Our Guide to the Cessna Citation Excel

Cessna announced the Citation Excel, also called Model 560XL, in 1994 before launching in 1998. More than 900 of these super light midsize business jets have flown since then before the production ended in 2004. With the most spacious cabin in its class, it’s no wonder that this jet is still in operation with the Swiss Air Force, jet card-style programs, and numerous private owners worldwide.

Built using the tail and unswept supercritical wing of the Citation V and the slightly shortened Citation X stand-up cabin, the Excel seems like a piece-mealed version of its predecessors. However, Cessna wisely chose these components to create the Citation Excel to give it excellent handling, reliable systems, and consistently smooth, quick flights.

Cessna Citation Excel Specifications
This quick jet will haul your company’s executive leaders from the northeast region of the U.S. to and from Florida, between LA and Aspen, and from Los Angeles to Jackson Hole. Cross-country trips require a stop for refueling. However, the Citation Excel is a great candidate for short, frequent business trips between office or client locations.

Two Pratt & Whitney PW545 propel this midsize business jet and provide 3,804 pounds of thrust each. Increased airflow through the engine’s core allows the engines to operate at higher temperature, and a Teflon seal prevents oil leaks.

Please refer to the chart below for more information on specifications for this used business jet.

Cabin Features of this Affordable Mid-Size Jet for Sale
The Cessna Citation Excel holds up to 10 passengers in a high-density configuration; the configurations more conducive to business seats six to eight. The cabin is 5.7 feet high, 5.5 feet wide, which is average for a midsize private jet, but exceeds the space on the more expensive Learjet 60.

The most popular cabin configuration includes a galley and closet behind the cockpit, a side-facing two-seater divan, and six executive seats. Fold-out tables and sliding headrests contribute to the comfort and convenience of the interior, which is relatively quiet and draft-free thanks to the triple-pane windows and triple-sealed entry door.

If your executives are looking for a cabin with luxury finishes, it’s best to rule out the Citation Excel. However, there is nothing inherently wrong with them. The basic in-flight entertainment system and pull-down window shades are perfectly fine, especially considering you can refit them with improved Wi-Fi and other upgrades for less than $200,000. Many of these used business jets for sale likely already have these types of additions to improve cabin quality.

The small galley is more than adequate for the Citation Excel’s short flights; you can find warming ovens or microwaves in retrofitted ones. The galley is primarily ideal for beverages and pre-packaged snacks, rather than hot gourmet meals. An externally-served right-side lavatory is preferable to the left-size lavatory; the left-side configuration requires emptying the toilet bowl via the jet’s cabin aisle.

The Cockpit of the Cessna Citation Excel
The Cessna Citation Excel was designed to be simple to fly. Pilots carry out the preflight check, and flight systems are set only once after takeoff, then automatically adjust in-flight.

The Honeywell Primus 1000 avionics suite consolidates multiple displays into three easy-to-read screens. Corresponding controls are located directly onto the screens’ faceplates. The original version included the landing gear on the panel, but jets manufactured later had the gear moved to the left side, with the MFD centered and radios on either side. An optional auxiliary power unit is also from Honeywell.

The pilot can manually control fuel flow during emergencies, but the single-channel electronic control engine allows the pilot to set the flow at the start of the flight and let it adjust automatically during the flight. A long-travel trailing link landing gear provides smooth taxiing and landing, and high-capacity carbon brakes exceed the capabilities of its competitors.

Additional Benefits of Flying in the Cessna Citation Excel
With so many Cessna Citation Excel jets in the air today, just six have been involved in accidents since its release in 1998, making it a highly reliable and safe private business jet.

Similarly, the brakes on the landing gears wear minimally and last a long time, leaving one less maintenance task for your operations manager and jet team to handle.

Cessna Citation Excel Ownership and Operational Costs
You can find a used Cessna Citation Excel for between $1 million and $3 million. Owners who operate the jet for 450 hours per year can expect total variable costs of $958,000; total fixed costs of $348,000, and a total annual budget of $1.3 million. This breaks down to about $3,000 per operation hour.

The Hawker 800XP, a top Citation Excel competitor, costs an additional $200,000 per year. For that money, you’ll only receive a seat for one additional passenger and a range that’s 600 miles longer. These insignificant differences but major cost savings make the Cessna Citation Excel a wise choice for cost-conscious companies seeking affordable, time-saving business travel.

Find a Used Cessna Citation Excel For Sale
To find the Citation Excel jet for your fleet of business aircraft, contact an International Aircraft Dealers Association Accredited Aircraft Dealer. These private aviation industry experts promise efficient and ethical business transactions and keep your best interests at heart. And with their extensive experience and connections to reputable service providers that only decades-long relationships can create, you can trust IADA dealers and brokers.

Find an IADA Accredited Aircraft Dealer near you. See our dealers’ vetted and verified listings of used Cessna Citation Excel aircraft for sale on AircraftExchange.com.