Seating
Eight in the usual layout: a club of four, two forward seats and a two-place divan. Nine with the belted lavatory seat on short legs.
Cessna Citation XLS+ Private Jet Charter
The most familiar midsize jet in charter: a stand-up aisle, eight seats and short-runway manners, for sectors of up to about three and a half hours.
Bank transfer or cryptoHow a midsize jet is priced.
Photo: André Gerwing, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Passengers
- 7 to 8, up to 9
- Published range
- About 1,750 nm
- Speed
- 441 kn cruise
- Cabin height
- 5 ft 8 in
- Baggage
- 90 cu ft
- Category
- Midsize jet
Midsize jet · Cessna (Textron Aviation)
Why charter a Citation XLS+
The Citation XLS+ is the midsize jet you can nearly always find nearby, and the step up from a light jet for a group of eight who want to walk upright.
Who it suits
Six to eight people on a two- or three-hour sector, such as London to Geneva with skis. It works from runways of about 4,000 ft, which opens the smaller European fields near ski and summer resorts. The XLS, XLS+ and Gen2 are close enough that we offer them interchangeably and say which is which.
Against its rivals
It costs a little more than a Phenom 300 and cruises slower, but the cabin is taller and seats two more. The Citation Latitude adds a six-foot flat floor and about 900 nm for a clear step in price, worth it past three and a half hours.
Where it falls short
The headroom is in a dropped centre aisle, with the seats on raised ledges either side, and the windows are small by modern standards. With a full cabin it manages about three and a half hours, so New York to Los Angeles means a fuel stop and London to the Canaries is a stretch.
Citation XLS+ specifications
Published figures for the type. Seating, beds and connectivity vary with each aircraft's layout and operator, and we confirm them for the actual aircraft before you book.
| Specification | Citation XLS+ | Metric |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Midsize jet | |
| Passengers | 7 to 8 typical, up to 9 | |
| Published range | 1,750 nm | 3,240 km |
| Speed | About 441 kn in typical cruise | 817 km/h |
| Cabin height | 5 ft 8 in | 1.73 m |
| Cabin width | 5 ft 6 in | 1.68 m |
| Cabin length | 18 ft 6 in | 5.64 m |
| Baggage | 90 cu ft, about 80 cu ft in an external aft hold, not reachable in flight; the rest in cabin closets | 2.5 m³ |
| Take-off distance | 3,560 ft | 1,085 m |
| Crew | Two pilots | |
| Connectivity | Air-to-ground Wi-Fi on many US aircraft, working over the US and Canada; many European aircraft have none. Fit varies by operator | |
| In service | 2008 (XLS+); the XLS Gen2 update followed |
Range as published: four passengers with NBAA IFR reserves, as published by Business Jet Traveler for the current XLS Gen2; Cessna's 2,100 nm figure is a ferry range with no passengers. On the day it depends on passengers and luggage, winds, the airports, temperature and the reserves the operator carries.
Sources: Cessna Citation XLS+ brochure (Textron Aviation), Business Jet Traveler: Citation XLS Gen2, Aviation Week: Citation 560XL series, Wikipedia: Cessna Citation Excel.
Inside the Citation XLS+
The cabin is a shorter version of the Citation X's, 5 ft 8 in high in the aisle. The standard layout is a club of four, two forward-facing seats and a two-place divan, with a refreshment centre forward and an enclosed lavatory aft. The seats are extra-wide, recline and track, and the club tables fold out large enough for a working lunch.
Headroom
5 ft 8 in along a dropped centre aisle; seats sit on raised ledges either side.
Baggage
About 80 cu ft in the external aft hold and 10 cu ft of closets in the cabin, 90 cu ft in all.
Lavatory
Enclosed at the rear of the cabin; on some aircraft it doubles as a belted ninth seat for short legs.
Galley
A refreshment centre forward for drinks and cold catering rather than a full galley.
Citation XLS+ range in practice
Business Jet Traveler publishes about 1,750 nm with four passengers and reserves for the current version. With seven or eight aboard and a headwind, plan on three to three and a half hours; past about 1,500 nm with a full cabin in winter, expect a fuel stop.
Short runways are where it earns its keep. A published take-off distance of 3,560 ft at maximum weight lets it into Hawthorne in Los Angeles, Aspen with suitably qualified crews, and resort airfields too short for the bigger jets.
- Non-stop London to Geneva, about 1 hour 30 Luton or Farnborough to Geneva with eight and ski bags.
- Non-stop London to Ibiza, about 2 hours 30 Comfortably within range with a full cabin.
