A head-to-head look at two of the most-chartered aircraft in the light jet class.
BOMBARDIER
The Learjet 45XR was Bombardier's clean-sheet light jet — eight seats, double-club layout and the cruise speed and altitude of a midsize. Still one of the most-flown light jets in the US Part 135 fleet.
FULL BOMBARDIER LEARJET 45XR PAGE →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 →SPECIFICATIONS
| METRIC | Learjet 45XR | Citation XLS+ |
|---|---|---|
| Passengers | 8 | 8 |
| Range | 2,000 nm | 1,858 nm |
| Cruise speed | Mach 0.81 | Mach 0.75 |
| Cabin height | 4'11" | 5'8" |
| Cabin width | 5'1" | 5'6" |
| Baggage | 50 cu ft | 90 cu ft |
| Runway | 4,350 ft | 3,560 ft |
CHARTER PRICING
| Las Vegas → Aspen | from $13,800 |
| Paris → Ibiza | from €12,400 |
| London → Nice | from £7,500 |
| Frankfurt → Mykonos | from €11,900 |
| New York → Miami | from $14,400 |
All-inclusive indicative one-way pricing. Confirmed quote in 10 minutes.
EXPERT VERDICT
The Learjet 45XR pulls ahead on range / non-stop reach and speed & block time; the Citation XLS+ answers with cabin comfort and airport access. 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
Learjet 45XR
2,000 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
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
Learjet 45XR
Cruise of Mach 0.81 — 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 Learjet 45XR and Citation XLS+: the deciding reasons in this matchup, plus the buyer archetypes each aircraft serves best.
BOMBARDIER
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.
CESSNA
BEST FOR
Short-field departures
3,560 ft balanced field unlocks airports the Learjet 45XR cannot use, putting passengers closer to the door.
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.
PROS & CONS
BOMBARDIER
PROS
CONS
CESSNA
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: Teterboro → Chicago sits in the Learjet 45XR'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: Teterboro → Chicago sits in the Learjet 45XR'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 | 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 Bombardier Learjet 45XR has a published range of 2,000 nm; the Cessna Citation XLS+ is rated at 1,858 nm. The longer-range aircraft opens up more non-stop city pairs without a tech stop.
Cruise speeds are Mach 0.81 for the Bombardier Learjet 45XR and Mach 0.75 for the Cessna Citation XLS+. On a Las Vegas → Aspen-style mission the faster aircraft typically saves 10–25 minutes block time.
The Bombardier Learjet 45XR seats 8; the Cessna Citation XLS+ 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: Bombardier Learjet 45XR from from $13,800, Cessna Citation XLS+ from from £7,500. 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
LEARJET 45XR × CITATION XLS+ CLUSTER
CHARTER EITHER AIRCRAFT
WHERE THESE AIRCRAFT FLY
EDITORIAL GUIDES
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