Cessna CitationJet / CJ for Sale

Aircraft overview

The Cessna CitationJet / CJ is the light jet family that replaced the original Citation and Citation I with a cleaner wing, a T-tail and modern Williams turbofan power. Developed by Cessna, the original Model 525 CitationJet first flew in 1991 and entered production in 1993. The line grew through the CJ, CJ1, CJ1+, CJ2, CJ2+, CJ3, CJ3+ and CJ4, all aimed at owner-operators, corporate flight departments and air charter users needing efficient short to medium range jet travel. Its importance in the used market comes from single-pilot certification, broad service support and a large installed base.

Performance & specifications

Performance varies materially by variant. Early CitationJet and CJ1 aircraft typically cruise in the mid 300 knot range, while later CJ3 and CJ4 models can cruise around 410 to 450 knots under suitable conditions. Published maximum range spans roughly 1,100 nautical miles for early aircraft to more than 2,000 nautical miles for CJ3+ and CJ4 variants. Useful load also depends on equipment and configuration, commonly ranging from about 4,000 lb in early aircraft to close to 7,000 lb in larger later models. Service ceiling is 41,000 feet on early CJ models and 45,000 feet on several later versions. All CitationJet / CJ aircraft use Williams FJ44 series turbofan engines, with thrust ratings increasing across the family.

Cabin & avionics

The cabin is a light jet layout, typically arranged for five to seven passengers depending on variant, belted lavatory installation and interior choices. Early aircraft have a narrower, shorter cabin than CJ3 and CJ4 models, but the family is generally valued for short runway access and straightforward cabin usability rather than large-cabin volume. Avionics vary by age: original CitationJet aircraft commonly have earlier Collins or Bendix/King equipment, many CJ1+ and CJ2+ aircraft use Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21, the CJ3+ introduced Garmin G3000, and the CJ4 also uses advanced Collins Pro Line 21 based avionics in most delivered examples. Some older aircraft have Garmin retrofit packages, including G1000 based upgrades.

Buying & value

Buyers should separate early CitationJet, CJ1 and CJ1+ aircraft from larger CJ2, CJ3 and CJ4 variants, as acquisition cost, runway performance, cabin utility and trip range differ significantly. Key due diligence items include engine program status, hot section and overhaul timing, avionics compliance, paint and interior age, damage history, maintenance tracking and whether performance upgrades or avionics retrofits are installed. On PlaneFox listing data, current asking prices average about EUR 2,080,000, with observed listings from roughly EUR 1,050,000 to EUR 6,060,000. Early CJ aircraft usually position as entry light jets, while CJ3, CJ3+ and CJ4 examples compete as higher capability owner-flown and corporate aircraft.