Citation XLS vs PC-24: 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 PC-24. The clearest difference is short runways: the middle Citation XLS at 4%, the middle PC-24 at 1%.
Cessna Citation XLS fleet statistics →Pilatus PC-24 fleet statistics →
Fatigue
On hours per landing, the gap between the types is smaller than the spread inside either fleet: the middle PC-24 at 1.4 : 1, the middle Citation XLS at 1.3 : 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 151 PC-24s.| Measure | Citation XLS median | Middle half | PC-24 median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hours per landing Each aircraft’s average flight hours per landing | 1.3 : 1 | 1.2–1.5 : 1 | 1.4 : 1 | 1.2–1.6 : 1 |
| Short hops Share of legs under 300 nm | 43% | 33–51% | 42% | 30–54% |
| Leg length Median leg | 368 nm | 292–475 nm | 361 nm | 279–473 nm |
Corrosion
On salt air, the gap between the types is smaller than the spread inside either fleet: the middle Citation XLS at 1%, the middle PC-24 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 94 PC-24s.| Measure | Citation XLS median | Middle half | PC-24 median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salt air Nights within 2 km of the coast | 1% | 0–4% | <1% | 0–5% |
| Near the coast Nights within 10 km of the coast | 6% | 1–33% | 6% | 1–33% |
| Damp air Hours a day at 80% humidity or more, above freezing | 6.8 h | 5.1–8.2 h | 6.1 h | 4.2–7.6 h |
| Freeze–thaw Nights that froze and thawed within the day | 9% | 3–20% | 11% | 3–20% |
| Moisture in the air Average absolute humidity overnight | 9.5 g/m³ | 7.7–11.0 g/m³ | 8.2 g/m³ | 6.8–10.1 g/m³ |
Engines and brakes
On short runways, the types sit further apart than the middle half of either fleet spans: the middle Citation XLS at 4%, the middle PC-24 at 1%.
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 151 PC-24s.| Measure | Citation XLS median | Middle half | PC-24 median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short runways Departures where the longest runway was under 1.25× the takeoff distance | 4% | 2–6% | 1% | 0–2% |
| Hot, high takeoffs Departures at 5,000 ft density altitude or more | 4% | 1–9% | 6% | 2–12% |
| Density altitude Typical density altitude at takeoff | 1,612 ft | 1,287–1,987 ft | 1,473 ft | 1,214–2,048 ft |
Utilization
On flights a month, the gap between the types is smaller than the spread inside either fleet: the middle PC-24 at 10, 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 PC-24s with at least 40% of their flights tracked (90). Each type uses the tracking rule its own fleet page uses.| Measure | Citation XLS median | Middle half | PC-24 median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flights a month In the months it flew | 8.3 | 4.7–18.2 | 9.5 | 6.2–23.6 |
| Days flown a month Days with at least one flight | 5.6 | 3.5–10.4 | 6.1 | 4.7–11.4 |
| Estimated hours a year From time in the air | ≈135 h | 77–284 h | ≈159 h | 108–345 h |
Choosing between a Citation XLS and a PC-24?
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 PC-24 legs were under 300 nm, a gap of 1 percentage point; both flew 11% over 900 nm.
| Leg length (nm) | Citation XLS | PC-24 |
|---|---|---|
| <150 | 21% | 20% |
| 150–300 | 23% | 25% |
| 300–450 | 15% | 16% |
| 450–600 | 12% | 12% |
| 600–900 | 17% | 16% |
| 900–1,200 | 9% | 8% |
| 1,200–1,800 | 2% | 3% |
| 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 16,990 legs by 151 PC-24s, every leg with a known distance. The Citation XLS's trips bunch at 150–300 nm, the PC-24's at 150–300 nm.
Citation XLS vs PC-24: 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 | PC-24 |
|---|---|---|
| Range (manufacturer) | 2,100 nm (Citation XLS+)Manufacturer (archived spec page, 30 Jul 2021) | 2,000 nmManufacturer (spec page, Web page, retrieved 21 Oct 2026) |
| High-speed cruise (manufacturer) | 441 kt (Citation XLS+)Manufacturer (archived spec page, 30 Jul 2021) | 440 ktManufacturer (spec page, Web page, retrieved 21 Oct 2026) |
| Takeoff distance (manufacturer) | 3,560 ft (Citation XLS+)Manufacturer (archived spec page, 30 Jul 2021) | 3,090 ftManufacturer (spec page, Web page, retrieved 21 Oct 2026) |
| 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 | 17,650–18,740 lbUK CAA TCDS UK.TC.A.00033 Issue 2, p.8 |
| Fuel capacity (certified) | —Not in our sources yet | 5,964 lbUK CAA TCDS UK.TC.A.00033 Issue 2, p.7 |
| Maximum operating altitude (certified) | 45,000 ftUK CAA TCDS UK.TC.A.00087 Issue 2, p.53 | 45,000 ftUK CAA TCDS UK.TC.A.00033 Issue 2, p.7 |
| Passenger seats (certified) | Up to 12UK CAA TCDS UK.TC.A.00087 Issue 2, p.54 | Up to 10UK CAA TCDS UK.TC.A.00033 Issue 2, p.9 |
Citation XLS vs PC-24: questions
Which is flown more, the Citation XLS or the PC-24?
The PC-24, by about 24 estimated hours a year: the middle PC-24 flew ≈159 h a year, the middle Citation XLS ≈135 h. That is a fleet median: the middle half of PC-24s logged 108–345 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 10 for the PC-24.
Which lands more often for its hours, the Citation XLS or the PC-24?
The Citation XLS: its middle aircraft flies 1.3 hours per landing, against 1.4 for the PC-24, 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 42% of the middle PC-24's.
Which flies longer trips, the Citation XLS or the PC-24?
The Citation XLS, by 7 nm on the median leg: 368 nm for the middle aircraft, against 361 nm for the PC-24. 44% of Citation XLS legs and 45% of PC-24 legs were under 300 nm, a gap of 1 percentage point; both flew 11% over 900 nm.
Which spends more nights by the sea, the Citation XLS or the PC-24?
The Citation XLS, by 1 percentage point: its middle aircraft spends 1% of its nights within 2 km of the coast, the middle PC-24 <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 PC-24?
The manufacturers quote 2,100 nm (Citation XLS+) for the Citation XLS and 2,000 nm for the PC-24. 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 Pilatus PC-24.” Data to 31 July 2026. theaircraftledger.com/compare/cessna-citation-xls-vs-pilatus-pc-24
Method: Citation XLSs and PC-24s 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