A head-to-head look at two of the most-chartered aircraft in the light jet class.
CESSNA
The Citation XLS+ is the world's best-selling midsize private jet — and for good reason. It blends a true stand-up cabin and external baggage hold with light-jet operating economics and short-runway capability. Eight passengers fly in genuine comfort across Europe or coast-to-coast in the US.
FULL CESSNA CITATION XLS+ PAGE →EMBRAER
The Embraer Phenom 300E has been the world's most-delivered light jet for over a decade. Designed in collaboration with BMW Designworks, it offers the largest cabin, longest range and fastest cruise speed in its class — a genuine alternative to entry-level midsize aircraft at light-jet rates.
FULL EMBRAER PHENOM 300E PAGE →SPECIFICATIONS
| METRIC | Citation XLS+ | Phenom 300E |
|---|---|---|
| Passengers | 8 | 8 |
| Range | 1,858 nm | 2,010 nm |
| Cruise speed | Mach 0.75 | Mach 0.80 |
| Cabin height | 5'8" | 4'11" |
| Cabin width | 5'6" | 5'2" |
| Baggage | 90 cu ft | 84 cu ft |
| Runway | 3,560 ft | 3,209 ft |
CHARTER PRICING
| London → Nice | from £7,500 |
| Frankfurt → Mykonos | from €11,900 |
| New York → Miami | from $14,400 |
| London → Geneva | from £5,600 |
| Munich → Olbia | from €6,400 |
| Teterboro → Aspen | from $15,600 |
All-inclusive indicative one-way pricing. Confirmed quote in 10 minutes.
EXPERT VERDICT
The Citation XLS+ pulls ahead on cabin comfort; the Phenom 300E answers with range / non-stop reach, airport access and speed & block time. 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
Phenom 300E
2,010 nm of range — the better choice for transcontinental and intercontinental missions.
Cabin comfort
Citation XLS+
Taller and/or wider cabin (5'8" × 5'6") — better for long flights and stand-up movement.
Group capacity
Even
Matched specifications.
Airport access
Phenom 300E
Shorter 3,209 ft balanced-field requirement — opens up restricted alpine, island and city-adjacent airfields.
Speed & block time
Phenom 300E
Cruise of Mach 0.80 — 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 XLS+ and Phenom 300E: the deciding reasons in this matchup, plus the buyer archetypes each aircraft serves best.
CESSNA
BEST FOR
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.
Last-minute charter
Largest charter fleet of any jet class — strongest empty-leg availability.
EMBRAER
BEST FOR
Longer non-stop reach
When the mission is on the edge of the Citation XLS+'s envelope, the 2,010 nm legs of the Phenom 300E keep reserves intact.
Short-field departures
3,209 ft balanced field unlocks airports the Citation XLS+ 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.
PROS & CONS
CESSNA
PROS
CONS
EMBRAER
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 → Ibiza sits in the Citation XLS+'s sweet spot.
SEE FULL AIRCRAFT →SCENARIO 02
Shorter runway requirement (3,209 ft) opens up the airfield.
SEE FULL AIRCRAFT →SCENARIO 03
Curated example: London → Ibiza sits in the Citation XLS+'s sweet spot.
SEE FULL AIRCRAFT →SCENARIO 04
Larger cabin seats the full group (8).
SEE FULL AIRCRAFT →ROUTE RECOMMENDATIONS
| ROUTE | DISTANCE | RECOMMENDED | WHY |
|---|---|---|---|
| London → Paris | 190 nm | Either | Both aircraft fly this comfortably non-stop — choose on cabin and price. |
| Geneva → Ibiza | 560 nm | Either | Both aircraft fly this comfortably non-stop — choose on cabin and price. |
| Teterboro → Miami | 950 nm | Either | Both aircraft fly this comfortably non-stop — choose on cabin and price. |
| London → Athens | 1,500 nm | Either | Both aircraft fly this comfortably non-stop — choose on cabin and price. |
Distances are great-circle approximations; actual fuel planning accounts for winds, weather and reserves.
FAQ
The Cessna Citation XLS+ has a published range of 1,858 nm; the Embraer Phenom 300E is rated at 2,010 nm. The longer-range aircraft opens up more non-stop city pairs without a tech stop.
Cruise speeds are Mach 0.75 for the Cessna Citation XLS+ and Mach 0.80 for the Embraer Phenom 300E. On a London → Nice-style mission the faster aircraft typically saves 10–25 minutes block time.
The Cessna Citation XLS+ seats 8; the Embraer Phenom 300E seats 8. 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 XLS+ from from £7,500, Embraer Phenom 300E from from £5,600. 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.
PHOTOGRAPHY
MORE COMPARISONS
CITATION XLS+ × PHENOM 300E CLUSTER
CHARTER EITHER AIRCRAFT
WHERE THESE AIRCRAFT FLY
EDITORIAL GUIDES
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