Citation XLS vs Phenom 300: how the two fleets are really flown
On three of the four chapters' lead measures, the gap inside each fleet is bigger than the gap between the Citation XLS and the Phenom 300. The clearest difference is salt air: the middle Citation XLS at 1%, the middle Phenom 300 at 5%.
Cessna Citation XLS fleet statistics →Embraer Phenom 300 fleet statistics →
Fatigue
On hours per landing, the gap between the types is smaller than the spread inside either fleet: the middle Citation XLS at 1.3 : 1, the middle Phenom 300 at 1.2 : 1.
What each landing and pressurization cycle costs the structure: landings per hour and short hops.
Hours per landing
Where the two fleets sitSide by side
Every active aircraft of each type in North America: 599 Citation XLSs and 581 Phenom 300s.| Measure | Citation XLS median | Middle half | Phenom 300 median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hours per landing Each aircraft’s average flight hours per landing | 1.3 : 1 | 1.2–1.5 : 1 | 1.2 : 1 | 1.2–1.5 : 1 |
| Short hops Share of legs under 300 nm | 43% | 33–51% | 45% | 36–49% |
| Leg length Median leg | 368 nm | 292–475 nm | 344 nm | 303–424 nm |
Corrosion
On salt air, the types sit further apart than the middle half of either fleet spans: the middle Phenom 300 at 5%, the middle Citation XLS at 1%.
What the air around the fleet does overnight: salt, damp and freeze–thaw.
Salt air
Where the two fleets sitSide by side
Aircraft we can place on enough nights at known fields: 391 Citation XLSs and 448 Phenom 300s.| Measure | Citation XLS median | Middle half | Phenom 300 median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salt air Nights within 2 km of the coast | 1% | 0–4% | 5% | 1–9% |
| Near the coast Nights within 10 km of the coast | 6% | 1–33% | 30% | 10–40% |
| Damp air Hours a day at 80% humidity or more, above freezing | 6.8 h | 5.1–8.2 h | 6.9 h | 5.9–7.8 h |
| Freeze–thaw Nights that froze and thawed within the day | 9% | 3–20% | 8% | 4–12% |
| Moisture in the air Average absolute humidity overnight | 9.5 g/m³ | 7.7–11.0 g/m³ | 10.0 g/m³ | 9.0–11.1 g/m³ |
Engines and brakes
On short runways, the gap between the types is smaller than the spread inside either fleet: the middle Citation XLS at 4%, the middle Phenom 300 at 2%.
What departures ask of engines, brakes and tires: heat and height, and runway length.
Short runways
Where the two fleets sitSide by side
Departures we could assess: 599 Citation XLSs and 581 Phenom 300s.| Measure | Citation XLS median | Middle half | Phenom 300 median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short runways Departures where the longest runway was under 1.25× the takeoff distance | 4% | 2–6% | 2% | 0–3% |
| Hot, high takeoffs Departures at 5,000 ft density altitude or more | 4% | 1–9% | 6% | 3–9% |
| Density altitude Typical density altitude at takeoff | 1,612 ft | 1,287–1,987 ft | 1,523 ft | 1,358–1,782 ft |
Utilization
On flights a month, the gap between the types is smaller than the spread inside either fleet: the middle Phenom 300 at 17, the middle Citation XLS at 8.
How steadily each fleet is used: flights, flying days and estimated hours.
Flights a month
Where the two fleets sitSide by side
Every active Citation XLS (599) and every active Phenom 300 (581). Each type uses the tracking rule its own fleet page uses.| Measure | Citation XLS median | Middle half | Phenom 300 median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flights a month In the months it flew | 8.3 | 4.7–18.2 | 17.1 | 5.2–37.3 |
| Days flown a month Days with at least one flight | 5.6 | 3.5–10.4 | 9.5 | 4.1–16.6 |
| Estimated hours a year From time in the air | ≈135 h | 77–284 h | ≈272 h | 96–550 h |
Choosing between a Citation XLS and a Phenom 300?
Check both tails, not the types.
Enter the two tails on your shortlist. TailCheck grades each one on Fatigue, Corrosion, Engines and brakes, and Utilization against its own type, then puts them side by side.
Trip-length mix
44% of Citation XLS legs and 45% of Phenom 300 legs were under 300 nm, a gap of 1 percentage point; 11% and 9% were over 900 nm.
| Leg length (nm) | Citation XLS | Phenom 300 |
|---|---|---|
| <150 | 21% | 20% |
| 150–300 | 23% | 25% |
| 300–450 | 15% | 17% |
| 450–600 | 12% | 12% |
| 600–900 | 17% | 16% |
| 900–1,200 | 9% | 7% |
| 1,200–1,800 | 2% | 2% |
| 1,800+ | 0% | 0% |
Share of legs by length in nautical miles, 1 Aug 2025 – 31 Jul 2026: 79,018 legs by 599 Citation XLSs and 136,814 legs by 581 Phenom 300s, every leg with a known distance. The Citation XLS's trips bunch at 150–300 nm, the Phenom 300's at 150–300 nm.
