Economical operation and low runway requirement
A 3,110 ft balanced field length allows operation at small airports that competitors cannot reach. Operating cost of about USD 1,500/hour is low for the jet category.
Cessna Citation I
C500Light JetDiscontinued1972–1985
Range
1,300 NM · 2,408 km
MTOW
5,375 kg
Cruise
350 kt · 648 km/h
Mach 0.70 · MMO
Seats
7
up to 7 passengers
Used price
US$ 430,000
The Cessna Citation I is a light jet produced between 1972 and 1985. Price: the Cessna Citation I is out of production and, used, the market median is around US$ 430,000. Median from Jet Tracker's price research as of 06/2026. It has a range of 1300 nm, a cruise speed of 350 kt (648 km/h), Mach 0.70, up to 7 passengers. In Brazil there are 8 active units in the RAB-ANAC, excluding cancelled registrations. There are 13 aircraft from this family for sale today, across 16 listings on the portals Jet Tracker tracks (global market, not Brazil only).
Source: RAB-ANAC (data as of 11/12/2026) and Jet Tracker catalog (spec sheet reviewed on 11/6/2026).
Acquisition price · pre-owned market
limited data16 active listings (global)Jet Tracker curation · 8 sources · 6/4/2026
US$ 430.0KR$ 2.4M
market medianaging ≈ −2.6%/yr−78% vs Light Jet median
Entry
US$ 396.0K
model year 1973
Best value
US$ 400.0K
model year 1976
Top of range
US$ 540.0K
model year 1985
Basis
Valuation
Bluebook + market
Minimum
US$ 300.0K
R$ 1.7M
Median
US$ 430.0K
R$ 2.4M
Maximum
US$ 700.0K
R$ 3.9M
Depreciation curve by year of manufacture
CAGR +2.6%/yr·1973→1985
Market median by vintage (USD). Light-blue band = min/max range observed across real listings. Points without reliable public listings (n ≤ 1) use Bluebook/curve interpolation and are flagged as lower confidence.
6 of 6 points with reduced confidence (n ≤ 1 listing observed). The estimate for these years comes from Aircraft Bluebook / market-curve interpolation, not from direct listings.
Landed in Brazil
Index ≈ ×1.32 to ×1.66 on the aircraft value, already with ferry, ANAC nationalization, IPI and ICMS.
Through a qualified importer
US$ 397.2K – 1.0M
R$ 2.2M – 5.7M · Agreement 75/91 · IPI + ICMS ~7 to 12%
Direct import
US$ 448.5K – 1.2M
R$ 2.5M – 6.5M · IPI + full ICMS ~25 to 32%
Market estimate: value + ferry + ANAC nationalization + taxes, no legal review. II, PIS and COFINS are 0% for aircraft (NCM 88.02); IPI is 6.5% (3.25% for air taxi) until Dec 31, 2026; ~4% ICMS only through a qualified importer (Agreement 75/91).
Cost per flight hour
Operate · owned
US$ 2.1K/h
R$ 11.9K/h · Variable/h
- Fixed/yr
- US$ 349.9K
- Total/h @ 200 hrs/yr
- US$ 3.9K/h
Charter · 🌎 World
US$ 2.4K – 3.2K/h
R$ 13.5K – 17.9K/h
Charter · 🇧🇷 Brazil
US$ 3.5K – 5.5K/h
R$ 19.6K – 30.8K/h
Operate = direct cost/hour (fuel + maintenance + engine); excludes fixed costs (hangar, crew, insurance). World: hourly rate published by charter operators. Brazil: charter is quoted per leg, so the hourly figure is an estimate from route quotes.
How we read this price · 8 sources · researched 6/4/2026
Median and price range for pre-owned aircraft, compiled by Jet Tracker from asking prices in listings and the price guides in the sources below, checked on 6/4/2026. 3 of 6 model years have an observed listing. The rest are estimates from the market curve between model years and are flagged in the chart.
