Aircraft
Cessna Citation CJ4 Gen2: Specs, Range, and Cost
Verified Citation CJ4 Gen2 specs and real pricing
With a range of 2,165 nautical miles and a top speed of 451 knots, the Cessna Citation CJ4 Gen2 offers the longest range in the light-jet class. In our guides, range and cabin space are often the deciding factors in whether a jet fits a buyer’s real-world travel needs, and the CJ4 Gen2 delivers on both. Textron Aviation certified the redesign in 2021, adding a longer cabin, CoolView skylights, and wireless cabin management to the proven CJ4 airframe, which first flew in 2010.
What the Citation CJ4 Gen2 Is
The CJ4 Gen2 is the current-production version of Textron Aviation’s largest single-pilot-certified Citation, built around the same Williams International FJ44-4A engines as the original CJ4 but with an updated cabin and flight deck. It carries the Garmin G3000 avionics suite and keeps the swept-wing design that separates the CJ4 family from the smaller, straight-wing CJ3.
Textron markets the Gen2 update as a cabin refresh rather than a new airframe, and that framing matters for a buyer comparing it against a clean-sheet competitor. The performance numbers below carry over from the original CJ4 largely unchanged. What changed is how the cabin feels on a long trip.
Range, Speed, and Altitude
The CJ4 Gen2 flies 2,165 nautical miles with NBAA IFR reserves, the longest range of any aircraft in the light-jet class and about 150 nm farther than the Embraer Phenom 300E. Maximum cruise speed is 451 knots, 13 knots slower than the Phenom, and the aircraft operates up to a 45,000-foot ceiling.
That extra range buys real flexibility on a coast-to-coast US trip. A Phenom 300E flying the same route often needs a fuel stop with a full cabin, while the CJ4 Gen2’s longer legs cover more of that distance nonstop before payload forces the same tradeoff. Every range figure on a spec sheet assumes a fixed passenger and fuel load, so ask any operator for the aircraft’s range with your actual headcount before booking a transcontinental leg.
Cabin and Seating
The CJ4 Gen2 has the roomiest cabin in this class at 293 cubic feet, with a cabin height of 4 feet 8 inches and a length of 17 feet 3 inches. Textron’s 2021 redesign added CoolView skylights above the main cabin windows and wireless cabin management through a tablet app, letting passengers control lighting and temperature without calling the flight deck.
Most operators configure the cabin for six to eight passengers with a belted lavatory in back, and the type is certified for up to 10 occupants including crew. Nobody stands up in a 4-foot-8-inch cabin, and that ceiling height sits an inch below the Phenom 300E’s. The tradeoff buys the extra 150 nautical miles of range and the larger overall cabin volume.
What a Citation CJ4 Gen2 Costs
Textron Aviation’s factory list price for a new, equipped CJ4 Gen2 runs $9.6 million to $11.6 million. On the used market, a low-time example can run $12.5 million or more, since production is current and resale supply stays limited. Charter rate cards for the type generally run $3,300 to $3,900 per flight hour.
Here is a Chicago Executive to Naples, Florida round trip, about 1,030 nautical miles each way, with six passengers, two nights on the ground, at $3,600 per hour:
| Line item | Math | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Flight time | 2.4 h each way = 4.8 h × $3,600 | $17,280 |
| Repositioning | 0.5 h ferry | $1,800 |
| Landing, ramp, handling | Both ends | ~$1,200 |
| Crew overnights | 2 crew × 2 nights | ~$800 |
| Catering | Two legs | ~$300 |
| Subtotal | $21,380 | |
| Federal excise tax | 7.5% of taxable transportation | $1,604 |
| Segment fee | 6 pax × 2 segments × $5.30 | $64 |
| Total | ~$23,048 |
The tax lines follow the IRS 2026 rates for domestic charter. Split six ways, the trip runs about $3,840 per person round trip, close to the equivalent Phenom 300E leg once the CJ4’s slightly slower cruise is factored in.
