Citation XLS / XLS+ / Excel

The Citation Excel, XLS, XLS+, and XLS Gen2 make up the Citation 560XL family, one of the most successful business jet platforms ever built. The formula is straightforward and still highly effective: a stand-up midsize cabin, straight-wing runway performance, Citation reliability, and operating economics that remain attractive compared with many competing midsize aircraft.

Unlike the CJ-series aircraft, the Excel/XLS family is a two-pilot business jet aimed at companies, flight departments, fractional operators, managed owners, and family offices that need genuine midsize cabin comfort without stepping into a larger and more expensive platform. For many corporate operators, the Excel/XLS represents the "right size" airplane: a stand-up cabin, strong dispatch reliability, good runway performance, and manageable operating costs.

The original Citation Excel combined a stand-up cabin cross-section with a straight wing and efficient Pratt & Whitney Canada PW545-series engines, producing a practical business aircraft with an enclosed lavatory, large baggage area, and the ability to use shorter runways than many midsize competitors. The XLS improved performance and systems refinement, while the XLS+ added further engine and avionics upgrades. The XLS Gen2 continued that evolution with cabin and passenger-experience refinements.

The XLS+ and XLS Gen2 represent the most refined versions of the line. Textron has cited XLS+ performance up to 441 knots and maximum economy range of approximately 2,100 nautical miles. In real-world flight-department planning, most operators think in terms of 420–435 KTAS and practical mission planning commonly around 1,400–1,700 nautical miles, depending on passenger load, reserves, winds, temperature, routing, and runway requirements. Fuel burn is commonly planned around 220 GPH, though it varies with altitude, weight, power setting, and mission profile.

Cabin comfort is the core reason buyers move into the Excel/XLS family. The cabin is approximately 18 ft 6 in long, 5 ft 6 in wide, and 5 ft 8 in high — a true stand-up experience that the CJ line cannot provide. Typical executive configurations seat seven to eight passengers comfortably, with up to nine depending on layout. The aircraft offers approximately 90 cubic feet of total baggage capacity, commonly described as 80 cu ft external plus 10 cu ft internal.

Avionics vary significantly by model and upgrade history. Most Excel and XLS aircraft were delivered with Honeywell Primus 1000 avionics. The XLS+ and XLS Gen2 moved to Collins Pro Line 21. A Garmin G5000 retrofit STC is available for Excel and XLS aircraft, and Textron announced in 2024 that XLS+ and XLS Gen2 aircraft can now also be upgraded with the Garmin G5000 integrated flight deck following FAA STC approval.

APUs are very commonly equipped across the line, but the Honeywell APU was a factory option, not standard equipment — offered on the Excel from 1999 and carried as an option through the XLS and XLS+. Installing it also replaced the standard vapor-cycle air conditioning with a stronger APU-driven system. Because not every airframe has one, buyers should verify APU status and its maintenance records individually.

More than 1,000 aircraft have been delivered across the 560XL family since 1999 — a testament to the platform's staying power with corporate operators, fractional fleets, and managed aircraft programs worldwide.