Aircraft
Hawker 800XP vs Citation X: Cabin, Speed, and Cost
Hawker 800XP vs Citation X on cabin, speed, and cost
Book the Hawker 800XP when cabin space and price per seat matter most. If the leg is long and arrival time is the constraint, choose the Citation X.
Both aircraft stopped rolling off production lines years ago, but they remain class staples and are still among the most heavily chartered jets in North America. At its core, this is a comparison between midsize value and super-midsize speed, and the two rarely serve the same trip equally well.
Built by Hawker Beechcraft and its predecessor companies, the Hawker 800XP trades top speed for a stand-up cabin at close to light-jet pricing. Built by Textron Aviation, the Cessna Citation X trades cabin width for an FAA-verified Mach 0.935, the fastest sustained cruise speed in business aviation for most of its production run.
Hawker 800XP vs Citation X at a Glance
| Criteria | Hawker 800XP | Citation X (X+) |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Midsize | Super-midsize |
| Manufacturer | Hawker Beechcraft / Textron Aviation | Cessna / Textron Aviation |
| Max speed | ~447 ktas | Mach 0.935 (536 ktas / 617 mph) |
| Range | 2,540 nm | 3,408 nm |
| Max operating altitude | Not published | 51,000 ft |
| Cabin height | ~5 ft 9 in | 5 ft 8 in |
| Cabin width | ~6 ft | 5 ft 6 in |
| Passengers | 8 (up to 9) | Up to 9 (nominal) |
| Typical charter rate | ~$3,300-3,900/hr (market est.) | ~$4,200-5,000/hr (market est.) |
| Production | 1995-2006 | 1996-2018, 339 built |
| Verdict | More cabin per dollar, best under 1,500 nm | Faster and cheaper past 1,500 nm |
For the full spec sheet and cost breakdown on either type, see our dedicated pages on the Hawker 800XP and the Citation X.
Why These Two Get Cross-Shopped
The Hawker 800XP and Citation X sit one class apart on paper, midsize against super-midsize, but they end up on the same charter shortlist constantly because both are pre-owned-only aircraft that fill the same role: moving six to eight people on a domestic trip without paying heavy-jet rates. Hawker 800XP production ran from 1995 to about 2006. The Citation X ran longer, from 1996 to December 2018, ending its 22-year run at 339 aircraft when Textron stopped production so the newer Citation Longitude would not compete against it in the same segment.
Neither aircraft is a current-production type, and every unit flying today is a pre-owned aircraft on a charter certificate. That shared status, rather than a shared class, is why brokers pitch them against each other so often.
Speed and Range Compared
The Citation X+ carries an FAA-verified maximum operating speed of Mach 0.935, equal to 536 knots true airspeed or 617 mph, against the Hawker 800XP’s roughly 447 knots true airspeed, about Mach 0.78 to 0.80 at altitude. That is a gap of roughly 90 knots, and it is the single biggest reason the two aircraft trade places on cost per trip depending on distance.
Range follows the same pattern. The Citation X+ is published at 3,408 nautical miles against the Hawker 800XP’s 2,540 nm, a difference of about 870 nm. Neither aircraft reliably crosses the North Atlantic; the Citation X’s extra range mostly matters for coast-to-coast US routes and reaching further into South America from Florida. The Hawker’s practical range, once a full cabin of eight, bags, and IFR reserves are factored in, runs closer to 2,000 to 2,200 nm, which still covers most domestic transcontinental routes but with less margin than the Citation X carries.
Altitude is a second real difference favoring the Citation X. It climbs to 51,000 feet, putting it above more weather and traffic than a typical midsize jet cruises through on the same long leg.
Why Speed Changes the Price, Not Just the Arrival Time
Charter is billed by the flight hour, which inverts the usual assumption that the faster aircraft costs more per trip. Work a transcontinental leg, Teterboro to Van Nuys, about 2,140 nautical miles:
| Aircraft | Block speed | Block time | Rate/hour | Trip cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Citation X+ | ~490 kt | 4.37 hr | ~$4,700 | ~$20,500 |
| Hawker 800XP | ~400 kt | 5.35 hr | ~$3,600 | ~$19,300 |
On this specific leg the two land close together, with the Citation X arriving nearly an hour sooner for a modest premium. Push the distance further and the gap widens in the Citation X’s favor, since its speed advantage compounds over more hours flown. The relationship reverses on short trips: both aircraft hit an operator’s typical two-hour daily minimum on anything under about 400 nm, so on a short hop the Hawker’s lower hourly rate wins outright and the Citation X’s speed produces only a few saved minutes you still pay a premium for.
The rule that falls out of the arithmetic: the Hawker 800XP is the better economics under roughly 1,500 nm, and the Citation X pulls ahead past that distance, both on arrival time and, once its speed has enough distance to bank against the daily minimum, on total trip cost.
