A Cessna vs Hawker Beechcraft showdown in the midsize jet class. The Cessna Citation Excel carries 8 passengers with 1,858 nm of range; the Hawker 800XP carries 8 with 2,540 nm. Cabin dimensions land at 5'7" × 5'5" versus 5'9" × 6'0", and runway numbers read 3,560 ft against 5,032 ft. Both sit in the same pricing class: an estimated €2,900–€3,900 per flight hour.
CESSNA
The Cessna Citation Excel was the original stand-up midsize Citation and remains one of the most-delivered business jets in history. Eight seats, 1,800 nm of range and access to airports the larger XLS+ cannot use.
FULL CESSNA CITATION EXCEL PAGE →HAWKER BEECHCRAFT
The Hawker 800XP remains one of the most-chartered midsize jets in the world. Its eight-seat double-club cabin, robust airframe and proven Honeywell engines make it exceptional value for European business missions and transcontinental US travel.
FULL HAWKER 800XP PAGE →SPECIFICATIONS
| METRIC | Citation Excel | Hawker 800XP |
|---|---|---|
| Passengers | 8 | 8 |
| Range | 1,858 nm | 2,540 nm |
| Cruise speed | Mach 0.75 | Mach 0.80 |
| Cabin height | 5'7" | 5'9" |
| Cabin width | 5'5" | 6'0" |
| Baggage | 80 cu ft | 50 cu ft |
| Runway | 3,560 ft | 5,032 ft |
CHARTER PRICING
| Miami → Nassau | Estimate on request |
| Paris → Nice | €4,200–€5,600 |
| London → Marrakech | Estimate on request |
| Teterboro → Chicago | Estimate on request |
One-way estimates from our pricing engine (standard season), estimated, confirmed quote within 1–2 hours.
EXPERT VERDICT
The Citation Excel pulls ahead on airport access; the Hawker 800XP answers with range / non-stop reach, cabin comfort and speed & block time. Both sit in the midsize 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
Hawker 800XP
2,540 nm of range — the better choice for transcontinental and intercontinental missions.
Cabin comfort
Hawker 800XP
Taller and/or wider cabin (5'9" × 6'0") — better for long flights and stand-up movement.
Group capacity
Even
Matched specifications.
Airport access
Citation Excel
Shorter 3,560 ft balanced-field requirement — opens up restricted alpine, island and city-adjacent airfields.
Speed & block time
Hawker 800XP
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 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 Citation Excel and Hawker 800XP: the deciding reasons in this matchup, plus the buyer archetypes each aircraft serves best.
CESSNA
BEST FOR
Short-field departures
3,560 ft balanced field unlocks airports the Hawker 800XP cannot use, putting passengers closer to the door.
Stand-up cross-Europe travel
Flat-floor cabin for 3–4 hour legs with full bar and lavatory.
8-seat board offsites
Comfortable double-club layout for executive teams.
US transcontinental
Non-stop east-coast to west-coast missions with full payload.
HAWKER BEECHCRAFT
BEST FOR
Longer non-stop reach
When the mission is on the edge of the Citation Excel's envelope, the 2,540 nm legs of the Hawker 800XP keep reserves intact.
Stand-up cross-Europe travel
Flat-floor cabin for 3–4 hour legs with full bar and lavatory.
8-seat board offsites
Comfortable double-club layout for executive teams.
US transcontinental
Non-stop east-coast to west-coast missions with full payload.
PROS & CONS
CESSNA
PROS
CONS
HAWKER BEECHCRAFT
PROS
CONS
REAL-WORLD MISSIONS
Four scenarios our charter desk sees regularly — and which of these two we would actually quote.
SCENARIO 01
Larger cabin seats the full group (8).
SEE FULL AIRCRAFT →SCENARIO 02
Larger cabin seats the full group (8).
SEE FULL AIRCRAFT →SCENARIO 03
Curated example: Teterboro → Chicago sits in the Citation Excel'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 → Moscow | 1,500 nm | Hawker 800XP | Both reach it, but the longer-legged option keeps more fuel reserves for weather and routing changes. |
| Geneva → Marrakech | 1,250 nm | Hawker 800XP | Both reach it, but the longer-legged option keeps more fuel reserves for weather and routing changes. |
| Teterboro → Aspen | 1,580 nm | Hawker 800XP | Both reach it, but the longer-legged option keeps more fuel reserves for weather and routing changes. |
| Paris → Cairo | 1,800 nm | Hawker 800XP | Only one reaches non-stop — the other would need a fuel stop (1800 nm > 1,858 nm). |
Distances are great-circle approximations; actual fuel planning accounts for winds, weather and reserves.
FAQ
The Cessna Citation Excel has a published range of 1,858 nm; the Hawker 800XP is rated at 2,540 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 Excel and Mach 0.80 for the Hawker 800XP. The difference in block time grows with trip length; on a Teterboro → Chicago trip it is usually minutes rather than hours.
The Cessna Citation Excel seats 8; the Hawker 800XP seats 8. Charter prices below assume a typical executive layout — high-density configurations are available on request.
From our pricing engine's class rates: the Cessna Citation Excel at an estimated €2,900–€3,900 per flight hour, and the Hawker 800XP at an estimated €2,900–€3,900 per flight hour. These are estimates; the confirmed quote within 1–2 hours depends on positioning, season and airport fees.
The Cessna Citation Excel cabin is 5'7" high and 5'5" wide; the Hawker 800XP is 5'9" high and 6'0" wide. Baggage: 80 cu ft vs 50 cu ft.
For trips within the Cessna Citation Excel's published 1,858 nm, either aircraft can fly non-stop and the choice comes down to cabin (5'7" vs 5'9" cabin height), seats (8 vs 8) and price. Beyond that, the Hawker 800XP (2,540 nm) flies non-stop where the Cessna Citation Excel 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 Midsize Jet 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 Citation Excel and Hawker 800XP sit in the Midsize Jet 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
CITATION EXCEL × HAWKER 800XP CLUSTER
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POPULAR COMPARISONS
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