How Fast Does a Private Jet Fly?

For decades the supersonic Concorde offered the fastest non-military ride on the planet to anyone who could afford the price of a ticket. The last Concorde retired from service in 2003. Since then private jets, the kind used by businessmen in a hurry, have been the fastest civilian aircraft in the air.

  1. Defining Airspeed

    • Airspeed, how fast a plane is actually flying, is not the same thing as True Airspeed. True Airspeed is how fast the plane could fly if wind were not a factor.

    Cessna Citation X

    • Since its debut in 1996 Cessna's Citation X has been the fastest private jet on the market, minus the Concorde. The Citation X carries seven passengers and boasts a top speed of Mach 0.92, about 700 miles per hour.

    The Competition

    • In March 2008 Gulfstream announced plans for a new aircraft, the Gulfstream G650. Gulfstream says the G650 will have a maximum speed of Mach 0.925, four miles per hour faster than the Citation X.

    Other Corporate Jets

    • Though the Citation X is the fastest passenger aircraft currently on the market, its competitors are not a lot slower. The Falcon 7X, Gulfstream G550 and Gulfstream G500 all top out at between 670 and 685 miles per hour.

    Fun Fact

    • The first customer to take delivery of a Citation X was golf legend Arnold Palmer.

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