- 01 Sep 2020
- Mike Chase
- Jet Comparisons
The Cessna Citation CJ3+ has had a significant impact in the Light Jet market since it was certified in 2014, and has become a leading platform for one of the biggest names in business jets today.
The Citation CJ3+ is an upgraded version of the Cessna Citation CJ3, with the two aircraft together forming a significant presence in the Light Jet sector for nearly 20 years. According to JETNET data, in August 2022 Cessna had delivered 229 Citation CJ3+ jets to the market.
The Citation CJ3+ retails for between $7.20m 2014 model and $9.91m 2022 model, according to Aircraft Bluebook’s Autumn 2022 data. However, the sale price of individual jets may be above or below the average for their model year, depending on its maintenance condition, time on the airframe, enrolment (or lack of) on an hourly maintenance plan, and several other factors.
The Embraer Phenom 300E operates in the same Light Jet space as the CJ3+, as well as the Citation CJ4. The Phenom 300E can accommodate one or two pilots and 6-8 passengers, and is powered by FADEC-controlled Pratt & Whitney Canada PW535E1 powerplants. It has a range of just over 2,000nm and flies at Mach 0.80. The Phenom 300E features a Prodigy Touch Flight Deck from Garmin as its avionics suite.
Textron Aviation emphasises the aircraft’s highly competitive acquisition and operating costs, as well as its baggage capacity enabling carriage of up to 1,000lbs. Moreover, its advanced, touch-controlled avionics are suitable for use by a single pilot.
The Citation CJ3+ marked a significant upgrade on the earlier aircraft, incorporating an all-new interior, complete with a redesigned cockpit and cabin, new diagnostics and pressurisation systems, and the upgraded Garmin G3000 avionics suite. It also boasts a greater range.
Cessna Citation CJ3+ Jet Overview
By Gerrard Cowan - Editor, Aircraft Reviews
The CJ3+ has attracted a range of customers in the years since the first production jet rolled off the manufacturing line. These operators are varied, but include Canadian fractional ownership provider AirSprint, Inc., and Marc Dulude, an executive who also serves as chairman emeritus of the Citation Jet Pilots Association.
There are numerous other examples of recent successes for this model, including in late 2019 when Textron Aviation sealed a deal with Chairman Aviation – a US aviation specialist – for a single Cessna Citation CJ3+.
What features does the Cessna Citation CJ3+ offer?
The Citation CJ3+ can seat up to nine people and is certified for single pilot operation. It has a range of up to 2,070nm, giving it capacity to fly passengers in comfort from London to Moscow, Shanghai to Bangkok, and multiple key US city-pairs, nonstop.
The aircraft is powered by Williams International FJ44-3A engines. It features a Garmin G3000 avionics suite including turbulence-detecting weather radar, advanced Terrain Awareness Warning Systems (TAWS), ADS-B capability, and a range of other leading-edge technologies.
What came before and after the Cessna Citation CJ3+?
The Cessna Citation CJ3+ is an upgraded version of the Citation CJ3, which has a maximum range of 1,890 nm. The earlier aircraft featured a Collins FMS-3000 avionics suite.
The Light Jet line also includes the Cessna Citation CJ4 aircraft, which is the largest Cessna Citation jet aimed at this segment of the market, with a range of 2,165nm and the capacity to hold up to ten passengers in its versatile cabin.
For the latest market data and full specification information for the Cessna Citation CJ3+ jet, view the live data feeds on this page from aviation’s leading data providers - Aircraft Blue Book, JETNET, Conklin & de Decker and Asset Insight.
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