Midsize Jet Charter from Chicago
Midsize jet charter is where most Chicago buyers end up once they have flown a few trips and formed opinions. The class carries 7–9 passengers at 440–470 kts with 2,000–2,600 nm of range, gives you a cabin 5 ft 5 in – 5 ft 9 in tall, and trades at a typical market range of $5,200–$7,200 per flight hour out of the Chicago area.
Chicago to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Vancouver or Bermuda non-stop. That combination — coast-to-coast reach, a lavatory you close a door on, and enough baggage volume that nobody negotiates over golf clubs — is why this bracket does more transcontinental charter work out of the Midwest than any other. This page covers the four airframes you will actually be offered, what the class costs, where it beats the brackets either side of it, and where it does not.
What defines the midsize class
A midsize jet is defined in practice by three thresholds. The cabin is tall enough that most adults can move down the aisle without crawling — 5 ft 5 in – 5 ft 9 in depending on the type, with the newest airframes crossing six feet. The lavatory is enclosed and externally serviced, so it is emptied by ground crew rather than becoming a cabin problem on a long leg. And book range clears 2,000–2,600 nm, which puts every point in the lower 48 within one stop and most within none.
Weight is the underlying reason all three arrive together. These aircraft sit roughly between 20,000 and 32,000 lb maximum takeoff weight, which buys fuselage diameter, a real galley and belly-adjacent baggage compartments. It also means most of them want more runway than a light jet at full fuel — a live consideration at Chicago Executive on a hot July afternoon, and the reason DuPage with its 7,571 ft runway is often the right departure field for a full westbound tank.
The class is unusually deep in the Midwest. Chicago sits inside a dense cluster of Part 135 certificates in Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana and Michigan holding midsize equipment, which is why positioning charges on a Chicago departure are frequently under an hour. That fleet depth also means you have real negotiating room: on a two-week lead time you should expect three or four genuinely different aircraft offered against one trip.
One caution about the label. "Midsize" is a market bracket, not a certification category, and the boundaries move depending on who is selling. Some brokers file the Citation XLS+ and Learjet 60XR here; this site files them one shelf down as super light jets because their cabin heights are 5 ft 8 in rather than the 6 ft 0 in of a true modern midsize. Both conventions are defensible. What matters is that you compare cabin height, baggage volume and range on the specific tail rather than the word in the quote.
Midsize jet specifications, model by model
The table below carries the four airframes named most often in Chicago midsize conversations, including the two this site classes as super light. Figures are typical-configuration published specs; individual serial numbers vary with interior fit and operator loading assumptions.
| Aircraft | Passengers | Range | Cabin height | Baggage | Typical Chicago hourly range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cessna Citation XLS+ | 9 | 2,100 nm | 5 ft 8 in | 90 cu ft | $4,400–$5,600 |
| Learjet 60XR | 7 | 2,405 nm | 5 ft 8 in | 59 cu ft | $4,600–$5,800 |
| Hawker 800XP | 8 | 2,540 nm | 5 ft 9 in | 49 cu ft | $5,200–$6,400 |
| Cessna Citation Latitude | 9 | 2,700 nm | 6 ft 0 in | 127 cu ft | $6,000–$7,200 |
The four airframes in detail
Cessna Citation Latitude
The Cessna Citation Latitude is the current default for buyers who care about the cabin. It has a flat floor, a 6 ft 0 in ceiling and a 6 ft 5 in width across 21.9 ft of length, seating 9 — 9 in the flat-floor double club. The number that ends most arguments is baggage: 127 cubic feet, more than double the Hawker 800XP and the largest in this comparison by a wide margin.
Book range is 2,700 nm at Mach 0.78 with a 45,000 ft ceiling. First deliveries were 2015, so the charter fleet is young, and connectivity is close to a given: widely equipped with gogo avance l5. Typical market range is $6,000–$7,200 per flight hour, the top of the class, and it is the aircraft most likely to be unavailable on short notice for exactly that reason.
Hawker 800XP
The Hawker 800XP is the value play. Its cabin is 5 ft 9 in tall and 6 ft 0 in wide across 21.3 ft — longer than the Latitude's — seating 8, 8 in a double club, 9 on airframes with a belted lav seat. Book range is 2,540 nm at Mach 0.77, and it trades at $5,200–$6,400, the entry point into a genuine stand-up midsize cabin.
