Cessna Citation VI

Cessna built the Citation VI as a lower-priced version of the Citation III, model 650. Airframe, engines and cabin dimensions are the same, but the avionics came as a simpler standard package and every aircraft left the factory with the same catalogue interior. Buyers preferred the better-equipped Citation III and VII, so fewer than 40 were built before production stopped.

Cabin: standard interior, often refurbished

The Citation VI cabin matches the Citation III: about 5.5 m long, 1.73 m high and 1.68 m wide. From the factory each aircraft got the same layout, normally four club seats and a facing pair, with the belted toilet seat as a seventh place. Many aircraft have been refurbished since, so leather colours, tables and cabinets vary.

• Usually a drinks cabinet with coffee and hot water; catering is ordered cold
• The toilet is at the rear of the cabin
• Wi-Fi is rare in this type and depends on the aircraft
• A flight attendant is not usual and depends on the aircraft; often the co-pilot serves drinks

Baggage: about 1.5 m³ in the tail

The hold sits in the rear fuselage and is loaded from outside, so it cannot be reached in flight. Coats and small bags go into the cabin lockers.

• Six people: one large suitcase each
• Four people with skis or golf bags: usually enough room
• Six people with skis or golf bags: hardly, so a Citation XLS with 2.55 m³ suits better

A dog or cat flies in the cabin once the operator has agreed before booking. Within the EU it needs a microchip, an EU pet passport and a rabies vaccination at least 21 days before travel, and dogs entering Finland, Ireland, Malta, Norway or the UK need tapeworm treatment 1-5 days before arrival.

Engines, speed and runways

Two Honeywell TFE731-3 series engines deliver 16.2 kN (3,650 lb) of thrust each. The range figure comes from market data, as we found no Cessna figure for this version. With seven on board the real range is clearly shorter, so the table keeps to legs of about 2,500 km. Two pilots always fly.

The long take-off run decides which airports the jet can use:

• Cannes-Mandelieu (1,539 m): the operator usually plans a lighter take-off, and at Samedan altitude and heat cut the weight further
• London City and Lugano: both need a steep-approach approval that we did not find for the model 650, so London flights go to Farnborough or Luton
• Courchevel: the sloped 537 m altiport is too short for the type and needs a special qualification; Chambéry serves the French ski resorts

Practical points in Europe

• Positioning often decides the price: the free aircraft may be based several countries away
• With a maximum take-off weight of 9,979 kg the jet falls under the higher private jet rate of UK Air Passenger Duty
• An operator from outside the EU, the UK included, cannot normally fly passengers between two airports of one EU country, such as Paris - Nice
• Nice and Geneva are slot-coordinated, so summer Riviera weekends and winter Saturdays need early booking

Citation VI routes from European hubs

Thirty one-way routes from all thirteen hubs, from Zurich - Nice (1:03 h) to Nice - Larnaca (3:35 h), none needing a fuel stop. Prices are for the whole aircraft with crew and fuel, before airport fees and passenger taxes.

Up to two hours: Alps, Riviera and islands

Two to four hours: Iberia, Ireland, Greece and Cyprus

• Legs up to about 1,900 km, such as Geneva - Mykonos or Frankfurt - Lisbon: non-stop also with every seat taken
• Larnaca - Vienna, Amsterdam - Athens, Paris - Heraklion and Nice - Larnaca: comfortable with four; with seven and full baggage the operator may plan a short stop
• The Canary Islands and the Middle East: a stop or a larger jet

The calculator shows the indicative cost of a jet of this class on your route.

What a Citation VI charter costs

The rate starts at EUR 4,500 per flight hour, the same for two passengers as for seven, and covers the aircraft, two pilots and fuel. Short legs cost more than the rate suggests: Zurich - Nice (1:03 h) starts at EUR 9,500, since taxi, climb, approach and the minimum charge are the same on every flight. London Farnborough - Barcelona (1:55 h) starts at EUR 13,500 and Paris Le Bourget - Heraklion (3:30 h) at EUR 21,000.

Paris Le Bourget - Rome, one way, whole aircraft and per passenger:

Paying less for this class

Empty Legs on the Citation VI

Empty Legs on this exact type hardly ever appear, simply because so few aircraft fly. Legs on the related Citation III and VII or the XLS family are far more common, and as examples they cost 30-60% below a regular charter. The operator fixes date and route, and the leg can be cancelled. Send your route and date window to empty-legs@jets.flights or check the Empty Legs page.

Citation VI, III, VII or XLS

The choice is usually between other versions of the same airframe and a newer jet with the same cabin cross-section.

Requesting a quote

Give the route, date, number of passengers and baggage, and say whether a related type is acceptable. We quote the Citation VI if one is free, plus an aircraft with a similar cabin. We work only with operators holding an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) and always try to give two options, but each case depends on the operator's contract. EU citizens flying to the UK need an ETA.

Citation VI: frequent questions

• • How much does a Citation VI flight cost?

  • For the whole aircraft one way, London Farnborough - Geneva starts at EUR 11,500, Milan Linate - Athens at EUR 15,500 and Frankfurt - Lisbon at EUR 17,500, plus airport fees and passenger taxes.

• • What makes up the price?

  • Flight time with fuel, positioning from the aircraft's base, crew costs on multi-day trips, airport and handling fees and passenger taxes, such as about EUR 30 per passenger leaving the Netherlands.

• • How can I fly cheaper?

  • Accept a Citation III, VII or XLS based nearer, keep the dates flexible and fly back the same day on short legs.

• • Are there Empty Legs on this jet?

  • Almost never on the Citation VI itself. On related types they come up more often and can be 30-60% cheaper, with a fixed date and the risk of cancellation.

• • How many passengers can it take?

  • Typically seven in a Citation VI, one of them on the belted toilet seat. Six is comfortable, and on legs over three hours four, as the jet can then take full tanks and baggage.

• • Is there a toilet?

  • Yes, at the rear of the cabin; its seat doubles as the seventh place with a belt.

• • Can it fly to Lisbon without a stop?

  • Yes: London Farnborough - Lisbon is 1,534 km (2:25 h) and Frankfurt - Lisbon 1,873 km (2:50 h), both fine with a full cabin. With four on board even Nice - Larnaca is non-stop.

• • Will skis or golf bags fit?

  • For four people usually yes; for six with equipment the 1.5 m³ hold is too small, and a Citation XLS is the better choice.

• • Can my dog come?

  • Usually yes, in the cabin, if the operator agrees. It needs a pet passport and a valid rabies vaccination; the UK accepts pets only via approved routes and airports.

• • Which airports can it not use?

  • Courchevel, and normally London City and Lugano, which need a steep-approach approval; Cannes-Mandelieu only with a lighter load. We plan Chambéry, Farnborough or Nice instead.