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 →HONDA AIRCRAFT COMPANY
The HondaJet Elite II is the most innovative light jet in production — its patented over-the-wing engine mount delivers a quieter, larger cabin and 20% better fuel efficiency than any direct competitor. Ideal for short European or US business missions.
FULL HONDAJET ELITE II PAGE →SPECIFICATIONS
| METRIC | Citation XLS+ | HondaJet Elite II |
|---|---|---|
| Passengers | 8 | 5–6 |
| Range | 1,858 nm | 1,547 nm |
| Cruise speed | Mach 0.75 | Mach 0.72 |
| Cabin height | 5'8" | 4'10" |
| Cabin width | 5'6" | 5'0" |
| Baggage | 90 cu ft | 66 cu ft |
| Runway | 3,560 ft | 3,699 ft |
CHARTER PRICING
| London → Nice | from £12,500 |
| Frankfurt → Mykonos | from €19,800 |
| New York → Miami | from $24,000 |
| London → Amsterdam | from £5,400 |
| New York → Boston | from $7,200 |
All-inclusive indicative one-way pricing. Confirmed quote in 10 minutes.
EXPERT VERDICT
The Citation XLS+ pulls ahead on range / non-stop reach, cabin comfort, group capacity, 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 XLS+
1,858 nm of range — the better choice for transcontinental and intercontinental missions.
Cabin comfort
Citation XLS+
Taller and/or wider cabin (5'8" × 5'6") — better for long flights and stand-up movement.
Group capacity
Citation XLS+
Seats up to 8 — the right pick when the manifest grows.
Airport access
Citation XLS+
Shorter 3,560 ft balanced-field requirement — opens up restricted alpine, island and city-adjacent airfields.
Speed & block time
Citation XLS+
Cruise of Mach 0.75 — 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
HONDA AIRCRAFT COMPANY
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 → Paris | 190 nm | Citation XLS+ | Both reach it, but the longer-legged option keeps more fuel reserves for weather and routing changes. |
| Geneva → Ibiza | 560 nm | Citation XLS+ | Both reach it, but the longer-legged option keeps more fuel reserves for weather and routing changes. |
| Teterboro → Miami | 950 nm | Citation XLS+ | Both reach it, but the longer-legged option keeps more fuel reserves for weather and routing changes. |
| London → Athens | 1,500 nm | Citation XLS+ | Only one reaches non-stop — the other would need a fuel stop (1500 nm > 1,547 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 HondaJet Elite II is rated at 1,547 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 0.72 for the HondaJet Elite II. On a London → Nice-style mission the faster aircraft typically saves 10–25 minutes block time.
The Cessna Citation XLS+ seats 8; the HondaJet Elite II seats 5–6. 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, HondaJet Elite II from from £5,400. 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+ × HONDAJET ELITE II CLUSTER
CHARTER EITHER AIRCRAFT
WHERE THESE AIRCRAFT FLY
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