The Cessna Citation Ultra entered service in 1994 as the penultimate expression of the original Citation 500 family, bringing more powerful engines, modern Honeywell Primus 1000 avionics, and an extended range of 1,640 nm to the well-proven Citation II airframe. Manufactured in Wichita, Kansas, the Ultra upgraded the powerplant to Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D-5D engines producing 2,900 lbf each, a meaningful 16% thrust increase over the Citation II. The result was a noticeably improved climb rate, higher cruise speed (426 KTAS), and extended range that opened new non-stop routing options.
As a Cessna product the Citation Ultra brings a respected name and a worldwide support network, reassurance that matters as much to charter clients as the cabin itself. Decades of service have wrung the surprises out of the design. Choosing it is choosing a known, trusted quantity.
The part enthusiasts single out: The Ultra sharpened the straight-wing Citation with more thrust and EFIS glass, giving it the hot-and-high climb that made it a mountain-airport regular. That character is part of what you are chartering, not just a cabin.
The Citation Ultra is happy on short and secondary runways, so a charter routes into the airfield nearest the meeting, the villa or the resort rather than the nearest airline gateway. That flexibility matters most where mountains, islands or short strips rule out bigger jets. Access, quietly, is one of the strongest reasons clients pick the type.
The Citation Ultra cruises around 426 knots near Mach 0.74, and on a busy light jet charter that pace routinely saves an hour or more against slower types, time returned at both ends of the day. High cruise also lets the crew climb above weather and airline traffic for a smoother ride. Speed is the one luxury nobody can refund once a day is spent, and the type protects it.
On value the Citation Ultra makes a strong case, turning modest operating costs into a lower hourly rate than clients expect for this much aircraft. Empty-leg and off-peak availability can drop the price further when the diary allows. Pound for pound, the type is hard to argue with on a charter budget.
Cabin comfort is where the Citation Ultra earns its keep on charter, offering up to 8 seats, 59 cubic feet of baggage and the flexibility to lay the interior out around the trip rather than the other way round. A flat, quiet floor measuring 4 ft 11 in wide by 14 ft 5 in long means you can work, meet or sleep without the compromises of a scheduled cabin. It is the sort of space that turns a long day into a productive one.
Where the Citation Ultra asks a compromise on charter:
The Citation Ultra is a mature, thoroughly sorted design rather than the newest sheet of metal, which is a strength for reliability but means the very latest cabin gadgetry may sit a generation back. For charter clients who value dependability over novelty that is rarely a real loss.
If outright top speed or the newest cabin technology is your single priority, a more recent design may edge it, yet for most travellers the Citation Ultra balance of comfort, capability and value is the more meaningful advantage on the day.
As alternatives to the Citation Ultra, it is worth weighing the Citation II and the Citation Bravo, both able aircraft in the same bracket. Broadly the Citation II offers the newer cabin, while the Citation Ultra has the stronger short-field manners, so the right pick comes down to your exact route, party and budget, which our advisors are glad to lay out side by side.
In short, few aircraft do short-haul and regional charter as gracefully as the Citation Ultra, and where it is the right tool we place it on fully vetted, certified partners at a fixed all-in price, with an answer back inside 30 minutes.
Tell me your route, dates and party size and I will send a firm, all-in price on the Citation Ultra. No commitment, no obligation.