- Non-stop New York to Palm Beach, about 2 hours 30 Teterboro to Palm Beach or Opa-locka, a staple of the winter season.
- Non-stop New York to Turks and Caicos, about 3 hours 15 Teterboro to Providenciales with six to eight aboard.
- Usually non-stop New York to Dallas, about 3 hours 30 Westbound into winter headwinds with a full cabin, the operator may plan a stop.
- One fuel stop New York to Los Angeles, about 6 hours 30 A stop in the middle of the country; a super-midsize flies it non-stop.
Routes and destinations for the Citation XLS+
Trips this aircraft flies well, each with its own page: the airports at both ends, flight times and indicative prices by cabin.
Popular routes
- London to GenevaAbout an hour and a half, with room to stand and a hold for skis.
- Washington to New YorkUnder an hour for a group of eight.
- New York to MiamiNon-stop in under three hours with a full cabin.
- New York to Turks and CaicosNon-stop to Providenciales in about three and a quarter hours.
- New York to DallasUsually non-stop; westbound in winter with eight, a stop may be planned.
- Los Angeles to Las VegasForty-five minutes for a group of eight.
Destinations and events
- Private jet to AspenAspen-Pitkin County is ten minutes from town, but it limits wingspan and weight, closes at night and turns aircraft away in snow, so the right jet matters more here than anywhere else.
- Private jet to GenevaGeneva's four private terminals are fifteen minutes from the lakefront and a helicopter ride from Courchevel, Verbier and Gstaad.
- Private jet to Turks and CaicosProvidenciales is ten minutes from Grace Bay, with a private terminal and customs on the field, and South Caicos serves the newer resorts to the east.
- Private jet to the BahamasNassau is fifty minutes from Miami by light jet and fifteen minutes from Paradise Island by car, and the out islands have runways of their own.
- Private jet to the Super BowlShort-field performance for Hawthorne, closest to the stadium, with eight aboard.
Citation XLS+ charter cost
The XLS+ sits at the lower end of midsize pricing, a little above a Phenom 300 on the same sector. With so many in service, competition between operators keeps the price honest, and one-way pricing is common on busy corridors such as New York to Florida. Past three and a half hours, the extra landing, handling and time of a fuel stop can bring the total close to a Latitude or Challenger 350 flying non-stop.
As a guide, midsize jets charter at about $5,000 to $7,000 an hour for the aircraft, crew and fuel. Positioning, airport charges, overnight costs and the season are added for the trip, and the quote is one figure in writing.
Aircraft comparable to the Citation XLS+
When the Citation XLS+ is not available on your dates, or the trip asks for something slightly different, these are the aircraft we would put beside it.
Cessna Citation XLS+
A Citation XLS+ for your dates
Tell us the route, the dates and how many are flying. We check which Citation XLS+s are available near your departure, send priced options with photographs of each aircraft, and suggest a comparable type when that serves the trip better.
Photo: Duncan Kirk, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Frequently asked questions
How many passengers does a Citation XLS+ seat?
Eight in the standard layout: a club of four, two forward-facing seats and a two-place divan. Cessna certifies nine, the ninth being the belted lavatory seat, which is fine on a short hop and not on a three-hour flight.
What is the range of the Citation XLS+?
About 1,750 nm with four passengers and reserves, as published for the current version. With a full cabin and a headwind, plan on three to three and a half hours, which covers London to Ibiza or New York to Providenciales. New York to Los Angeles needs a fuel stop.
Can you stand up in a Citation XLS+?
Most people can. The aisle is 5 ft 8 in high, dropped a few inches below the seats either side, so you walk upright to the lavatory at the back.
How much luggage fits in a Citation XLS+?
About 80 cu ft in the external hold plus cabin closets, 90 cu ft in all. That is typically a medium suitcase and a soft bag each for eight, with golf bags or skis if the rest is soft. The hold is not reachable in flight.
What is the difference between the Citation XLS, XLS+ and XLS Gen2?
The XLS+ of 2008 added a longer nose, digital engine controls and a newer cockpit to the XLS; the Gen2 refreshed the cabin. The fuselage and cabin size are the same, so for a charter client the differences are finish and cabin technology rather than space.
Can a Citation XLS+ fly to Aspen?
Yes, it is a common choice there, flown by a crew qualified for the airport and in daylight. On warm afternoons the operator may limit passengers or fuel for the departure, and we plan the return leg with that in mind.
Request a Citation XLS+ quote
Where from, where to, the dates and how many are flying. We come back with priced Citation XLS+ options and comparable aircraft, usually the same day.