Cabin Compared
The Hawker 800XP wins the cabin comparison outright. Its cabin measures roughly 5 feet 9 inches tall and about 6 feet wide, seating eight in a double-club layout, occasionally nine with a belted lavatory seat. The Citation X’s cabin is narrower at 5 feet 8 inches tall and 5 feet 6 inches wide, seating up to nine nominally but comfortably configured for six to eight.
The width gap is the one passengers notice most: 6 feet against 5 feet 6 inches is enough to change how a four-seat club section feels on a five-hour leg. The Citation X’s narrow fuselage is a direct consequence of the high-speed wing that makes Mach 0.935 possible, so the tradeoff is structural, not a design oversight on either side. Neither aircraft offers in-flight baggage access, unlike the Bombardier Challenger 350 both types are frequently cross-shopped against in this price tier.
What Each Costs
Charter. The Hawker 800XP runs roughly $3,300 to $3,900 per flight hour on US market rates. The Citation X runs higher, roughly $4,200 to $5,000 per hour. Both figures are broker market estimates rather than manufacturer numbers, and both move with fuel price and region. Expect the final invoice on either type to run 20 to 40 percent above the base hourly rate once repositioning legs, federal excise tax, landing fees, and daily minimums are added; see our private jet charter cost breakdown for the full line-item math.
Purchase. Neither aircraft has a new price, since both are decades out of production. Pre-owned values on both types spread widely, and on both the single biggest driver of true cost is not airframe hours or paint but whether the engines are enrolled on a manufacturer-backed maintenance program and how many hours remain before overhaul. A cheap listing on either type with an off-program engine carries a liability the discount rarely covers.
Who Should Book Which
Book the Hawker 800XP if your trip runs under about 1,500 nautical miles, your group is six to eight people, and cabin space and price per seat matter more than arrival time. It remains the value pick of the midsize class specifically because of this arithmetic.
Book the Citation X if the leg is long, four to eight passengers are flying, and the schedule is the binding constraint rather than the budget. Past roughly 1,500 nm its speed stops being a premium and starts being a discount, the same reasoning that applies against the Challenger 350 in our Challenger 350 vs Citation X comparison.
Who This Comparison Does Not Fit
Neither aircraft is right for a trip that needs to cross an ocean; both fall short of a reliable Atlantic crossing even under favorable conditions. Neither offers in-flight baggage access, which rules both out for anyone who needs to reach checked bags mid-flight. And a group larger than eight or nine outgrows both cabins regardless of which one flies faster.
If the per-hour economics of either type appeal but you fly enough to want a locked rate across a whole fleet rather than one aging tail, compare a jet card program before committing to charter-by-the-trip in either class.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Hawker 800XP faster than the Citation X?
No. The Citation X is faster by a wide margin. Its Citation X+ variant carries an FAA-verified top speed of Mach 0.935, equal to 536 knots true airspeed, against the Hawker 800XP's roughly 447 ktas. The Citation X also climbs to 51,000 feet, a published ceiling the Hawker 800XP's own spec sheet does not carry a direct published figure to match.
Is the Hawker 800XP better than the Citation X?
For cabin space and price per seat, yes. The Hawker 800XP's cabin is wider and taller than the Citation X's, it seats up to nine against the Citation X's nominal nine (typically six to eight in practice), and it charters for roughly $900 to $1,100 less per hour. For raw speed and range, the Citation X wins instead, so "better" depends on trip length and group size.
Is the Citation X better than the Hawker 800XP?
On speed, range, and often on total cost for a long trip, yes. The Citation X's higher cruise speed and 51,000-foot ceiling mean fewer billed hours and smoother rides on legs past roughly 1,500 nautical miles, where its speed advantage outweighs its higher hourly rate. The Hawker 800XP wins on cabin width, height, and price per seat, and pulls ahead on total cost for shorter trips.
Which has more range, the Hawker 800XP or the Citation X?
The Citation X, by about 870 nautical miles. Textron Aviation publishes 3,408 nm for the Citation X+ against 2,540 nm for the Hawker 800XP. Neither aircraft reliably crosses the North Atlantic, so the gap matters mainly for how far into South America or how deep across the continental US either type can fly without a fuel stop.
What is the cabin difference between the Hawker 800XP and Citation X?
The Hawker 800XP has the bigger cabin. It measures roughly 5 feet 9 inches tall and 6 feet wide against the Citation X's 5 feet 8 inches tall and 5 feet 6 inches wide. The 6-inch width advantage is the reason charter clients moving six to eight people often choose the Hawker over the faster Citation X on shorter trips.
Run the Hawker 800XP vs Citation X arithmetic against your actual leg length before booking either one. Under roughly 1,500 nautical miles the Hawker usually wins on total cost, and past it the Citation X usually does.
We update this guide as aircraft, program, and route pricing changes. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll check it.