Citation XLS vs Phenom 300: on paper
Certified figures come from each type certificate data sheet, the rest from the manufacturer. Each figure names its source; a range covers the variants one page tracks together; a dash means we don’t have a source for that figure yet.
| Measure | Citation XLS | Phenom 300 |
|---|---|---|
| Range (manufacturer) | 2,100 nm (Citation XLS+)Manufacturer (archived spec page, 30 Jul 2021) | 2,010 nm (Phenom 300E)Manufacturer (brochure, 2025) |
| High-speed cruise (manufacturer) | 441 kt (Citation XLS+)Manufacturer (archived spec page, 30 Jul 2021) | 464 kt (Phenom 300E)Manufacturer (brochure, 2025) |
| Takeoff distance (manufacturer) | 3,560 ft (Citation XLS+)Manufacturer (archived spec page, 30 Jul 2021) | 3,209 ft (Phenom 300E)Manufacturer (brochure, 2025) |
| Cabin length (manufacturer) | 18 ft 6 in (Citation XLS+)Manufacturer (archived spec page, 30 Jul 2021) | —Not in our sources yet |
| Maximum takeoff weight (certified) | 20,200–20,330 lbUK CAA TCDS UK.TC.A.00087 Issue 2, p.53 | 17,968–18,551 lbUK CAA TCDS UK.TC.A.00091 Issue 4, p.8 |
| Maximum operating altitude (certified) | 45,000 ftUK CAA TCDS UK.TC.A.00087 Issue 2, p.53 | 45,000 ftEASA TCDS EASA.IM.A.158 Issue 11, p.9 |
| Passenger seats (certified) | Up to 12UK CAA TCDS UK.TC.A.00087 Issue 2, p.54 | Up to 9EASA TCDS EASA.IM.A.158 Issue 11, p.10 |
Citation XLS vs Phenom 300: questions
Which is flown more, the Citation XLS or the Phenom 300?
The Phenom 300, by about 137 estimated hours a year: the middle Phenom 300 flew ≈272 h a year, the middle Citation XLS ≈135 h. That is a fleet median: the middle half of Phenom 300s logged 96–550 h and of Citation XLSs 77–284 h, so one aircraft can sit far from its type. In flights, the medians are 8 a month for the Citation XLS and 17 for the Phenom 300.
Which lands more often for its hours, the Citation XLS or the Phenom 300?
The Phenom 300: its middle aircraft flies 1.2 hours per landing, against 1.3 for the Citation XLS, 0.1 hours fewer per landing. More landings per hour means more pressurization cycles for the same time in the air. Short hops, legs under 300 nm, make up 43% of the middle Citation XLS's legs and 45% of the middle Phenom 300's.
Which flies longer trips, the Citation XLS or the Phenom 300?
The Citation XLS, by 24 nm on the median leg: 368 nm for the middle aircraft, against 344 nm for the Phenom 300. 44% of Citation XLS legs and 45% of Phenom 300 legs were under 300 nm, a gap of 1 percentage point; 11% and 9% were over 900 nm.
Which spends more nights by the sea, the Citation XLS or the Phenom 300?
The Phenom 300, by 4 percentage points: its middle aircraft spends 5% of its nights within 2 km of the coast, the middle Citation XLS 1%. Salt air is one of the corrosion inputs a TailCheck report grades for one aircraft against its own type.
Which has the longer range on paper, the Citation XLS or the Phenom 300?
The manufacturers quote 2,100 nm (Citation XLS+) for the Citation XLS and 2,010 nm (Phenom 300E) for the Phenom 300. Those are book figures at stated conditions; how far the fleets actually fly is in the trip-length mix above.
Cite this data
The Aircraft Ledger. “Cessna Citation XLS vs Embraer Phenom 300.” Data to 31 July 2026. theaircraftledger.com/compare/cessna-citation-xls-vs-embraer-phenom-300
Method: Citation XLSs and Phenom 300s with most departures in North America, ADS-B tracking. Flight measures cover 1 Aug 2025 – 31 Jul 2026; each figure is the median of its own fleet, with the middle half (25th–75th percentile). Estimated hours from time in the air. We assume the longest runway at each field, so short-runway figures are conservative. Specifications from type certificate data sheets and the manufacturers, each cited. About our data