A Eclipse Aerospace vs Cessna showdown in the light jet class. The Eclipse 550 carries 4 passengers with 1,125 nm of range; the Cessna Citation Encore+ carries 8 with 1,950 nm. Cabin dimensions land at 4'2" × 4'8" versus 4'8" × 4'10", and runway numbers read 2,342 ft against 3,490 ft. Indicative charter pricing on a representative sector: from $4,400 on the Eclipse 550, from $9,200 on the Citation Encore+.
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 →CESSNA
The Cessna Citation Encore+ updated the Encore with FADEC-controlled PW535B engines and Garmin avionics — eight seats, improved hot-and-high performance and the proven Citation II/V cabin layout.
FULL CESSNA CITATION ENCORE+ PAGE →SPECIFICATIONS
| METRIC | Eclipse 550 | Citation Encore+ |
|---|---|---|
| Passengers | 4 | 8 |
| Range | 1,125 nm | 1,950 nm |
| Cruise speed | Mach 0.64 | Mach 0.70 |
| Cabin height | 4'2" | 4'8" |
| Cabin width | 4'8" | 4'10" |
| Baggage | 16 cu ft | 65 cu ft |
| Runway | 2,342 ft | 3,490 ft |
CHARTER PRICING
| Chicago → Detroit | from $4,400 |
| Dallas → Austin | from $3,900 |
| Aspen → Los Angeles | from $9,200 |
| Munich → Olbia | from €9,400 |
All-inclusive indicative one-way pricing. Confirmed quote in 10 minutes.
EXPERT VERDICT
The Eclipse 550 pulls ahead on airport access; the Citation Encore+ answers with range / non-stop reach, cabin comfort, group capacity 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
Citation Encore+
1,950 nm of range — the better choice for transcontinental and intercontinental missions.
Cabin comfort
Citation Encore+
Taller and/or wider cabin (4'8" × 4'10") — better for long flights and stand-up movement.
Group capacity
Citation Encore+
Seats up to 8 — 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 Encore+
Cruise of Mach 0.70 — 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 Eclipse 550 and Citation Encore+: the deciding reasons in this matchup, plus the buyer archetypes each aircraft serves best.
ECLIPSE AEROSPACE
BEST FOR
Short-field departures
2,342 ft balanced field unlocks airports the Citation Encore+ 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.
CESSNA
BEST FOR
Longer non-stop reach
When the mission is on the edge of the Eclipse 550's envelope, the 1,950 nm legs of the Citation Encore+ keep reserves intact.
Larger party charters
Up to 8 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.
PROS & CONS
ECLIPSE AEROSPACE
PROS
CONS
CESSNA
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: Teterboro → Boston sits in the Eclipse 550'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: Teterboro → Boston sits in the Eclipse 550'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 | Citation Encore+ | Both reach it, but the longer-legged option keeps more fuel reserves for weather and routing changes. |
| Geneva → Ibiza | 560 nm | Citation Encore+ | Both reach it, but the longer-legged option keeps more fuel reserves for weather and routing changes. |
| Teterboro → Miami | 950 nm | Citation Encore+ | Both reach it, but the longer-legged option keeps more fuel reserves for weather and routing changes. |
| London → Athens | 1,500 nm | Citation Encore+ | 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 Eclipse 550 has a published range of 1,125 nm; the Cessna Citation Encore+ is rated at 1,950 nm. The longer-range aircraft opens up more non-stop city pairs without a tech stop.
Cruise speeds are Mach 0.64 for the Eclipse 550 and Mach 0.70 for the Cessna Citation Encore+. On a Chicago → Detroit-style mission the faster aircraft typically saves 10–25 minutes block time.
The Eclipse 550 seats 4; the Cessna Citation Encore+ 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: Eclipse 550 from from $4,400, Cessna Citation Encore+ from from $9,200. 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
ECLIPSE 550 × CITATION ENCORE+ CLUSTER
CHARTER EITHER AIRCRAFT
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