A Guide To One Of Cessna’s Largest Business Jets

Summary

The Cessna Citation Latitude is the best-selling aircraft in its class, with Cessna claiming a four-to-one lead.
It was designed to bridge the gap between the Citation Sovereign and Citation XLS+, having been developed from the former.
Operating a Latitude costs around $1.3 million a year and has an average purchase price of $20 million.

The Citation Latitude is a low-wing, cruciform-tailed, rear-fuselage mounted twin-engine, mid-size business jet manufactured by Textron Aviation’s Cessna. It has been in production since 2014 and has become the best-selling aircraft in its class, with Cessna claiming that the jet is outselling the competition four to one. According to Guardian Jet, Cessna has produced 372 units.

Design and development

In the early 2010s, Cessna sought to bridge the gap between the aging Citation Sovereign and the smaller Citation XLS+. It chose to introduce a brand-new aircraft built on the success of the former.

The Model 680A Citation Latitude was announced at the 2011 National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) convention. The Model 680A retained the Sovereign’s wings, tail, and Pratt & Whitney Canada PW306D engines. The fuselage of the Latitude was designed from scratch and featured an all-metal construction and a flat floor, which created a spacious 6-foot stand-up cabin.

Photo: On The Run Photo | Shutterstock

The Latitude seats nine, while its ancestor seated 12. Its high power-to-weight ratio enables it to access small airports with high-density altitudes, making it a versatile and capable jet.

Like most private jets, it can be customized in many ways. NetJets, for example, has opted for a seven-seat configuration plus a belted lavatory seat. It allows the aircraft to have a larger refreshments center, catering storage, and more passenger space.

NetJets Wants To Buy Up To 1,500 Cessna Citation Private Jets

The deal provides for 100 aircraft per year over the next 15 years and makes NetJets the launch customer for the upcoming Cessna Citation Ascend.

In the cockpit, pilots are greeted by a NextGen capable Garmin G5000 avionics suite equipped with Synthetic Vision Technology (SVT). The G5000 features three 14-inch LCDs, two primary displays, and a third multifunction display. The system is controlled by four touchscreen controllers, two for each pilot, and is also equipped with autothrottles.

Garmin G5000 flight deck on a citation latitude

Photo: Textron Aviation

The system is equipped with RNP AR accurate to 0.3 NM, making it capable of low visibility approaches and increased safety in areas with difficult terrain. The aircraft is equipped with ADS-B In and Out to keep track of traffic. The aircraft has no onboard weather radar but is equipped with Sirius XM’s Aviation Weather. Communications are handled by a Comant Single Channel Iridium SATCOM system, which reduces the chances of radio failure.

Specifications

According to Cessna, these are the full specifications of the Cessna Citation Latitude.

Exterior Dimensions
Length	62 ft 3 in (19.0 m)
Height	20 ft 11 in (6.4 m)
Wingspan	72 ft 4 in (22.05 m)
Wing Area	543 sq ft (50.4 sq m)
Wing Sweep	16.3 degrees
Wheelbase	27 ft (8.23 m)
Tread Width	10 ft (3.05 m)
Cabin Dimensions
Length	21 ft 9 in (6.6 m)
Height	72 in (1.8 m)
Width	77 in (1.96 m)
Cabin Valoume
Baggage Space	127 ft³ (3.60 m³)
Weights
Maximum Ramp Weight	31,050 lb (14,084 kg)
Maximum Take-Off Weight	30,800 lb (13,971 kg)
Maximum Landing Weight	27,575 lb (12,508 kg)
Maximum Zero Fuel Weight	21,430 lb (9,720 kg)
Basic Operating Weight	18,656 lb (8,462 kg)
Usable Load	12,394 lb (5,622 kg)
Usable Fuel Weight	11,394 lb (5,168 kg)
Maximum Payload	2,774 lb (1,258 kg)
Maximum Payload with Full Fuel	1,000 lb (454 kg)
Performance
Maximum Range**	2,700 NM (5,000 km)
Maximum Mach Number	0.80 Mach
Typical Cruise Speed	446 ktas (826 km/h)
Takeoff Distance (MTOW)*	3,580 ft (1,091 m)
Landing Distance (MLW)*	2,480 ft (756 m)
Maximum Operating Altitude	45,000 ft (13,716 m)
Maximum Climb Rate	4,050 fpm (1,234 mpm)
Rated Takeoff Thrust (each)*	5,907 lb (26.28 kN)
Wake Turbulence Category	M
Approach Category	C
Fuel Burn per Hour	246 US Gal (931 L)
Noise Levels
Takeoff	73.5 dB
Flyover	87.7 dB
Approach	87.7 dB
Occupancy
Flight Crew	2
Maximum Passengers	9
Systems
Flight Deck	Garmin G5000 with Synthetic Vision
Flight Aids	ADS-B Out/In
Control Technology	Fly-by-wire
Engine(s) x 2	Pratt & Whitney Canada PW306D1

*Flat rated at international standard atmosphere (ISA) and sea level (SL).

** Range with NBAA IFR reserves at ISA, M0.80 cruise, four passengers, and two crew.

Pricing and operating costs

Purchase price

According to Guardian Jet, the minimum asking price for a used Cessna Latitude is roughly $15.95 million, while a brand-new aircraft costs around $24 million. However, Cessna often offers discounts of up to 20% for returning customers and bulk orders from lessors.

According to 2022 data collected by Jetcraft, NetJets is one of the largest operators of the Citation, with a fleet of over 138 aircraft. Other operators tend to be private corporations. Most aircraft customers (around 79%) reside in North America, followed by Europe (13%).

Operating costs

Operating a business jet isn’t cheap, and many costs are associated with owning one. Guardian Jet says the average Citation Latitude flies around 300 hours a year.

Here is a breakdown of what to expect if you’re planning to buy and operate a Latitude:

Annual Operating Costs ($)
Fixed Costs
Crew	408,000
Hangar	75,800
Hull Insurance	29,959
Liability Insurance	35,000
Fixed Miscellaneous	8,000
Variable Costs per Hour
Fuel Cost (at $5.00 per gallon)	1,320
Maintenance	237
Engine Reserves	237
Variable Miscellaneous	250

The total annual fixed costs are $556,759, while the total variable costs for 300 hours flown per year are $770,580. Excluding depreciation costs, the total yearly cost for operating a Latitude is $1,327,339.