX pulls ahead on cabin comfort, group capacity and airport access; the TBM 960 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
TBM 960
1,730 nm of range — the better choice for transcontinental and intercontinental missions.
Cabin comfort
Grand Caravan EX
Taller and/or wider cabin (4'6" × 5'3") — better for long flights and stand-up movement.
Group capacity
Grand Caravan EX
Seats up to 9 — the right pick when the manifest grows.
Airport access
Grand Caravan EX
Shorter 2,055 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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CHOOSE WITH CONFIDENCE
A tailored summary for the Grand Caravan EX and TBM 960: the deciding reasons in this matchup, plus the buyer archetypes each aircraft serves best.
CESSNA
BEST FOR
Larger party charters
Up to 9 seats vs 5 on the TBM 960 — the natural pick when the manifest grows last-minute.
Short-field departures
2,055 ft balanced field unlocks airports the TBM 960 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.
DAHER
BEST FOR
Longer non-stop reach
When the mission is on the edge of the Grand Caravan EX's envelope, the 1,730 nm legs of the TBM 960 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
DAHER
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 (2,055 ft) opens up the airfield.
SEE FULL AIRCRAFT →SCENARIO 02
Shorter runway requirement (2,055 ft) opens up the airfield.
SEE FULL AIRCRAFT →SCENARIO 03
Shorter runway requirement (2,055 ft) opens up the airfield.
SEE FULL AIRCRAFT →SCENARIO 04
Shorter runway requirement (2,055 ft) opens up the airfield.
SEE FULL AIRCRAFT →ROUTE RECOMMENDATIONS
| ROUTE | DISTANCE | RECOMMENDED | WHY |
|---|---|---|---|
| London → Le Touquet | 120 nm | TBM 960 | Both reach it, but the longer-legged option keeps more fuel reserves for weather and routing changes. |
| Zurich → St Moritz | 95 nm | TBM 960 | Both reach it, but the longer-legged option keeps more fuel reserves for weather and routing changes. |
| Aspen → Telluride | 115 nm | TBM 960 | Both reach it, but the longer-legged option keeps more fuel reserves for weather and routing changes. |
| Nantucket → Teterboro | 180 nm | TBM 960 | 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 964 nm; the Daher TBM 960 is rated at 1,730 nm. The longer-range aircraft opens up more non-stop city pairs without a tech stop.
Cruise speeds are 186 kts for the Cessna Grand Caravan EX and 330 kts for the Daher TBM 960. On a Nassau → Exuma-style mission the faster aircraft typically saves 10–25 minutes block time.
The Cessna Grand Caravan EX seats 9; the Daher TBM 960 seats 5. Charter prices below assume a typical executive layout — high-density configurations are available on request.
Indicative one-way pricing on a benchmark mission: Cessna Grand Caravan EX from from $2,200, Daher TBM 960 from from $4,800. Confirmed quote in 10 minutes — pricing varies with empty-leg availability, season and routing.
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 Daher TBM 960 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.
Hourly pricing (from $2,200 for the Grand Caravan EX, from $4,800 for the TBM 960) 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 × TBM 960 CLUSTER
CHARTER EITHER AIRCRAFT
WHERE THESE AIRCRAFT FLY
EDITORIAL GUIDES
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