A head-to-head look at two of the most-chartered aircraft in the light jet class.
CESSNA
The Cessna Citation CJ4 Gen2 is the flagship of the CitationJet family — the longest-range, fastest and largest member of the CJ line. Refreshed for 2024 with Garmin G3000, premium leather seating and pro line wireless cabin controls, it carries up to nine passengers across 2,165 nautical miles at Mach 0.77, all single-pilot certified for lower direct charter cost.
FULL CESSNA CITATION CJ4 GEN2 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 CJ4 Gen2 | Phenom 300E |
|---|---|---|
| Passengers | 8–9 | 8 |
| Range | 2,165 nm | 2,010 nm |
| Cruise speed | Mach 0.77 | Mach 0.80 |
| Cabin height | 4'9" | 4'11" |
| Cabin width | 4'10" | 5'2" |
| Baggage | 77 cu ft | 84 cu ft |
| Runway | 3,410 ft | 3,209 ft |
CHARTER PRICING
| London → Ibiza | from £7,200 |
| Munich → Mykonos | from €9,800 |
| Dallas → Aspen | from $11,600 |
| 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 CJ4 Gen2 pulls ahead on range / non-stop reach and group capacity; the Phenom 300E answers with cabin comfort, 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
Citation CJ4 Gen2
2,165 nm of range — the better choice for transcontinental and intercontinental missions.
Cabin comfort
Phenom 300E
Taller and/or wider cabin (4'11" × 5'2") — better for long flights and stand-up movement.
Group capacity
Citation CJ4 Gen2
Seats up to 9 — the right pick when the manifest grows.
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 CJ4 Gen2 and Phenom 300E: 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 Phenom 300E — 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.
4–6 passenger weekends
Right-sized for a couple plus friends or a small family weekend break.
EMBRAER
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.
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 → Nice sits in the Citation CJ4 Gen2'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 → Nice sits in the Citation CJ4 Gen2's sweet spot.
SEE FULL AIRCRAFT →SCENARIO 04
Larger cabin seats the full group (8–9).
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 CJ4 Gen2 has a published range of 2,165 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 0.77 for the Cessna Citation CJ4 Gen2 and Mach 0.80 for the Embraer Phenom 300E. On a London → Ibiza-style mission the faster aircraft typically saves 10–25 minutes block time.
The Cessna Citation CJ4 Gen2 seats 8–9; 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 CJ4 Gen2 from from £7,200, 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 CJ4 GEN2 × PHENOM 300E CLUSTER
CHARTER EITHER AIRCRAFT
WHERE THESE AIRCRAFT FLY
EDITORIAL GUIDES
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