Embraer Embraer Legacy 500 — Midsize Jet charter aircraftCessna Cessna Citation Latitude — Midsize Jet charter aircraft

Legacy 500 vs Citation Latitude

A Embraer vs Cessna showdown in the midsize jet class. The Embraer Legacy 500 carries 8–12 passengers with 3,125 nm of range; the Cessna Citation Latitude carries 9 with 2,700 nm. Cabin dimensions land at 6'0" × 6'10" versus 6'0" × 6'5", and runway numbers read 4,084 ft against 3,580 ft. Indicative charter pricing on a representative sector: from £25,200 on the Legacy 500, from €11,900 on the Citation Latitude.

Embraer Legacy 500

EMBRAER

Embraer Legacy 500

The Embraer Legacy 500 was the first midsize jet with full fly-by-wire flight controls, delivering ride quality previously reserved for the largest business jets. A genuine six-foot cabin, 6,000-foot cabin altitude and 3,125 nm range make it exceptional for transatlantic and Middle-East missions.

FULL EMBRAER LEGACY 500 PAGE →
Cessna Citation Latitude

CESSNA

Cessna Citation Latitude

The Citation Latitude offers a true six-foot flat-floor cabin — usually the preserve of super-midsize jets — at midsize operating costs. Nine passengers fly in stand-up comfort across Europe, transcontinental US or the Mediterranean.

FULL CESSNA CITATION LATITUDE PAGE →

SPECIFICATIONS

Side-by-side specifications

METRICLegacy 500Citation Latitude
Passengers8–129
Range3,125 nm2,700 nm
Cruise speedMach 0.82Mach 0.80
Cabin height6'0"6'0"
Cabin width6'10"6'5"
Baggage155 cu ft127 cu ft
Runway4,084 ft3,580 ft

Embraer Legacy 500 — strengths

  • First midsize jet with fly-by-wire
  • 6,000 ft cabin altitude — lowest in class
  • Walk-in baggage in flight

Cessna Citation Latitude — strengths

  • Class-leading cabin altitude (5,950 ft)
  • Stand-up cabin at midsize prices
  • Garmin G5000 avionics

CHARTER PRICING

Indicative pricing

EMBRAER LEGACY 500
London → Dubaifrom £25,200
Miami → New Yorkfrom $14,700
CESSNA CITATION LATITUDE
Geneva → Mykonosfrom €11,900
Miami → New Yorkfrom $13,500

All-inclusive indicative one-way pricing. Confirmed quote in 10 minutes.

EXPERT VERDICT

The Legacy 500 is the stronger all-rounder, but the Citation Latitude still wins on the metrics that matter to specific buyers.

The Legacy 500 pulls ahead on range / non-stop reach, cabin comfort, group capacity and speed & block time; the Citation Latitude answers with airport access. Both sit in the midsize 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

Legacy 500

3,125 nm of range — the better choice for transcontinental and intercontinental missions.

Cabin comfort

Legacy 500

Taller and/or wider cabin (6'0" × 6'10") — better for long flights and stand-up movement.

Group capacity

Legacy 500

Seats up to 12 — the right pick when the manifest grows.

Airport access

Citation Latitude

Shorter 3,580 ft balanced-field requirement — opens up restricted alpine, island and city-adjacent airfields.

Speed & block time

Legacy 500

Cruise of Mach 0.82 — 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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CHOOSE WITH CONFIDENCE

Top reasons to choose — and who each aircraft is best for

A tailored summary for the Legacy 500 and Citation Latitude: the deciding reasons in this matchup, plus the buyer archetypes each aircraft serves best.

EMBRAER

Top reasons to choose the Legacy 500

  • Reaches 3,125 nm non-stop — 16% more range than the Citation Latitude, opening city pairs that would otherwise need a tech stop.
  • Cruises at Mach 0.82, trimming block time on every leg vs the Citation Latitude (Mach 0.80).
  • Bigger cabin envelope (6'0" tall × 6'10" wide) than the Citation Latitude — meaningful difference on flights over three hours.
  • Seats up to 12 passengers vs 9 on the Citation Latitude — better for full-group charters and family travel.
  • 155 cu ft of baggage volume — fits ski, golf and extended-stay luggage that crowds the Citation Latitude.

BEST FOR

  • Longer non-stop reach

    When the mission is on the edge of the Citation Latitude's envelope, the 3,125 nm legs of the Legacy 500 keep reserves intact.

  • Larger party charters

    Up to 12 seats vs 9 on the Citation Latitude — the natural pick when the manifest grows last-minute.

  • Stand-up cross-Europe travel

    Flat-floor cabin for 3–4 hour legs with full bar and lavatory.

  • 8-seat board offsites

    Comfortable double-club layout for executive teams.

CESSNA

Top reasons to choose the Citation Latitude

  • Lands in 3,580 ft balanced field — accesses short, restricted and city-adjacent airports the Legacy 500 cannot.
  • Class-leading cabin altitude (5,950 ft)
  • Stand-up cabin at midsize prices
  • Garmin G5000 avionics

BEST FOR

  • Short-field departures

    3,580 ft balanced field unlocks airports the Legacy 500 cannot use, putting passengers closer to the door.

  • Stand-up cross-Europe travel

    Flat-floor cabin for 3–4 hour legs with full bar and lavatory.

  • 8-seat board offsites

    Comfortable double-club layout for executive teams.

