The Hawker 800XP is one of those aircraft that makes more sense when you look at the details than when you look at its age.

The story began with the de Havilland DH.125 program in the early 1960s. The design evolved through Hawker Siddeley and British Aerospace before Raytheon acquired the business jet program in 1993. The Hawker 800XP entered service in 1995 as a more capable development of the Hawker 800. Production ended in 2005 after 426 aircraft had been delivered.

The XP brought higher-thrust Honeywell TFE731-5BR engines, aerodynamic changes, a higher maximum takeoff weight and system upgrades. It was still recognizably the same Hawker, but with more useful performance.

That basic idea has aged well: give the owner a genuinely wide cabin, useful payload and around 2,500 nm of range without moving into a much larger jet.

• The cabin is the real Hawker advantage:

At 6 ft wide and 21 ft 4 in long, the 800XP has a genuinely spacious mid-size cabin. It was designed for 8 passengers as standard, with layouts available for up to 12.

• The XP was built for useful performance, not just a bigger number:

Its TFE731-5BR engines produce 4,660 lbf each, giving the 800XP a 2,432 nm IFR range with eight passengers under AOPA's stated NBAA reserve assumptions and a 41,000 ft certified ceiling.

• The aircraft can be upgraded significantly:

Later 800XPs were delivered with Collins Pro Line 21, while individual aircraft can also have winglets, WAAS/LPV, ADS-B and TCAS 7.1 upgrades. That creates a big difference between a basic 800XP and a properly equipped example on today's market.

Bombardier Challenger 604 for sale:
Range: around 4,000 nm / Passengers: typically 10, with configurations up to 12.
The Challenger 604 is a much larger aircraft and belongs in the comparison when the buyer needs substantially more range and cabin space. It uses GE CF34-3B engines and a Pro Line 4 flight deck on the original configuration.
The 800XP wins on being smaller and simpler for the buyer who does not need a large-cabin jet. The Challenger wins decisively once the mission moves toward long-range international travel.

Bombardier Learjet 60 for sale:
Range: 2,418 nm with four passengers; 2,186 nm / Passengers: usually 6 to 7.
This is the closest classic comparison. The Learjet is faster and climbs harder, while the Hawker gives you 551 cu ft of cabin volume against 447 cu ft in the Learjet. The Hawker also has the longer cabin.
If the buyer spends more time looking at the cockpit than the cabin, the Learjet becomes attractive. If eight passengers are regular, the Hawker deserves serious consideration.

Cessna Citation Excel for sale: Range: 1,839 nm / Passengers: typically 7.
The Excel is smaller inside, with a 5.5 ft wide, 18.5 ft long cabin. Its straight-wing design gives it strong runway performance, and AOPA notes the large baggage compartment and broad Citation service network as practical advantages.
For shorter trips, the Excel is a very logical alternative. The Hawker has more cabin and more range.

Cessna Citation XLS+ for sale:
Range: around 2,100 nm / Passengers: typically 8.
The XLS+ is much newer and uses Pratt & Whitney Canada PW545C engines with Collins Pro Line 21 avionics. Its cabin is 5.5 ft wide and 18.5 ft long.
That is the cleanest answer for a buyer who wants newer systems and a newer airframe. The Hawker's argument is the larger cabin and lower acquisition cost of an older aircraft.

Dassault Falcon 50 for sale:
Range: around 3,200 nm / Passengers: typically 9.
The Falcon 50 is a different proposition. It has three engines, a 23.5 ft cabin and a 6.1 ft cabin width in AvBuyer's current data. Dassault's own history confirms the three-engine configuration and the aircraft's long-range design.
For demanding long-range or hot-and-high missions, the Falcon is in another league. The 800XP is the more straightforward choice when the mission fits inside its range.

The Hawker works best when the buyer values cabin space and passenger load more than outright speed.

Consider a generic 2,000 nm trip with six passengers, baggage and normal IFR reserves. The aircraft is operating inside the range envelope, but payload, winds and reserves still need to be checked for the specific airplane. That is very different from treating 2,620 nm as a guaranteed nonstop mission number.

For shorter regional trips, the cabin becomes a stronger argument. Six or eight passengers have room to work, the aircraft has a proper enclosed lavatory and many examples have a forward galley or refreshment centre.

Hot-and-high operations deserve more attention. AOPA's review notes that the Hawker 800 series can be challenging in hot and high conditions, particularly from airports such as Aspen and Eagle. That is a real operational limitation and should be evaluated against the intended airport network.

The Hawker 800XP is still worth looking at because the basic package is unusually practical for its age: a wide 6 ft cabin, useful payload, two TFE731 engines and roughly 2,500 nm of published range.

For six to eight passengers flying roughly 1,500 to 2,500 nm missions, an 800XP with strong records, good engine status and the right avionics can still be a sensible aircraft to investigate.

Looking for a Hawker 800XP for Sale?
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