Representative imageMidsize light jet
The XLS+ is the refined, FADEC-equipped evolution of the Citation Excel formula — the same stand-up cabin and short-field talent with more range, more speed and a modern ProLine 21 flight deck. It has been the world's best-selling midsize jet for years at a stretch.
Range is around 2,100 NM with seating for eight or nine, from runways well under 4,000 feet.
The aircraft
Cessna announced the Excel in 1994 with a deceptively simple brief: put a stand-up midsize cabin on light-jet operating economics. The engineering borrowed deliberately from proven parts — a shortened version of the Citation X's fuselage cross-section, a straight wing developed from the Ultra's, and Pratt & Whitney Canada's new PW545 turbofan. The prototype flew on 29 February 1996, certification followed in April 1998, and the market's answer was emphatic: the Excel went straight to the top of its class and never really left.
The formula has been refined rather than reinvented ever since. The XLS arrived in 2004 with upgraded PW545B engines and a glass flight deck; the XLS+ followed in 2008 with FADEC-controlled PW545Cs, Collins Pro Line 21 avionics and the restyled nose that identifies it on any ramp. Across the three generations, deliveries comfortably exceed 1,000 airframes — a fleet size that guarantees parts, tooling and type-experienced engineers on every continent, including a meaningful population in Africa and the Middle East.
The XLS+ is the mature expression of the design, and its production run ended only with the arrival of the Citation Ascend, certified by the FAA in late 2025. That succession matters to a used buyer: the airframe lineage remains in production, Textron's support commitment is not in question, and the XLS+ sits at the sweet spot of modern systems and proven economics.
Key figures
Standard published figures for a typically equipped Cessna Citation XLS+. Individual airframes vary with configuration and modification — the specification on a listing is what governs.
We do not hold a Cessna Citation XLS+ on the books this week, but we place the type regularly. Tell us the specification, hours and budget, and we will come back with airframes that are genuinely available.
Ask us to source a Citation XLS+Where it reaches
Click the map to move the origin to your base and see how far the Citation XLS+ reaches at 70, 90 and 100 per cent of published range.
The broker’s view
The XLS+ commands the premium tier of the Excel family and earns it: buyers get current-generation systems in an airframe every engineer on three continents knows. Values are notably stable — the fleet's charter demand underwrites them.
If the budget reaches an XLS+ rather than an earlier Excel, resale strength usually justifies the difference.
The family
The original 560XL, delivered from 1998. Oldest and cheapest entry to the stand-up cabin; expect earlier-generation avionics and check engine programme enrolment closely, as it carries the type's value at this age.
The 2004 refresh: PW545B engines and an updated glass flight deck. A genuine middle path on price — most of the Plus's capability, a step behind on systems generation.
From 2008: FADEC-controlled PW545C engines, Collins Pro Line 21 and the revised nose. The most valuable and most liquid of the family — the version charter operators and first-time midsize buyers compete for.
The successor, FAA-certified in late 2025 with PW545D engines, Garmin G5000 avionics and a flat-floor cabin. Its arrival anchors late-model XLS+ pricing and confirms the airframe line has a long production future.
Common questions
Published range is about 2,100 NM with reserves — four and a half hours, or Johannesburg to Nairobi non-stop.
The Plus added FADEC-controlled PW545C engines, a revised nose and updated ProLine 21 avionics. Performance gains are modest; the systems refinement is the argument.
Stand-up cabin, light-jet running costs and short-field access cover the majority of real-world charter missions — utilisation economics few types match.
Published takeoff performance is well under 4,000 ft at typical weights, with landing distances shorter still. In practice the type uses fields that exclude most midsize competitors — one reason it earns revenue from secondary airports charter clients actually want to reach.
The Hawker answers with a wider, quieter cabin at a lower purchase price; the XLS+ counters with better runway performance, lower operating costs and an airframe still in production. Out-of-production support risk is the Hawker's burden — most buyers weighing the two end up in the Citation.
Character rather than figures: it burns and spends like a heavy light jet while carrying a midsize cabin, which is the type's entire commercial argument. Engine and airframe programmes are widely subscribed, parts are stocked globally, and no maintenance organisation finds the type unfamiliar.
Buying or selling, the conversation costs nothing. Tell us the mission and the budget and we will tell you honestly whether the Citation XLS+ — or something else — is the right airframe for it.
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