Citation XLS Charter from Chicago

Why the Citation XLS charter market is the busiest in its class

Three things put this super light jet on more trip sheets than anything comparable. First, the cabin height: 68 in is 9 in more than the best light jet, and the midsize class it undercuts only starts at 5 ft 5 in. You still do not stand up, but you move down the aisle without folding in half, and that single dimension changes how a three-hour flight feels.

Second, the hold. 90 cu ft is the largest baggage volume you will find below the midsize class, and it is a usable shape rather than a clever number — golf travel bags, ski cases and a season's worth of suitcases go in without negotiation. For Chicago's snowbird traffic to Florida this is the deciding specification, not speed.

Third, fleet depth. Cessna delivered the Excel and XLS families in large numbers and the current XLS+ has been in service since 2008. Almost every large Part 135 operator in the region has at least one on certificate, Florida operators run them in numbers, and the population is big enough that a Tuesday request for a Thursday departure is normally answerable. Availability is a real feature, and it is why the type is priced where it is rather than lower.

Citation XLS+ specifications

The line to read twice is the lavatory. Enclosed, externally serviced means the FBO services it from outside the fuselage between legs, which is why the cabin at the end of a multi-leg day smells like an aircraft rather than a lavatory. On a family relocation to Florida with children aboard, this matters more than the cruise-speed line above it.

The cabin, the lavatory and the 90 cubic feet

Citation Excel charter cost: what drives the number

The typical market range is $4,400–$5,600 per flight hour, against $4,200–$5,600 for the super light class and $5,200–$7,200 for midsize. That gap to midsize — roughly the price of a second aircraft on a long trip — is the commercial reason the type is chartered so heavily. These are typical market ranges, not quotes; actual pricing varies with date, aircraft and availability, and our hourly rate guide explains how the bands are built.

Chicago routes, and the Naples runway question

The XLS+ cruises at 441 kts, between the light and midsize figures, so its real block times fall between the two published columns below. Use the light jet column as your conservative planning number and the midsize column as the best case.

XLS+ against the Learjet 60XR and the Hawker 800XP

The Learjet 60XR is the in-class rival and it is faster and longer-legged: 466 kts against 441, 2,405 nm against 2,100 nm, and 6,000 ft more ceiling. It gives back 31 cu ft of baggage and two seats. If the mission is a fast pair of executives to the coast, the 60XR is the better tool. If it is eight people and eight bags to Florida, it is not close.

The Hawker 800XP is the step up and the first genuinely stand-up cabin in this conversation, at a midsize rate band of $5,200–$7,200. It seats the same eight and adds standing headroom and 2.8 ft more cabin length. What it does not add is baggage — the Hawker's 49 cu ft hold is barely half the XLS+'s, which surprises people every time. Buy the Hawker for headroom, not for luggage.

When not to book an XLS+

Two passengers going to Nashville do not need this aircraft; a light jet does the same job for less. A transcontinental leg with a full cabin is at the edge of what 2,100 nm supports comfortably westbound in winter, and a midsize or super midsize will do it without a stop. And if standing headroom is non-negotiable for a tall passenger on a four-hour flight, no amount of 68 in cabin height will fix that — go up a class. Everything else this aircraft handles, which is precisely why it is chartered as often as it is. Compare the classes in our charter cost guide, then request a quote with your dates and passenger count.