- planephd - Cessna Citation 500 (1972-1973)
- planephd - Cessna Citation 500 (1973-1976)
- planephd - Cessna Citation I 500 (1977-1985)
- planephd - Cessna Citation I 501
- aircraftforsale.com - 1976 Cessna 500 Citation I
- GlobalAir - Citation 500 & Citation I/SP for sale
- AvBuyer - Tips When Shopping Older Citation Jet Markets
- Business Jet Traveler - Cessna Citation I
PTAX · R$ 5.6075 / US$ · 11/12/2026
Market estimates for guidance only, not a firm quote. Confirm the value with a broker/appraiser before any transaction.
Temporal identity
First flight
Sep 15, 1969
FAA cert.
Sep 09, 1971
ANAC cert.
—
Deliveries start
—
Units produced
689
The first Citation, a pioneering entry-level light jet of the segment. Discontinued in 1985.
Detailed specs
Performance
- Engines
- 2x Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D-1A
- Max speed
- 357 kt
- Fuel
- 564 gal
- Rate of climb
- 2,680 ft/min
- Max operating Mach
- 0.7
- Landing distance
- 2,540 ft
- Thrust per engine
- 2,200 lbf
- Balanced field length (BFL)
- 3,110 ft
Cabin and comfort
- Lavatory
- Compact aft lavatory (no door in some configurations)
- Configuration
- Single zone, 5 to 7 passengers in club layout
- Typical configuration
- Club 4 + Side Facing
- Cabin noise
- —
- Differential pressurization
- 8.7 psi
- Baggage capacity
- 56 cu ft
Avionics and engines
- Autopilot
- Sperry SPZ-200 or Collins APS-65 (original)
- Common retrofits
- Garmin G600 TXi, Aspen Evolution PFD/MFD, Garmin GTN 750
Operating costs
- Data source
- Liberty Jet, Citation ISP (CE-501SP) cost-to-own: fuel $468,504/400h, maintenance $302,291/400h, engine overhaul $186,025/400h, crew $201,157/yr, hangar $22,940, insurance $7,485 (2025) · planephd.com, Cessna Citation I/500 specs: 166.1 gph fuel burn · Business Jet Traveler, Citation I: ~$350,000 to overhaul the pair of JT15D engines · Atlantic Jet Partners, JT15D TBO 3,500 hours; overhaul scope/cost · BWI Fly, Cessna 500 Citation I insurance: $1M hull / $1M liability premium $8,800-$12,600/yr · GlobalAir & AvBuyer, pre-owned Citation 501/ISP market ~$500k (range to ~$950k)
- Fuel burn
- 166 gal/h
- Last updated
- 2026
- Engine overhaul cost
- US$ 250,000
- Market price (low)
- US$ 250,000
- Engine overhaul interval
- 3,500 h
- Market price (high)
- US$ 800,000
External dimensions
- Overall length
- 13.26 m
- Wingspan
- 14.35 m
- Height
- 4.34 m
- Wing area
- 25.87 m²
- Wing sweep
- 0°
Weights & fuel
- Operating empty weight (OEW)
- 3,008 kg
- Maximum takeoff weight (MTOW)
- 5,375 kg
- Maximum payload
- 951 kg
- Fuel capacity
- 2,134 L
- Fuel capacity
- 3,820 lb
Minimum runway
RBAC 135.399 · no factoring (≤ 5,670 kg, assumes normal category)sea level / ISA referenceHow much runway the Citation I needs to dispatch: the manual figure and what the charter (RBAC 135) rule requires.
Charter (RBAC 135)
948m
no factoring · RBAC 135.399, assuming normal category; small transport-category aircraft are factored (135.397)
Takeoff or BFL, manual
948m
unfactored takeoff, manufacturer
No mandatory factoring: fits 429 of 465 Brazilian public runways.
Minimum runway
Where the Citation I dispatches under charter rules
Verdict per regime (private, charter dry and wet) across 465 Brazilian public runways, with the margin in meters.
Starter feature. Available on your Jet Tracker account.