Citation CJ4 Gen2 vs. Embraer Phenom 300E
| Citation CJ4 Gen2 | Embraer Phenom 300E | |
|---|---|---|
| Range | 2,165 nm | 2,010 nm |
| Max cruise | 451 kt | 464 kt |
| Cabin volume | 293 cu ft | Smaller, narrower fuselage |
| Cabin height | 4 ft 8 in | 4 ft 11 in |
| New price | $9.6M–$11.6M | $11M–$12M |
| Verdict | Wins on range and cabin room | Wins on speed and delivery depth |
The CJ4 Gen2 usually costs less new and flies farther. What it gives up is a few knots of cruise speed and an inch of cabin height. Pick the CJ4 Gen2 when a mission regularly needs the extra 150 nautical miles or the larger cabin. See our Embraer Phenom 300 page for the full spec breakdown behind that comparison, or our Citation CJ3 vs CJ4 comparison against its own smaller sibling.
Who This Is Not For
A buyer whose routine trips carry more than 10 passengers or run past about 2,165 nautical miles nonstop should look at a super-midsize aircraft instead, since the CJ4 Gen2’s cabin and fuel capacity cap out at those numbers. Ski-trip flyers loading a full cabin plus heavy bags should also budget carefully, because a CJ4 Gen2 loaded for its maximum range cannot also carry a full cabin and everyone’s luggage at the same time.
Anyone who needs unpaved or short-field access should look at the Pilatus PC-24 instead. The CJ4 Gen2 is a paved-runway aircraft, and its 3,410-foot takeoff distance still assumes a standard sea-level runway.
What Would Change Our Answer
If Embraer’s Phenom 300EV, due from 2028, raises published range past the CJ4 Gen2’s 2,165 nm while keeping its speed advantage, the range argument for the CJ4 Gen2 narrows. And if a buyer’s actual missions never exceed 1,500 nautical miles, the range gap between these two aircraft stops mattering and the choice comes down to cabin comfort against cruise speed instead.
How to Fly a Citation CJ4 Gen2
The CJ4 Gen2 shows up in most major jet card programs as a light-jet or light-plus tier option, and on-demand charter through a broker is the lower-commitment way to try one before buying. Owner-flown purchase suits a pilot who flies enough hours a year to justify $9.6 million or more of capital and wants a single-pilot-certified aircraft.
Start with our guide to chartering a private jet if you are new to this, then compare jet card memberships against on-demand pricing before you commit to a program.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the range of a Citation CJ4 Gen2?
2,165 nautical miles with NBAA IFR reserves, the longest range in the light-jet class. That figure assumes a standard passenger and fuel load, so actual range on a specific trip depends on how many people and bags are on board.
How fast does a Citation CJ4 Gen2 fly?
The CJ4 Gen2 cruises at up to 451 knots and operates to a 45,000-foot ceiling. That is 13 knots slower than the Embraer Phenom 300E, the fastest aircraft in the class.
How much does a Citation CJ4 Gen2 cost?
A new, equipped CJ4 Gen2 runs $9.6 million to $11.6 million from Textron Aviation. Used, low-time examples can run $12.5 million or more given limited resale supply. Charter rate cards for the type typically run $3,300 to $3,900 per flight hour.
How many passengers fit in a Citation CJ4 Gen2?
The type is certified for up to 10 occupants, though most operators configure the cabin for six to eight passengers with a belted lavatory. The cabin is the roomiest in the light-jet class at 293 cubic feet.
What is the difference between the Citation CJ4 and the CJ4 Gen2?
Textron Aviation certified the Gen2 redesign in 2021, adding a longer cabin, CoolView skylights, and wireless cabin management to the original CJ4 airframe. Range, speed, and engine specifications carry over largely unchanged from the original CJ4.
We update this guide as aircraft, program, and route pricing changes. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll check it.