A Cessna vs Eclipse Aerospace showdown in the light jet class. The Cessna Citation CJ4 Gen2 carries 8–9 passengers with 2,165 nm of range; the Eclipse 550 carries 4 with 1,125 nm. Cabin dimensions land at 4'9" × 4'10" versus 4'2" × 4'8", and runway numbers read 3,410 ft against 2,342 ft. Indicative charter pricing on a representative sector: from £7,200 on the CJ4 Gen2, from $4,400 on the Eclipse 550.
CESSNA
The Cessna Citation CJ4 Gen2 is the flagship of the CitationJet family — the longest-range, fastest and largest member of the CJ line. Refreshed for 2024 with Garmin G3000, premium leather seating and pro line wireless cabin controls, it carries up to nine passengers across 2,165 nautical miles at Mach 0.77, all single-pilot certified for lower direct charter cost.
FULL CESSNA CITATION CJ4 GEN2 PAGE →ECLIPSE AEROSPACE
The Eclipse 550 is the definitive very light jet — a four-seat, twin-Pratt & Whitney PW610F powered aircraft with autothrottles, Avio IFMS avionics and by far the lowest fuel burn of any jet in charter service (roughly 59 US gal/hr). A niche but genuinely useful tool for short regional missions on tight budgets.
FULL ECLIPSE 550 PAGE →SPECIFICATIONS
| METRIC | Citation CJ4 Gen2 | Eclipse 550 |
|---|---|---|
| Passengers | 8–9 | 4 |
| Range | 2,165 nm | 1,125 nm |
| Cruise speed | Mach 0.77 | Mach 0.64 |
| Cabin height | 4'9" | 4'2" |
| Cabin width | 4'10" | 4'8" |
| Baggage | 77 cu ft | 16 cu ft |
| Runway | 3,410 ft | 2,342 ft |
CHARTER PRICING
| London → Ibiza | from £7,200 |
| Munich → Mykonos | from €9,800 |
| Dallas → Aspen | from $11,600 |
| Chicago → Detroit | from $4,400 |
| Dallas → Austin | from $3,900 |
All-inclusive indicative one-way pricing. Confirmed quote in 10 minutes.
EXPERT VERDICT
The Citation CJ4 Gen2 pulls ahead on range / non-stop reach, cabin comfort, group capacity and speed & block time; the Eclipse 550 answers with airport access. Both sit in the light jet class, so charter pricing is broadly aligned — let the use case (range, group size, airport pair) drive the final call.
Range / non-stop reach
Citation CJ4 Gen2
2,165 nm of range — the better choice for transcontinental and intercontinental missions.
Cabin comfort
Citation CJ4 Gen2
Taller and/or wider cabin (4'9" × 4'10") — better for long flights and stand-up movement.
Group capacity
Citation CJ4 Gen2
Seats up to 9 — the right pick when the manifest grows.
Airport access
Eclipse 550
Shorter 2,342 ft balanced-field requirement — opens up restricted alpine, island and city-adjacent airfields.
Speed & block time
Citation CJ4 Gen2
Cruise of Mach 0.77 — shaves meaningful minutes off every long leg.
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 a confirmed quote on both aircraft within 10 minutes, so you can compare like-for-like on your exact mission.
CHOOSE WITH CONFIDENCE
A tailored summary for the Citation CJ4 Gen2 and Eclipse 550: the deciding reasons in this matchup, plus the buyer archetypes each aircraft serves best.
CESSNA
BEST FOR
Longer non-stop reach
When the mission is on the edge of the Eclipse 550's envelope, the 2,165 nm legs of the Citation CJ4 Gen2 keep reserves intact.
Larger party charters
Up to 9 seats vs 4 on the Eclipse 550 — the natural pick when the manifest grows last-minute.
Two-hour business hops
Lowest jet-class operating cost for 1–2 hour European or US regional legs.
Short-runway escapes
Unlocks airfields like London City alternatives, Lugano and Aspen.
ECLIPSE AEROSPACE
BEST FOR
Short-field departures
2,342 ft balanced field unlocks airports the Citation CJ4 Gen2 cannot use, putting passengers closer to the door.
Two-hour business hops
Lowest jet-class operating cost for 1–2 hour European or US regional legs.
Short-runway escapes
Unlocks airfields like London City alternatives, Lugano and Aspen.
4–6 passenger weekends
Right-sized for a couple plus friends or a small family weekend break.
PROS & CONS
CESSNA
PROS
CONS
ECLIPSE AEROSPACE
PROS
CONS
REAL-WORLD MISSIONS
Four scenarios our charter desk sees regularly — and which of these two we would actually quote.
SCENARIO 01
Curated example: London → Nice sits in the Citation CJ4 Gen2's sweet spot.
SEE FULL AIRCRAFT →SCENARIO 02
Shorter runway requirement (2,342 ft) opens up the airfield.
SEE FULL AIRCRAFT →SCENARIO 03
Curated example: London → Nice sits in the Citation CJ4 Gen2's sweet spot.
SEE FULL AIRCRAFT →SCENARIO 04
Larger cabin seats the full group (8–9).
SEE FULL AIRCRAFT →ROUTE RECOMMENDATIONS
| ROUTE | DISTANCE | RECOMMENDED | WHY |
|---|---|---|---|
| London → Paris | 190 nm | Citation CJ4 Gen2 | Both reach it, but the longer-legged option keeps more fuel reserves for weather and routing changes. |
| Geneva → Ibiza | 560 nm | Citation CJ4 Gen2 | Both reach it, but the longer-legged option keeps more fuel reserves for weather and routing changes. |
| Teterboro → Miami | 950 nm | Citation CJ4 Gen2 | Both reach it, but the longer-legged option keeps more fuel reserves for weather and routing changes. |
| London → Athens | 1,500 nm | Citation CJ4 Gen2 | Only one reaches non-stop — the other would need a fuel stop (1500 nm > 1,125 nm). |
Distances are great-circle approximations; actual fuel planning accounts for winds, weather and reserves.
FAQ
The Cessna Citation CJ4 Gen2 has a published range of 2,165 nm; the Eclipse 550 is rated at 1,125 nm. The longer-range aircraft opens up more non-stop city pairs without a tech stop.
Cruise speeds are Mach 0.77 for the Cessna Citation CJ4 Gen2 and Mach 0.64 for the Eclipse 550. On a London → Ibiza-style mission the faster aircraft typically saves 10–25 minutes block time.
The Cessna Citation CJ4 Gen2 seats 8–9; the Eclipse 550 seats 4. Charter prices below assume a typical executive layout — high-density configurations are available on request.
Indicative one-way pricing on a benchmark mission: Cessna Citation CJ4 Gen2 from from £7,200, Eclipse 550 from from $4,400. Confirmed quote in 10 minutes — pricing varies with empty-leg availability, season and routing.
Both belong to the Light Jet category, but range, payload and runway performance differ. See the route-recommendations table on this page for our specific pick per corridor.
MORE COMPARISONS
CITATION CJ4 GEN2 × ECLIPSE 550 CLUSTER
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EDITORIAL GUIDES
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