The trade-offs are real and worth stating plainly. Baggage is 49 cubic feet, the tightest in the group. The ceiling is 41,000 ft, which occasionally means riding weather rather than climbing over it. First deliveries date to 1995, so cabin condition and avionics vary enormously between tails, and varies widely by tail; ask before booking a working flight Ask for interior photographs of the specific aircraft, not the type.
Cessna Citation XLS+
The Cessna Citation XLS+ is filed here as a super light jet but appears in midsize searches constantly, and for many trips it is the correct answer. It seats 9, books 2,100 nm and carries 90 cubic feet of baggage — nearly twice the Hawker — at $4,400–$5,600 per hour.
What it does not have is cabin height. At 5 ft 8 in you stoop, and no amount of interior design changes that. Where it wins is short-field access and fleet depth: it gets into Aspen and Naples at weights that trouble larger aircraft, and there are enough of them on charter certificates that a same-week booking is realistic. For under three hours in the seat, most passengers cannot tell you what they gave up.
Learjet 60XR
The Learjet 60XR is the speed option in this group: Mach 0.81 with a 51,000 ft ceiling and 2,405 nm of book range, which is longer-legged than the Hawker. Seven passengers sit in a cabin 5 ft 8 in by 5 ft 11 in, and the typical market range is $4,600–$5,800 per hour.
Its weaknesses are baggage at 59 cubic feet and runway appetite at high weight. On a Chicago-to-Florida run with four business travellers and roller bags it is quick, comfortable enough and often the cheapest way to hold a non-stop. On a family trip with equipment it is the wrong aircraft, and any broker who does not tell you that is selling availability rather than advice.
When to step down and when to step up
Against super light jets
Step down to super light jets when your trips are mostly under three hours and your passenger count sits at four or five. The class runs $4,200–$5,600 against this bracket's $5,200–$7,200, which on a six-hour round trip is several thousand dollars of difference for a cabin nobody stood up in.
Two situations reverse that. The first is a working flight where people move between seats, open laptops and hold conversations across the aisle for four hours; cabin volume stops being cosmetic. The second is short-runway destinations at high weight, where oddly it is the smaller aircraft that wins — a point worth raising before you assume bigger is more capable.
Against super midsize jets
Step up to super midsize jets when range or passenger count is genuinely binding. That class books 3,000–3,700 nm against 2,000–2,600 nm here, seats 8–10 passengers, and offers 5 ft 9 in – 6 ft 1 in of cabin for $7,200–$9,800 an hour.
The clean decision rule is winter westbound. A midsize does Chicago to California non-stop most of the year, but in January, with nine seats filled and luggage aboard, headwinds turn a reliable non-stop into a maybe. If your calendar has six or more of those legs a year, the step up buys schedule certainty rather than luxury, and that is the only version of this argument worth paying for.
What midsize jet charter costs from Chicago
The typical market range is $5,200–$7,200 per flight hour, with the Hawker 800XP anchoring the bottom at $5,200–$6,400 and the Cessna Citation Latitude the top at $6,000–$7,200. Those are aircraft rates, not trip prices, and the gap between the two is where most buyer frustration lives.
Positioning is the single largest variable. A Chicago-based tail arrives at the ramp for nothing; a Nashville-based one may add two hours of ferry billing before a passenger boards. Daily minimums of one and a half to two billable hours per calendar day come next, which is why a one-hour hop with a six-hour ground wait costs far more than the flight time suggests. Federal excise tax adds 7.5% on domestic transportation plus per-segment fees. Then de-icing from November through March, overnight crew expenses, catering and landing and ramp fees.
Trip structure matters as much as the aircraft. A same-day round trip is the cheapest per hour you can buy, because the operator never has to solve for getting the aeroplane home empty. A one-way at short notice is the most expensive, unless you happen to match an existing repositioning leg. Crew duty limits also bite: a long day with an early departure and a late return may require a second crew, which is a real line item nobody mentions until it appears.
The full arithmetic is set out in the hourly rate guide and the cost overview, including worked examples. When you are ready for a real number against a real date, request a quote and include passenger count, bag dimensions, and whether you need wi-fi — those three details change which aircraft can honestly be offered.