Manufacturer-published distances at sea level, ISA and reference weight. Not corrected for altitude, temperature, wind or runway condition, takeoff included. Uses the declared LDA as a proxy for effective runway length (RBAC 135.361) and the most favourable threshold in calm air (135.385(b)(1)): on the day, wind may force the shorter threshold. Destination only: does not assess the alternate aerodrome (135.387). Not a substitute for the AFM or the operator's performance analysis. Rule: RBAC 135.385 and 135.398; private flying (RBAC 91) is not factored. Runways: declared distance (LDA) from AISWEB/DECEA (2026-09-05), checkable on each aerodrome chart; where DECEA publishes no declared distance, physical length from OurAirports is used.
Cabin
Standard configuration
1 zone5 typical passengers · 7 maxClub 4Side Facing
Typical factory configuration (curated data). The drawing below is schematic and at approximate scale; the actual layout varies by interior and year.
Cabin to scale: cross-section and profile
✗ no stand-up heightfront cross-section · person = 1.75 m
Length
3.86 m
Width
1.5 m
Height
1.32 m
Volume
—
Baggage
—
History
- 1969First flight
- 1971FAA certification
- 1972 - Absolute pioneer of the light jet segment
Launched in 1972 as Cessna's first jet, the Citation I created the entry-level category that would dominate the market for decades. The CE-500 type rating certification became an industry standard.
- 1977 - First single-pilot certification in a jet
The Citation 501 SP, launched in 1977, was one of the first jets in the world certified for single-pilot operation, drastically reducing operating cost and opening the market to owner-pilots.
- 1985End of production
Brazil Fleet
Lineage
Model with no documented lineage in the manufacturer's line.
Curiosities and highlights
Benefits
Affordable acquisition on the used market
Available between USD 250 thousand and USD 800 thousand on the secondary market, it is the cheapest jet available in the business aviation world, attracting first-time buyers and regional operators.
Limitations
Modest speed by modern standards
A 350kt cruise is well below modern light jets (the CJ4 cruises at 451kt). A range of 1,300nm also limits it to regional missions, with no transcontinental reach.
Curiosities
Nicknamed Slowtation
Pilots of the era nicknamed the Citation I the Slowtation for its modest speed compared with competing Learjets. Despite this, reliability and low cost made it Cessna's best-selling jet for years.
Catalogued accidents
Sources: NTSB, CENIPA, Aviation Safety Network
Cessna Citation I for sale now
Listed aircraft with a page on Jet Tracker, from the lowest asking price up. Asking is not the closing price; portals and the reading date are on each page.
Registrations in Brazil
3 operational aircraft owned by companies in the ANAC registry (RAB). Each opens the profile with owner, operator, status and history.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the Cessna Citation I cost?
The Cessna Citation I is out of production, so there is no factory price. On the used market the median is around US$ 430,000, varying with year and flight hours; see real listings on this model's Market tab. Reference value as of 06/2026.
What is the range of the Cessna Citation I?
The maximum range is 1300 nm (1,300 NM · 2,408 km).
How fast is the Cessna Citation I?
Cruise speed is 350 kt, equivalent to 648 km/h, or Mach 0.70.
How many passengers does the Cessna Citation I seat?
The Cessna Citation I seats up to 7 passengers, crew not included.
How many Cessna Citation I are there in Brazil?
There are 8 active units in the RAB-ANAC (data as of 11/12/2026): operational, mark reservation or suspended, excluding cancelled registrations.
Who operates the Cessna Citation I in Brazil?
8 distinct operators operate 8 units of the Cessna Citation I in the RAB-ANAC: 1 in air taxi (RBAC 135) and 7 in private operation (RBAC 91), concentrated in PR, RJ and PI (data as of 11/12/2026). Name, fleet and state of each operator are on this model's Analytics tab and in the operators directory.
How much does it cost to operate the Cessna Citation I per hour?
Jet Tracker estimate: about US$ 3,878 per flight hour at 200 h/year, of which US$ 2,128 per hour is variable cost (fuel, engine program, maintenance reserves) plus US$ 349,880 per year of fixed cost (crew, hangar, insurance), under Jet Tracker's default assumptions (Southeast Brazil, in-house crew, 200 h/year). Run your own scenario on this model's Costs tab.