Data as of Tuesday, 26 May 2026
A Side-by-Side Comparison of the In-Service Mid-size Fleet
The Mid-size class covers mid-cabin platforms with continental and transcontinental capability. Each aircraft below flies 2,500 nautical miles or more at long-range cruise.
Three in-service platforms anchor the segment today: Embraer's Praetor 500, Cessna's Citation Latitude, and Bombardier's Challenger 350. The Challenger 350 left production in 2022 but remains the largest single in-service mid-size fleet and is succeeded by the Challenger 3500 on the same airframe. The Cessna Citation XLS Gen2 is below the 2,500 nm threshold and is excluded. Acquisition cost is excluded by design.
The Praetor 500 is the longer-range mid-size derivative of the Legacy 450, launched in 2018 and entering service in 2019. Twin Honeywell HTF7500E engines, Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion avionics, and a full fly-by-wire flight control system, rare in the mid-size class. The cabin is the tallest of the comparison set at 6.0 ft and features a flat floor. Long-range cruise range of 3,109 nm per Conklin & de Decker; Embraer publishes 3,340 nm under NBAA IFR reserves at four passengers and 200 nm alternate.
| Production | 2015 – Present |
| Type Certification | 2018 |
| Maximum Cruise Speed | 466 kts |
| Long-Range Cruise Speed | 425 kts |
| Mmo | Mach 0.83 |
| Initial Cruise Altitude | 43,000 ft |
| Maximum Altitude | 45,000 ft |
| Cabin Dimensions (L × W × H) | 24.0 × 6.83 × 6.0 ft |
| Cabin Volume | 865 cu ft |
| Baggage Volume | 150 cu ft |
| Avionics | Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion (fly-by-wire) |
| Variable Cost Per Hour | $4,006 |
| Annual Fixed Cost | $778,594 |
The Citation Latitude entered service in 2015 as Textron's first clean-sheet mid-size Citation. Twin Pratt & Whitney Canada PW306D1 engines, Garmin G5000 avionics, and a 6.0 ft flat-floor cabin. Range of 2,455 nm per Conklin & de Decker (Textron publishes 2,700 nm at four passengers, NBAA IFR reserves). The Latitude is the volume seller in its segment, with over 380 delivered through 2025, and the established successor to the Citation XLS+ on the Textron line.
| Production | 2014 – Present |
| Type Certification | 2015 |
| Maximum Cruise Speed | 446 kts |
| Long-Range Cruise Speed | 404 kts |
| Mmo | Mach 0.80 |
| Initial Cruise Altitude | 43,000 ft |
| Maximum Altitude | 45,000 ft |
| Cabin Dimensions (L × W × H) | 21.9 × 6.4 × 6.0 ft |
| Cabin Volume | 700 cu ft |
| Baggage Volume | 127 cu ft |
| Avionics | Garmin G5000 |
| Variable Cost Per Hour | $3,819 |
| Annual Fixed Cost | $778,764 |
The Challenger 350 was Bombardier's super-mid-size mainstay from 2014 until production wound down in 2022. Twin Honeywell HTF7350 engines, Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 Advanced avionics, and a 7.2 ft cabin width, the widest in the mid-size class. The 350 is succeeded on the same airframe by the Challenger 3500, which differs principally in cabin and cockpit electronics. Roughly 430 airframes delivered, the largest single in-service mid-size fleet, with a deep secondary market and well-developed maintenance ecosystem.
Challenger 300 shown; the 350 is the upgraded successor.
| Production | 2014 – 2022 (~430 delivered) |
| Type Certification | 2014 |
| Maximum Cruise Speed | 470 kts |
| Long-Range Cruise Speed | 448 kts |
| Mmo | Mach 0.83 |
| Initial Cruise Altitude | 43,000 ft |
| Maximum Altitude | 45,000 ft |
| Cabin Dimensions (L × W × H) | 25.2 × 7.2 × 6.0 ft |
| Cabin Volume | 930 cu ft |
| Baggage Volume | 106 cu ft |
| Avionics | Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 Advanced |
| Variable Cost Per Hour | $4,552 |
| Annual Fixed Cost | $1,133,094 |
Key metrics across the in-service mid-size class. Hover a column to highlight; best values in each row are accented. Acquisition cost excluded by design.
| Praetor 500 | Citation Latitude | Challenger 350 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Performance | |||
| Range (Long-Range Cruise) | 3,109 nm | 2,455 nm | 3,277 nm |
| Maximum Cruise Speed | 466 kts | 446 kts | 470 kts |
| Mmo | Mach 0.83 | Mach 0.80 | Mach 0.83 |
| Maximum Altitude | 45,000 ft | 45,000 ft | 45,000 ft |
| Long-Range Cruise Speed | 425 kts | 404 kts | 448 kts |
| Wingspan | 70.5 ft | 72.4 ft | 69.0 ft |
| Cabin | |||
| Cabin Length | 24.0 ft | 21.9 ft | 25.2 ft |
| Cabin Width | 6.83 ft | 6.4 ft | 7.2 ft |
| Cabin Height | 6.0 ft | 6.0 ft | 6.0 ft |
| Cabin Volume | 865 cu ft | 700 cu ft | 930 cu ft |
| Passenger Capacity | 9 | 9 | 10 |
| Baggage Volume | 150 cu ft | 127 cu ft | 106 cu ft |
| Cabin Altitude at Max | 5,800 ft | 6,000 ft | 6,000 ft |
| Operating Economics | |||
| Variable Cost / Hour | $4,006 | $3,819 | $4,552 |
| Fuel / Hour | $1,435 | $1,575 | $1,485 |
| Maintenance / Hour | $1,168 | $873 | $1,348 |
| Engine Reserves / Hour | $1,092 | $1,070 | $1,100 |
| Annual Fixed Cost | $778,594 | $778,764 | $1,133,094 |
Assumes 250 flight hours per year, $5.00 per US gallon Jet A, $105 per hour maintenance labour, 600 nm average trip.
Production of the Challenger 350 ended in 2022. The Challenger 3500 is the in-production successor on the same airframe, with revised cabin and cockpit electronics; performance and dimensions are unchanged. The 350 in-service fleet remains the largest in the mid-size class and is well represented in the secondary market.
The Citation XLS Gen2 carries a Conklin & de Decker long-range cruise figure of 1,529 nm, below the 2,500 nm threshold used to define this comparison. It belongs to the light / lower-mid segment and will be covered separately.
Freestream Aircraft operates as an independent advisory firm, representing principals in the acquisition, sale, and management of business aircraft worldwide. With platform knowledge across the mid-size class, Freestream provides: