A head-to-head look at two of the most-chartered aircraft in the light jet class.
CESSNA
The Citation XLS+ is the world's best-selling midsize private jet — and for good reason. It blends a true stand-up cabin and external baggage hold with light-jet operating economics and short-runway capability. Eight passengers fly in genuine comfort across Europe or coast-to-coast in the US.
FULL CESSNA CITATION XLS+ 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 XLS+ | Hawker 800XP |
|---|---|---|
| Passengers | 8 | 8 |
| Range | 1,858 nm | 2,540 nm |
| Cruise speed | Mach 0.75 | Mach 0.80 |
| Cabin height | 5'8" | 5'9" |
| Cabin width | 5'6" | 6'0" |
| Baggage | 90 cu ft | 50 cu ft |
| Runway | 3,560 ft | 5,032 ft |
CHARTER PRICING
| London → Nice | from £12,500 |
| Frankfurt → Mykonos | from €19,800 |
| New York → Miami | from $24,000 |
| London → Marrakech | from £21,000 |
| Teterboro → Chicago | from $14,500 |
All-inclusive indicative one-way pricing. Confirmed quote in 10 minutes.
EXPERT VERDICT
The Citation XLS+ pulls ahead on airport access; the Hawker 800XP answers with range / non-stop reach, cabin comfort and speed & block time. Because the Citation XLS+ (light jet) and Hawker 800XP (midsize jet) sit in different segments, charter pricing diverges noticeably — match the aircraft to the mission, not the budget.
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 XLS+
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.
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
Curated example: London → Ibiza sits in the Citation XLS+'s sweet spot.
SEE FULL AIRCRAFT →SCENARIO 02
Shorter runway requirement (3,560 ft) opens up the airfield.
SEE FULL AIRCRAFT →SCENARIO 03
Curated example: London → Ibiza sits in the Citation XLS+'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 XLS+ 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 XLS+ and Mach 0.80 for the Hawker 800XP. On a London → Nice-style mission the faster aircraft typically saves 10–25 minutes block time.
The Cessna Citation XLS+ seats 8; the Hawker 800XP 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 XLS+ from from £12,500, Hawker 800XP from from £21,000. 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
CITATION XLS+ × HAWKER 800XP CLUSTER
CHARTER EITHER AIRCRAFT
WHERE THESE AIRCRAFT FLY
EDITORIAL GUIDES
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