  • US transcontinental

    Non-stop east-coast to west-coast missions with full payload.

PROS & CONS

Honest assessment

EMBRAER

Embraer Legacy 500

PROS

  • +First midsize jet with fly-by-wire
  • +6,000 ft cabin altitude — lowest in class
  • +Walk-in baggage in flight
  • +Longer legs than the Citation Latitude (3,125 nm vs 2,700 nm) — fewer fuel stops on intercontinental missions.
  • +Carries up to 12 passengers vs 9 on the Citation Latitude — better for larger groups.
  • +Faster cruise (Mach 0.82) trims block time on every leg vs the Citation Latitude.

CONS

  • Needs more runway than the Citation Latitude (4,084 ft vs 3,580 ft) — fewer short-field options.

CESSNA

Cessna Citation Latitude

PROS

  • +Class-leading cabin altitude (5,950 ft)
  • +Stand-up cabin at midsize prices
  • +Garmin G5000 avionics
  • +Shorter runway requirement (3,580 ft) unlocks airfields the Legacy 500 cannot use.

CONS

  • Shorter range than the Legacy 500 (2,700 nm vs 3,125 nm) — may require a tech stop on long sectors.
  • Maximum 9-seat layout is tight if you regularly travel with more than 9 — the Legacy 500 adds 3 seats.
  • Slightly slower in cruise than the Legacy 500 (Mach 0.80 vs Mach 0.82).

REAL-WORLD MISSIONS

Which aircraft for which mission

Four scenarios our charter desk sees regularly — and which of these two we would actually quote.

SCENARIO 01

Eight-person sales roadshow across three European capitals in two days

OUR PICKLegacy 500

Larger cabin seats the full group (8–12).

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SCENARIO 02

Family of six on a 1,500 nm leisure trip with stand-up cabin needs

OUR PICKLegacy 500

Larger cabin seats the full group (8–12).

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SCENARIO 03

Coast-to-coast US transcon with full passenger load

OUR PICKLegacy 500

Curated example: Dubai → Maldives sits in the Legacy 500's sweet spot.

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SCENARIO 04

Long-weekend group charter to Marrakech with extra baggage

OUR PICKLegacy 500

Larger cabin seats the full group (8–12).

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ROUTE RECOMMENDATIONS

Best pick per route

ROUTEDISTANCERECOMMENDEDWHY
London → Moscow1,500 nmLegacy 500Both reach it, but the longer-legged option keeps more fuel reserves for weather and routing changes.
Geneva → Marrakech1,250 nmLegacy 500Both reach it, but the longer-legged option keeps more fuel reserves for weather and routing changes.
Teterboro → Aspen1,580 nmLegacy 500Both reach it, but the longer-legged option keeps more fuel reserves for weather and routing changes.
Paris → Cairo1,800 nmLegacy 500Both 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

Legacy 500 vs Citation Latitude — frequently asked

Legacy 500 vs Citation Latitude: which has the longer range?OPEN

The Embraer Legacy 500 has a published range of 3,125 nm; the Cessna Citation Latitude is rated at 2,700 nm. The longer-range aircraft opens up more non-stop city pairs without a tech stop.

Which is faster — Legacy 500 or Citation Latitude?OPEN

Cruise speeds are Mach 0.82 for the Embraer Legacy 500 and Mach 0.80 for the Cessna Citation Latitude. On a London → Dubai-style mission the faster aircraft typically saves 10–25 minutes block time.

How many passengers does each aircraft carry?OPEN

The Embraer Legacy 500 seats 8–12; the Cessna Citation Latitude seats 9. Charter prices below assume a typical executive layout — high-density configurations are available on request.

What does it cost to charter the Embraer Legacy 500 vs the Cessna Citation Latitude?OPEN

Indicative one-way pricing on a benchmark mission: Embraer Legacy 500 from from £25,200, Cessna Citation Latitude from from €11,900. Confirmed quote in 10 minutes — pricing varies with empty-leg availability, season and routing.

Which aircraft is better for transatlantic or long-range missions?OPEN

Both belong to the Midsize Jet category, but range, payload and runway performance differ. See the route-recommendations table on this page for our specific pick per corridor.

How much cabin space does the Legacy 500 have vs the Citation Latitude?OPEN

Cabin comfort is the everyday difference passengers feel most. Both the Embraer Legacy 500 and Cessna Citation Latitude sit in the Midsize Jet class, so cabin height, width and layout differ subtly — on flights over 3 hours those details matter more than raw range. Ask us for a side-by-side floorplan.

Which aircraft is safer — Legacy 500 or Citation Latitude?OPEN

Both aircraft in this comparison are operated under ARG/US, Wyvern or IS-BAO safety programmes when chartered through Limitless Sky. Safety is driven by operator, crew currency and maintenance regime — not the airframe. We only book operators meeting our verified due-diligence checklist.

What's the total mission cost — not just the hourly rate?OPEN

Hourly pricing (from £25,200 for the Legacy 500, from €11,900 for the Citation Latitude) is only one input. Total mission cost includes positioning legs, overnight fees, landing/handling, catering, de-icing and FET where applicable. Our confirmed quote itemises every line so there are no surprises.

MORE COMPARISONS

Compare more midsize jets

LEGACY 500 × CITATION LATITUDE CLUSTER

Continue researching Legacy 500 or Citation Latitude

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