From Palm Springs, CA, the Citation X has enough range to fly to Hawaii, Columbia, Alaska, and even the Kangerlussuaq Airport in Greenland. With the optional winglets, the Citation X has the ability to increase the range another 200 miles and allow for even greater airspeeds.

In 2026, the smallest aircraft capable of making the roughly 2,400-mile journey from California to Hawaii is generally a long-range business jet or a specially equipped single-engine turboprop. For private aviation, the Cessna Citation CJ4 or the Embraer Phenom 300 are among the smallest "light jets" that can make the crossing, though they often require favorable winds and a reduced payload to ensure they have the necessary fuel reserves. Even smaller is the Pilatus PC-12, a single-engine turboprop that can be fitted with "ferry tanks" (extra internal fuel bladders) for the journey, though this is typically only done for delivery flights rather than passenger travel. In the commercial sector, the "smallest" plane you will actually fly on is the Airbus A321neo or the Boeing 737 MAX 8. These narrow-body aircraft have revolutionized the route, replacing the much larger wide-body jets that were once required. While a very small, private piston-engine plane could technically make it with massive fuel modifications, the "reliable" smallest options for passenger safety in 2026 remain the light-to-midsize business jets.