Cessna Citation VII

The Cessna Citation VII is the last and strongest version of the Model 650 family, which also includes the Citation III and VI. The cabin is the same as in the Citation III, but Honeywell TFE731-4R engines give about 12 % more thrust, which helps on hot summer days at Nice, Ibiza or Malaga, when the older version has to leave fuel or bags behind.

Cabin layout, toilet and catering

The cabin of the Citation VII is about 5.5 m long, and most adults stand in it with the head slightly bowed. In the usual layout six seats face each other in club pairs with tables between them. They recline but do not form beds, which on the longest leg in the table (3:36 h) rarely matters.

• Refreshment centre with a chilled compartment, coffee and hot water; usually no oven, so meals are ordered cold
• A flight attendant is normally not on board; whether one can be added depends on the aircraft and the operator
• Often only a satellite phone, and Wi-Fi depends on the aircraft

Baggage, skis and pets

The Citation VII hold is loaded from outside and cannot be reached in flight, so medicines, documents and chargers stay in the cabin lockers.

• Four people: suitcases plus two pairs of skis or two golf bags
• Six people: one large suitcase and a backpack each; sports gear is agreed with the operator
• A full cabin on a leg over three hours, such as Hamburg - Malaga: the operator may limit baggage weight to carry more fuel

Engines, range and hot airports

Cessna quoted 4,111 km with six passengers. Business Jet Traveler, with every seat taken, NBAA IFR reserves and a 370 km alternate, gives 2,725 km, and a Dutch operator of the Citation VII plans up to about 3,300 km. All routes in our table stay below the full-cabin figure. Two pilots always fly.

At full weight the jet needs about 1,550 m of runway, clearly less than the Citation III. For smaller airports this means:

On a summer return from a hot southern airport, choose an early departure: in the morning the Citation VII can carry more fuel and baggage than at midday.

Rules that matter for this jet in Europe

Citation VII routes from European hubs

Thirty-one one-way routes from all thirteen hubs, from Munich - Samedan (0:48 h) to Larnaca - Zurich (3:36 h), all without a fuel stop. Prices cover the whole aircraft with crew, before airport fees and passenger taxes; flight times follow the great-circle distance plus taxi, climb and approach.

Up to two hours: mountains, islands and business cities

Two to four hours: Iberia, Greece, Morocco and the Atlantic

The calculator gives an indicative price for the Citation VII or another midsize jet on your route.

What a Citation VII charter costs

The rate starts at EUR 4,500 per flight hour for the whole aircraft with two pilots and fuel. A one-hour leg costs more than the rate times the flight time, because the operator's minimum charge, positioning and handling weigh heavily on a short trip: Paris - Geneva (1:00 h) starts at EUR 9,500 and Zurich - Nice (1:02 h) also at EUR 9,500.

From two hours upwards the hourly share takes over: Munich - Palma (2:00 h) is from EUR 14,000 and Hamburg - Malaga (3:12 h) from EUR 19,500. The price is the same for two or seven passengers.

London Farnborough - Nice for the whole aircraft and split between passengers, before taxes and airport fees:

How to pay less

• Return the same day on short legs such as Paris - Geneva: no crew hotel and no second positioning flight
• For a return after several days, compare the crew waiting with two one-way trips
• Give a time window, so the operator can link your trip to another flight nearby
• Accept a newer midsize jet of the same cabin height based closer to your departure airport

Empty Legs on this type

With so few aircraft in Europe, Empty Legs on the Citation VII are rare, usually a return to base after a summer trip to the Riviera, the Balearics or Sardinia. Such a leg can cost 30-60% less than a standard charter, but the date, route and time are fixed, and the operator can cancel it if the aircraft gets a full charter.

Citation VII or another Cessna

With a Citation VII request we often also quote the weaker version of the same aircraft, a newer Cessna with the same cabin cross-section or a larger Cessna with more range.

Requesting a quote

Send us:

• route and date, and for a return the date you fly back
• passengers and suitcases, with skis, golf bags or a pet listed separately
• whether a newer midsize jet is acceptable too

We check free aircraft with operators holding an AOC and send a quote naming the operator, the aircraft's year, positioning and taxes. Within Schengen there is no passport control, but the operator needs passport or ID details for every passenger; EU citizens flying to the UK need an ETA.

Cessna Citation VII: questions and answers

• • How much does a Citation VII flight cost?

  • The rate starts at EUR 4,500 per flight hour. London Farnborough - Nice is from EUR 13,000, London - Lisbon from EUR 15,500 and Larnaca - Zurich from EUR 21,000 for the whole aircraft one way. A one-hour hop such as Paris - Geneva starts at EUR 9,500, because the minimum charge and handling weigh more on a short leg.

• • What is added to the table price?

  • Airport and handling fees, the departure country's passenger tax, catering and winter de-icing. A Paris departure adds about EUR 420 per passenger within Europe, more on longer routes (about EUR 1,015 per passenger and EUR 2,100 where the destination is over 5,500 km away); a Milan departure EUR 100 per passenger up to 1,500 km.

• • How can I fly this jet for less?

  • Return the same day on short legs, keep the departure time flexible and accept a newer midsize jet if it is based closer to you.

• • Are there Empty Legs on the Citation VII?

  • Rarely, because few aircraft fly in Europe. When they appear they can be 30-60% below a normal charter, with a fixed date and route. Send your route and dates to empty-legs@jets.flights, and we also look at Citation Excel and XLS legs.

• • How many passengers fit, and is there a toilet?

  • Usually seven: six in the seats and one on the belted seat of the full-width toilet at the rear. Four to six people travel most comfortably.

• • How far can it fly without a stop?

  • With every seat taken, about 2,725 km with IFR reserves. The longest legs in the table, London - Madeira and Larnaca - Zurich, are about 2,500 km.

• • Will skis and a dog come along?

  • Four passengers can bring suitcases plus two pairs of skis or two golf bags. A dog flies in the cabin next to you once the operator has accepted it.

• • Can we land at Cannes, Samedan or Courchevel?

  • Cannes-Mandelieu only at reduced weight, otherwise we plan Nice. Samedan needs a crew trained for the airport. Courchevel is not possible: its altiport is too short for this jet.