Three Chicago routes this class owns
Chicago to New York
Chicago to New York is 640 nm and a block time of about 1h 50m in this class, against 1h 55m for a light jet. Nobody books midsize here for the five minutes. They book it because eight passengers fit with luggage, because the cabin works as a meeting room for the whole flight, and because Teterboro on a Thursday evening is not where you want to discover your bags did not fit. Typical one-way pricing sits in the $15,000–$19,500 band.
Chicago to Los Angeles
At 1,516 nm, Chicago to Los Angeles is the leg where this class earns its premium: roughly 4h 15m as a reliable non-stop, where lighter aircraft plan a technical stop westbound. Typical one-way pricing runs the $27,000–$34,000 band. Van Nuys handles the volume, Burbank sits closer to the studios, and the westbound winter winds are the one variable to confirm with the operator before you sign.
Chicago to Naples
Chicago to Naples is 1,030 nm, about 2h 50m, and the most-booked midsize corridor out of Chicago between December and April. Typical one-way pricing sits in the $20,500–$26,000 band. The operational catch is the field itself: Naples Municipal has a 5,290 ft runway and a strict noise curfew, so confirm both the departure weight for your return and the curfew window before you commit to an evening slot.
Frequently asked questions
Can you stand up in a midsize jet?
Almost — and it depends on the type. Cabin heights in this class run 5 ft 5 in – 5 ft 9 in, so a passenger under about five foot eight stands comfortably and a six-footer does not. The Cessna Citation Latitude at 6 ft 0 in with a flat floor comes closest. If full standing room is non-negotiable, the super midsize class starting around 5 ft 9 in – 6 ft 1 in is the honest answer rather than a taller midsize.
Which midsize jet has the most baggage space?
The Cessna Citation Latitude, comfortably, at 127 cubic feet against 49 for the Hawker 800XP, 90 for the Cessna Citation XLS+ and 59 for the Learjet 60XR. Volume alone is not the whole story: hold door dimensions decide whether hard-sided golf cases and ski bags actually load. Send exact bag dimensions with your request and ask the operator to confirm against the specific tail.
How much does a midsize jet cost per hour from Chicago?
The typical market range is $5,200–$7,200 per flight hour in 2026, older Hawkers at the bottom and late-model Citations at the top. That is the aircraft rate only. Add positioning, daily minimums, 7.5% federal excise tax with segment fees, de-icing in winter and crew overnights. Actual quotes vary with date, aircraft and availability, so treat the range as a starting point.
Will a midsize jet make Chicago to California non-stop?
Most of the year, yes. Book range in this class is 2,000 to 2,600 nm and Los Angeles is 1,516 nm from Chicago, so the numbers work with room to spare. Winter westbound headwinds with a full cabin and heavy baggage are the exception and can force a technical stop. Ask the operator to confirm the non-stop against your actual passenger and baggage load in writing.
Is a newer aircraft worth the higher hourly rate?
Often, but not automatically. A 2015-onward airframe brings a flat floor, reliable high-speed connectivity and a predictable interior; a well-maintained 1995s-era Hawker delivers the same stand-up cabin for roughly $800 less per hour. The variable that matters is the individual tail, not the model year. Ask for recent interior photographs and the operator's charter history on that aircraft.
Which Chicago airport should a midsize jet depart from?
Chicago Executive is the default for the North Shore and the Loop and handles this class routinely. DuPage is the better choice for a full westbound fuel load, with the region's longest general-aviation runway. Midway suits South Loop passengers and has full-time customs. Gary has no curfew, which matters for late Sunday returns. The right answer is usually driven by ground time, not by the aircraft.
Related pages
Further reading from the blog
Sources and further reading
- Cessna Citation Latitude — Textron Aviation's published specification page for the Citation Latitude, the source for cabin and range figures
- Textron Aviation (Hawker product support) — Current type support and documentation for the Hawker 800XP fleet
- NBAA operations and tax resources — The National Business Aviation Association's guidance on charter operations and federal excise tax
- FAA Part 135 air carrier information — Federal Aviation Administration source material on the certificate under which all charter flights operate
Get a quote for your flight
Send us the route, the date and the number of passengers. You will get real options with all-in pricing, the operator's certificate and safety rating, and the aircraft's actual tail number — not a stock photo and a starting-from price.