PlaneFox tracks 4 Cessna Citation III / VI / VII aircraft for sale and re-reads every one of them from the broker and dealer sites it watches, so the figures below move when the market moves. Every number on this page is measured from those live listings, not taken from a published price guide.
A Cessna Citation III / VI / VII flies about 2,220 nm, roughly 4,111 km, which is about 4 h 40 min in still air at typical cruise.
A Cessna Citation III / VI / VII costs about EUR 86,363 a month to run, or about EUR 3,728 for every flight hour when it is flown 150 hours a year.
The Cessna Citation III / VI / VII is the Model 650 family, built by Cessna as a midsize business jet line above the earlier straight-wing Citations. The Citation III first flew in 1979, received certification in 1982 and entered customer service in 1983. The Citation VI followed as a lower-cost derivative in the early 1990s, while the Citation VII added more capable engines and systems updates. Production of the family ran into 2000. Its importance is that it moved Citation buyers into a faster, swept-wing, longer-range class while retaining the operating familiarity of the Citation brand.
Typical high-speed cruise is in the high 400-knot range, with the Citation VII generally the strongest performer in the group. Published maximum operating altitude is 51,000 feet. Long-range capability varies by model, payload, reserves and equipment, but the family is generally considered a roughly 1,700 to 2,000 nautical mile class aircraft in practical planning. The Citation III and VI use Garrett, later Honeywell, TFE731-3B turbofans, while the Citation VII uses uprated TFE731-4R-2S engines. Useful load varies materially by serial number, interior, avionics changes and equipment, so current weight and balance data is essential when comparing individual aircraft.
The cabin typically seats six to nine passengers, commonly with a club arrangement, side-facing seat or divan options, an aft lavatory and a refreshment center. The fuselage gives more cabin volume than the light Citation models, but it remains a legacy midsize cabin rather than a modern super-midsize layout. Original avionics are analog or early EFIS-era systems, commonly built around Sperry or Honeywell flight guidance and radio packages depending on year and variant. Many aircraft now have upgraded GPS, FMS, transponders, ADS-B Out, WAAS capability and modern cockpit displays or engine instruments, but Garmin Perspective and G1000 were not factory suites for this model family.
Buyers should separate the three variants carefully. The Citation III is the original Model 650, the Citation VI was positioned as a simplified, lower acquisition cost version, and the Citation VII is generally favored for its uprated engines and later production status. Key due diligence items include TFE731 engine times and program coverage, hot-section and overhaul status, corrosion inspections, landing gear history, pressurization condition, fuel leaks, avionics compliance, RVSM status and parts availability. In the used market, the Cessna Citation III / VI / VII family often appeals to buyers seeking midsize speed and altitude capability at a lower entry price than newer Citations, with operating cost, maintenance exposure and avionics modernization driving value differences between aircraft.