A head-to-head look at two of the most-chartered aircraft in the turboprop class.
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 →BEECHCRAFT
The Beechcraft King Air 260 is the next-generation King Air 250 — modernised Collins Pro Line Fusion flight deck, refreshed cabin and the proven short-runway capability of the King Air family.
FULL BEECHCRAFT KING AIR 260 PAGE →SPECIFICATIONS
| METRIC | Grand Caravan EX | King Air 260 |
|---|---|---|
| Passengers | 9 | 8 |
| Range | 964 nm | 1,720 nm |
| Cruise speed | 186 kts | 310 kts |
| Cabin height | 4'6" | 4'9" |
| Cabin width | 5'3" | 4'6" |
| Baggage | 111 cu ft | 55 cu ft |
| Runway | 2,055 ft | 2,950 ft |
CHARTER PRICING
| Nassau → Exuma | from $2,200 |
| Mahé → Praslin | from $2,500 |
| Zurich → St Moritz (Samedan) | from CHF 3,900 |
| Miami → Key West | from $3,400 |
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 King Air 260 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
King Air 260
1,720 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 King Air 260: 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 8 on the King Air 260 — the natural pick when the manifest grows last-minute.
Short-field departures
2,055 ft balanced field unlocks airports the King Air 260 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.
BEECHCRAFT
BEST FOR
Longer non-stop reach
When the mission is on the edge of the Grand Caravan EX's envelope, the 1,720 nm legs of the King Air 260 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
BEECHCRAFT
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 | King Air 260 | Both reach it, but the longer-legged option keeps more fuel reserves for weather and routing changes. |
| Zurich → St Moritz | 95 nm | King Air 260 | Both reach it, but the longer-legged option keeps more fuel reserves for weather and routing changes. |
| Aspen → Telluride | 115 nm | King Air 260 | Both reach it, but the longer-legged option keeps more fuel reserves for weather and routing changes. |
| Nantucket → Teterboro | 180 nm | King Air 260 | 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 Beechcraft King Air 260 is rated at 1,720 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 310 kts for the Beechcraft King Air 260. On a Nassau → Exuma-style mission the faster aircraft typically saves 10–25 minutes block time.
The Cessna Grand Caravan EX seats 9; the Beechcraft King Air 260 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 Grand Caravan EX from from $2,200, Beechcraft King Air 260 from from CHF 3,900. 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.
MORE COMPARISONS
GRAND CARAVAN EX × KING AIR 260 CLUSTER
CHARTER EITHER AIRCRAFT
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