Cessna Citation V

The Cessna Citation V is a twin-engine light jet, model 560, built on the Citation S/II with a stretched fuselage. Its 5.28 m cabin is longer than in most light jets and usually holds seven or eight seats, with an enclosed toilet at the rear. The Citation Ultra and later the Encore kept this cabin and added stronger engines.

Citation V cabin: seven or eight seats

The cabin is 5.28 m long, 1.45 m high and 1.47 m wide. Seated you are comfortable, but you walk bent over. The windows are triple-glazed, and temperature is set separately for the cockpit and the cabin.

• Fold-out tables at the seats
• No galley, so catering is served cold
• A flight attendant is not usual on a jet this size; it depends on the aircraft
• Wi-Fi depends on the aircraft and is often missing on older ones

Baggage: suitcases, golf and skis

Most of the 1.90 m³ is in the nose and tail holds, which cannot be reached in flight; a small locker sits inside the cabin. That is roughly seven suitcases and three golf bags, so six passengers get a medium case and a cabin bag each. Skis usually fit, but give their number and length with the request.

A dog or cat flies in the cabin next to you once the operator has approved it. Within the EU it needs a microchip, an EU pet passport and a rabies vaccination (the first one at least 21 days before travel); Finland, Ireland, Malta, Norway and the UK also ask for tapeworm treatment for dogs 1-5 days before entry.

Performance, range and runways

The engines are Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D-5A. Electronic displays sit only in front of the captain, and the type always flies with two pilots. We could not confirm a maximum range from Cessna, so we plan with a cautious figure: about 2,259 km with seven passengers at economy speed, with reserves for an alternate 370 km away. Table legs stay under 1,500 km.

Flying the type in Europe

Citation V routes from European hubs

Thirty one-way routes from all thirteen hubs, from Frankfurt - Sion (1:08 h) to Milan - Athens (2:38 h), all without a fuel stop. Prices are for the whole aircraft with crew, before airport fees and passenger taxes.

Short hops up to two hours

Two to four hours: Spain, the Riviera and Greece

• Every row in the table can be flown with seven passengers; on Milan - Athens and Vienna - Mykonos with full baggage and a headwind the operator checks the weight first.
• Mykonos allows private aircraft about 40 minutes on the ground in summer, so the jet parks elsewhere.
• Hamburg - Lisbon or flights to the Canary Islands need a stop, or the longer-range Citation Encore.

The calculator gives an indicative price for this model or a light jet of the same class on your route.

What a Citation V charter costs

The rate starts at EUR 3,200 per flight hour for the whole aircraft with crew and fuel. A short Citation V flight still costs more than the rate: Frankfurt - Sion takes 1:08 h and starts at EUR 7,500, because positioning, the operator's minimum charge and handling apply to every departure.

Longer legs spread those costs: London Farnborough - Barcelona (2:08 h) starts at EUR 11,000 and Milan - Athens (2:38 h) at EUR 12,500. The price is per aircraft, so with seven on board each person pays far less than with three.

London Farnborough - Cannes for the whole aircraft and per passenger, before airport fees and taxes:

How to fly for less

• Ask for an Ultra or Encore alongside the Citation V: same cabin, same hourly rate, often a shorter positioning
• Return on the same day on short legs such as Frankfurt - Sion, with no crew hotel
• Fill the seats: the aircraft price divided by seven is a fraction of the price for two
• Keep the departure time flexible so an aircraft finishing a nearby trip can take yours

Empty Legs on this jet

Empty Legs on the Citation V are rare, simply because few aircraft fly in Europe. Those that come up are usually repositioning flights from Riviera, Balearic or Alpine airports, at 30-60% below the regular price as an example.

Ultra, Encore or XLS

The Citation V shares its cabin with its successors, so clients mostly compare it with the Ultra and Encore, or with the Citation XLS when a taller cabin matters.

How to book

For a quote we need the route, date and departure time, the number of passengers and a description of the baggage, especially skis, golf bags and pets. Tell us whether an Ultra or Encore is acceptable too: that widens the choice of free aircraft. We work with operators holding an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) and always try to give two options, but each case depends on the operator's contract.

Within Schengen there is no passport control, but the operator still needs passport or ID details for everyone on board; EU citizens travelling to the UK need an ETA.

Citation V: frequent questions

• • How much does a Citation V flight cost?

  • From EUR 3,200 per flight hour for the whole aircraft. Paris Le Bourget - Nice costs from EUR 9,000, London Farnborough - Cannes from EUR 10,500 and Larnaca - Athens from EUR 10,000 one way, plus airport fees and passenger taxes.

• • Why does a one-hour leg cost more than one hour at the rate?

  • Positioning, the minimum charge and handling come with every departure: Madrid - Ibiza (1:10 h) starts at EUR 7,500, more than twice the hourly rate.

• • How can I bring the price down?

  • Let us quote an Ultra or Encore based nearer at the same rate, return the same day on short legs and fill more seats.

• • Are there Empty Legs on the Citation V?

  • Seldom, as few aircraft fly. If one fits, it can cost 30-60% less, but the date is fixed and it may be cancelled.

• • How many passengers really fit?

  • Seven in the usual layout, eight in aircraft with two club groups. On a three-hour leg six is the comfortable number, with a seat each and room for hand luggage.

• • Is there a toilet?

  • Yes, at the rear in a separate compartment that closes. On many aircraft its seat has a belt and counts as an extra place.

• • How far can it fly without a stop?

  • About 2,259 km with seven passengers in our cautious estimate. Milan - Athens and Vienna - Mykonos are flown non-stop; Hamburg - Lisbon and the Canary Islands need a stop or a jet with more range.

• • Will skis and golf bags fit?

  • Usually. The holds take roughly seven suitcases and three golf bags, but with a full cabin you choose between large cases and equipment, so give the number and length.

• • Can my dog come?

  • Usually yes, in the cabin, if the operator of the aircraft agrees. For the UK it must arrive via an approved route at an airport that accepts animals.