Summary
- A brand new Cessna Citation X+ isn’t available, as the aircraft isn’t manufactured anymore.
- The used Citation X+ price is affected by various factors, such as the number of hours it has operated for.
- Operating costs include maintenance, with up to $3 million budget annually.
Founded by Clyde Cessna and Victor Ross close to a century ago, Cessna has become a household name in the aviation community. Many iconic models of Cessna have been made to date – the Cessna 172 being the most-produced aircraft ever. The family of Cessna Citation aircraft, though not as massively produced, remains one of the more popular series Cessna has produced. The Cessna Citation X +, in particular, has been dubbed a revolutionary aircraft.
Photo: Cessna
Features such as its highly swept wing featuring a supercritical airfoil have helped Citation X have a unique distinction. Recently, Donald Trump sold the Citation X he owned for $2.5 million. But how much would a Cessna Citation X+ cost? And how much is its maintenance, fuel, and other costs? Let’s look at the economics of flying the Cessna Citation X+.
How much does a brand new Cessna Citation X+ cost?
It is well-nigh impossible to get one’s hands on a brand-new Cessna Citation X+. This is because the aircraft isn’t manufactured anymore.
The Citation X, which was first introduced in 1996, was later upgraded to Citation X+ in 2010. Eight years later, the production of the Citation X stopped, which is why all aircraft that are sold as Citation Xs and Citation X+s are all used ones.
Like any other machine, the price of an older Cessna Citation X+ is greater than the ones that are comparably newer. Here are a few other things that would affect the price of a Cessna Citation X+ that you want to purchase:
- The total time the aircraft has flown
- Total landings the aircraft has performed
- Avionics upgrades
- Condition of the interior of an aircraft and its livery
Global Air couldn’t put a mark on the average price of a Citation X+, despite the average total time for a Citation X+ that they sold was 2,544 hrs. On the other hand, the average total time for Citation X they have is 7,309 hrs. A couple of months ago, Global Air listed the average asking price for a Citation X at $5,795,000.
Aerocorner reported that the price of a Cessna Citation X+ would be $23.5 million. However, this listed price didn’t factor in the depreciation of aircraft with time; it was a measure of the price of a newly manufactured Cessna Citation X+. The price of a new Cessna Citation X, on the other hand, was around $21 million. The greater price of a Citation X+ was down to the various enhancements it had, compared to the model it was a variant of:
| Cessna Citation X | Cessna Citation X+ | |
|---|---|---|
| Cabin Length | 23 ft 9 inches | 25 ft 2 inches |
| Normal Cruise (kts) | 525 | 528 |
| Max range (nm) | 3125 | 3229 |
Photo: lorenzatx | Shutterstock
There were also changes in the avionics of the Citation X+, which had three 14-inch touchscreens in the Garmin G5000 avionics. Citation X, on the other hand, had five Honeywell displays. The Citation X+ also had newer engines, leading to a greater cruise and range than the Citation X, according to Aviator Insider:
“Performance on the Citation X+ is a marked improvement from the original Cessna Citation X. The AE3007C/C1 that powered the earlier models was replaced by the new AE3007C2 with an all-new fan blade design. This version of the AE3007 produces 7034 lbf of thrust per engine. Due to the results brought by the Winglet Technology elliptical winglets, Cessna decided to implement them as a standard factory fit in the Citation X+.”
Operating Costs of a Cessna Citation X+
Depending on the number of hours flown, an aircraft will have to undergo maintenance checks from A-D. The aircraft maintenance manual (AMM) mandated by the FAA gives guidelines on how to maintain an aircraft. A D-inspection that needs to be performed after the aircraft has touched 20,000 flight hours necessitates stripping down the aircraft, with the removal of cabin interiors for a complete structural inspection. The D-check is also one of the costliest parts of operating an aircraft (like the Citation X+).
Some estimates of the cost of maintaining a private aircraft were given by Dr. Omar Memon, a journalist for Simple Flying and someone with expertise in Maintenance Repair Overhaul (MRO):
“ …the cost of maintenance of the aircraft varies significantly. An older midsize private plane can incur approximately $500,000 a year in maintenance. A larger Gulfstream could cost over $1.5 million per year in maintenance costs. It is noteworthy that these costs are in addition to the fixed costs the plane would incur.”
According to an analysis done by aircraftcostcalculator.com based on 450 annual owner-operated hours and a fuel cost of $6.00 per gallon fuel cost, the following are the operating cost of a Cessna Citation X+:
| Total variable costs | $2,339,550 |
|---|---|
| Total fixed costs | $857,329 |
| Annual budget | $3,196,879 |
The variable costs would include handling charges and fuel costs alongside maintenance, which can also require engine overhaul. The fixed costs would include the management of the Cessna Citation X+, hangar rental, payment of insurance, and covering the cost of the two crew that Citation X can accommodate.
Related
Luxurious Innovation: What Made The Cessna Citation X+ Revolutionary?
Cessna first introduced the legendary Citation X in 1996.
The cost of fractional ownership or renting of Citation X+
An annual budget of over $3 million for operating the Citation X+ might not be something every person looking to fly this aircraft can afford. In such cases, there’s always the option of fractional ownership of the jet. Fractional ownership allows a group or an individual to own a share of an aircraft’s share while paying “a proportional amount of the plane’s maintenance costs, typically on a monthly schedule.” If you need to use the Citation X+ sporadically, there’s always the option of renting it. While aircraftcostcalculator.com noted the hourly total cost of Citation X+ to be $7,018.11 (based on the figures above), GlobalAir notes the hourly cost of a Citaton X+ to be $4,041.33.