Playfully known as the “Lamborghini of the Skies” the Cessna Citation X+ was not only meant to be the world’s fastest business jet in the skies, but also capture the same popularity its predecessor, the Citation X, had.
But that wasn’t the case. Instead of selling well over 300 times and having a 20 year-long production run like the Citation X did, the Citation X+ sold only 29 times over a period of just four years (2014-2018)!
Background
At the 1990 NBAA in New Orleans, Cessna unveiled what it called the Cessna 750, later marketed as the Cessna Citation X, a development of the popular Citation III jet.
Intended to replace the company’s existing lineup of Citation jets, including the Citation III, VI and VII, Cessna promised that the Citation X would be the fastest civilian aircraft in our skies. And they delivered.
With a cruising speed of a little over Mach 0.9, Cessna had turned a family people mocked for its slow speeds – some even called it the “Slowtation” family – into a family now known for its speed.
Coupled with attractive fuel economics, other specs and a comparatively low asking price, Cessna had orders for literally hundreds of Citation Xs from a variety of operators.
The Citation X easily became one of the bestselling business jets of the late 1990’s and early 2000’s. But Cessna’s competitors were not going to be pushed out of the market by the Citation X, no matter how fast it was.
To that end, companies like Embraer, IAI (later Gulfstream) and Bombardier began producing rivals such the Legacy 600, Galaxy (G200) and Challenger 300 respectfully.
And whilst not as fast as the Citation X, these jets sported lower operating costs and upgraded features luring many would-be Citation X operators away from the jet…
Development
Noticing this and wanting to avoid
Operational History
Private Jet
Business Jet
Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories
Charter
Fractional Ownership
Price
Prior to Cessna ceasing production of the Citation X+ in 2018, the flyaway cost for one was about $23.5 million, placing it in the “mid tier” of business jets in terms of price.
Since ceasing production, however, the only way to acquire a Cessna Citation X+ would be on the secondary market, which is drastically more difficult than with other aircraft on account of how rare the jet is.
As only 29 were ever built, there aren’t always examples for sale on the secondary market, especially during periods when business aircraft are in high demand.
When they are on the market, however, the price of a used Citation X+ varies from a little over $10 million to a little under $14 million, averaging at around $12.5 million.
Factors that affect price include: age, interior condition, maintenance record, total number of hours on the fuselage and landings.
But acquisition costs are only one half of the true cost of aircraft ownership: operational costs are the other.
Assuming you were to fly the Citation X+ for 450 hours per year, it would cost approximately $3,984 per hour to operate the jet, including all fixed and variable costs, making it cheaper than its predecessors but more expensive than its successors.
Specifications
| Specifications | Cessna Citation X+ |
|---|---|
| Length | 73Â ft 7Â in (22.43Â m) |
| Wingspan | 69Â ft 2Â in (21.08Â m) |
| Height | 19Â ft 3Â in (5.87Â m) |
| Crew | 2 |
| Passengers | 8 |
| Max Speed | 0.935 Mach (993Â km/h; 617 mph; 536Â kn) |
| Range | 6,410Â km (3983 mi; 3,461Â nmi) |
| Service Ceiling | 51,000 ft (15,545 m) |
| MTOW | 36,600Â lb (16,600Â kg) |
How Safe is The Cessna Citation X+?
What’s it Like to Fly on The Cessna Citation X+?
Featured image courtesy of Jerome via Flickr.