Many pilots enjoy talking about fuel economy because it is among the factors in aviation over which we have some degree of control. Carefully adjusting power settings and other elements of our flight profiles can cut fuel expenses significantly.
It also pays to consider fuel consumption when buying an aircraft. Like cars, some airplanes seem to sip fuel while others guzzle. More so than with cars, though, finding an airplane with a minimal appetite for fuel often comes with compromises that affect your mission or even scuttle it altogether.
Using information from operating handbooks, manufacturers’ data, pilot reports and industry analysts, including Conklin & de Decker and others, we compiled the following list of midsize jets and their fuel economy in nautical miles per gallon.
Cessna Citation II: 2.0 nmpg
Arguably the jet that started it all, at least for economy-minded operators, the Citation models from the 1980s continue to be among the least expensive to operate.
Gulfstream G200: 1.9 nmpg
With seats for eight, this long-running Gulfstream model has the range to make Atlantic crossings. It made its first flights in 1997.
Hawker 900XP: 1.7 nmpg
This model, built from the late 2000s to the early teens, was popular for its roominess— comfortably seating eight—and its reasonable overall operating costs.
