Cessna Excel/Xls

Twin Jet· 636 globally registered

The Cessna Citation Excel, introduced in 1998 as the Model 560XL, carved out a lucrative niche as the first midsize business jet to combine stand-up cabin comfort with light-jet operating economics. Cessna stretched the fuselage of the Citation V by nearly two feet, widened it to 68 inches, and paired the roomier cabin with Pratt & Whitney Canada PW545 turbofans, delivering transcontinental range (roughly 1,900 nautical miles) while burning less fuel than competing midsize jets. The Excel became the best-selling midsize business jet of its era, with over 700 delivered across three variants: the original Excel, the XLS (2004, with upgraded avionics and higher cruise speed), and the XLS+ (2008, with further performance refinements and a Garmin G5000 flight deck). Its success stemmed from hitting the sweet spot between cabin volume and runway performance: able to operate from shorter fields while seating up to nine passengers in a 5.7-foot-tall cabin. The type remains a workhorse in fractional ownership and charter fleets, prized for dispatch reliability and modest direct operating costs. SkyMeter has tracked 3,332 flights across 628 airframes and 406 operators, with NETJETS SALES INC the largest observed operator.