Textron Aviation Citation CJ3
Photo: Sixflashphoto · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Light JetOut of productionTextron Aviation

Textron Aviation Citation CJ3

The CJ3 stretched the CJ2 fuselage and added a longer wing and Williams FJ44-3A engines, entering service in December 2004 with a Collins Pro Line 21 cockpit. It seats up to nine passengers, is certified for single-pilot operation and was built until 2014, when the Garmin-equipped CJ3+ replaced it.

In short: The Textron Aviation Citation CJ3 is a Light Jet with a range of 1,900 nm, a cruise speed of 416 knots and room for 6 passengers. Pre-owned examples trade around $3M–$6.5M and costs roughly $1,650 an hour to operate (estimate).

1,900 nm
Range
416 kts
Max cruise
6–9
Passengers
—
New price

Highlights

  • Single-pilot certified with up to nine seats
  • Williams FJ44-3A engines of 2,820 lbf each
  • Delivered from 2004 to 2014

Performance

Range
1,900 nm
Max cruise
416 kts
Max Mach
0.737
Max altitude
45,000 ft
Takeoff distance
3,180 ft
Landing distance
2,770 ft
MTOW
13,870 lb
Engines
2 × Williams FJ44-3A
Thrust per engine
2,820 lbf
Fuel burn
160 gal/hr
Avionics
Collins Pro Line 21

Cabin

Passengers
6 / 9
Cabin length
15.7 ft
Cabin width
4.8 ft
Cabin height
4.8 ft
Cabin volume
277 cu ft
Baggage
65 cu ft
Min. crew
1

Economics

New price
—
Variable cost / hr
$1,650
Fixed cost / yr
$520,000
First delivery
2004
Out of production
2014
Units built
Not published
Pre-owned range
$3M – $6.5M

Estimates. Operating costs and pre-owned prices are modelled from industry benchmarks and updated quarterly. Data reviewed 2026-09-13. Sources & methodology.

Dimensions & weights

Length
51.2 ft
Wingspan
53.3 ft
Height
15.2 ft
Max fuel
4,710 lb

Programme milestones

  1. 2002-09Announced · CJ3 unveiled at NBAA convention en.wikipedia.org
  2. 2003-04-17First flight · CJ3 prototype first flight jetcraft.com
  3. 2004-10Certification · FAA type certification jetcraft.com
  4. 2004-12First delivery · First deliveries jetcraft.com
  5. 2005-06-16Milestone · EASA certification businessairnews.com
  6. 2014Production ended · Production ended, succeeded by CJ3+ jetcraft.com
Sources (5)

Pre-owned range & Residual value curve

Pre-owned range

$3M – $6.5M

Estimates. Operating costs and pre-owned prices are modelled from industry benchmarks and updated quarterly.

Residual value curve

Estimated value retention over 10 years from new, by category depreciation model.

02754811080: 100%1: 88%2: 82%3: 77%4: 71%5: 67%6: 62%7: 58%8: 54%9: 50%10: 47%012345678910

Year 10: 47% ≈ $3.1M

Compare with similar private jets

Compare: Citation CJ3 vs Learjet 35A vs Learjet 45XR vs Phenom 300 →

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