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 350i is the most-chartered twin turboprop in the world. Nine passengers, short-runway access and the proven economics of the King Air platform make it ideal for regional missions to airports jets simply cannot use.
FULL BEECHCRAFT KING AIR 350I PAGE →SPECIFICATIONS
| METRIC | Grand Caravan EX | King Air 350i |
|---|---|---|
| Passengers | 9 | 9 |
| Range | 964 nm | 1,806 nm |
| Cruise speed | 186 kts | 312 kts |
| Cabin height | 4'6" | 4'9" |
| Cabin width | 5'3" | 4'6" |
| Baggage | 111 cu ft | 55 cu ft |
| Runway | 2,055 ft | 3,300 ft |
CHARTER PRICING
| Nassau → Exuma | from $3,600 |
| Mahé → Praslin | from $4,200 |
| London → Cardiff | from £4,800 |
| Denver → Telluride | from $9,500 |
All-inclusive indicative one-way pricing. Confirmed quote in 10 minutes.
EXPERT VERDICT
The Grand Caravan EX pulls ahead on cabin comfort and airport access; the King Air 350i 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 350i
1,806 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
Even
Matched specifications.
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.
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 350i | Both reach it, but the longer-legged option keeps more fuel reserves for weather and routing changes. |
| Zurich → St Moritz | 95 nm | King Air 350i | Both reach it, but the longer-legged option keeps more fuel reserves for weather and routing changes. |
| Aspen → Telluride | 115 nm | King Air 350i | Both reach it, but the longer-legged option keeps more fuel reserves for weather and routing changes. |
| Nantucket → Teterboro | 180 nm | King Air 350i | 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 350i is rated at 1,806 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 312 kts for the Beechcraft King Air 350i. 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 350i seats 9. 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 $3,600, Beechcraft King Air 350i from from £4,800. 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 350I CLUSTER
Tell us your route and party size — we'll recommend the right aircraft and send a confirmed quote in 10 minutes.
REQUEST A QUOTE