Business jet rental with crew: formats, hourly rates and trip prices

Renting a business jet means hiring the whole aircraft with its pilots from a licensed operator for one flight, a day of meetings or several days of travel. In Britain the same service is often called hire, and in the industry it is called charter: the contract is the same. You pay for the hours the jet flies for you and for the time it spends waiting between your flights, so the way you plan the trip matters as much as the class of aircraft.

European Private Jets is a broker and has no aircraft of its own. For each request we compare jets from operators holding an Air Operator Certificate (AOC): we have access to about 6,500 aircraft, from turboprops to long range jets. You usually receive 4 to 7 options from different operators and classes, and the operator who will fly you is named in the contract.

• • Urgent flights
  • about 4 hours after confirmation
• • Any date
  • and departure time you choose
• • Online
  • booking and contract
• • Around 6,500
  • aircraft via operators
• • Contract
  • with the operator named
• • Flights
  • to almost any country in the world

Ways to rent a business jet

The aircraft and crew are the same in every case. What changes is how long the jet stays with you, and that decides which costs appear in the quote:

From hourly rate to trip price

Operators price their aircraft per flight hour. The rate pays for the jet, the pilots, fuel, maintenance reserves and insurance. Starting rates by class are below; a larger cabin, a younger aircraft or a VIP layout costs more within the same class.

Business jet price per flight hour

Heavy Jets from EUR 8,300 / hour

Light Jets from EUR 3,200 / hour

Ultra Long Range Jets from EUR 12,000 / hour

Super Midsize Jets from EUR 6,300 / hour

Very Light Jets from EUR 2,500 / hour

Long Range Jets from EUR 9,800 / hour

Midsize Jets from EUR 4,500 / hour

Turboprops from EUR 2,000 / hour

What is added to the flight hours

• Positioning. If the jet is based elsewhere, the empty flight to your departure airport and back to base after the last leg is billed, usually at the same hourly rate. A jet based at or near your airport cuts this cost.
• Minimum per leg. Many operators bill at least about one hour for each leg, so a 40-minute hop costs close to a full hour of flying.
• Waiting during the day. On a same-day return the crew stays with the aircraft. You pay parking and handling at the destination, not a hotel.
• Night stops. Each night away from base adds hotel rooms and daily allowances for the crew, plus parking. In winter a heated hangar can be booked at cost where available.
• Daily minimum. When the jet stays with you for several days and flies little, many operators charge a minimum number of flight hours for each day. The figure depends on the operator and the class.
• Crew duty limits. Pilots may only work a limited number of hours a day, followed by a minimum rest. A programme that starts early and ends late may need a second crew or an overnight stop.

The full list of cost items, the passenger taxes by country and the hourly rates of individual models are on the Prices page.

Why a short flight costs more per hour

Positioning, airport charges and the minimum per leg weigh the same on a 50-minute flight as on a three-hour one. Divide the one-way price by the flight time and the difference is clear. The table compares a light Citation CJ3 with a super midsize Challenger 350, whole aircraft, one way:

On a hop of under an hour, a turboprop or a very light jet often costs less than a larger jet for the same time saved. For short regional flights see Air taxi.

The calculator gives a first estimate for the whole aircraft on your route; for a trip with waiting days or several legs, send us the full programme.

Worked examples for business trips

Prices below are for the whole aircraft, one way per leg, before airport charges and passenger taxes. They show how a real programme is put together; the final figure for a return or a multi-day trip is quoted on request, because it depends on where the available jet is based.

A day of meetings: Hamburg - Zurich and back

Six people leave Hamburg at 7:30, land in Zurich before 9:00 and fly home in the evening. Flight time is 1:28 h each way in a Citation CJ3, which has seven seats. One way, the jet costs EUR 10,000, about EUR 1,700 per person. For the return the operator adds the second leg, parking and handling in Zurich; there is no hotel, because the crew waits at the airport and the day fits into their duty time.

A roadshow: four cities in two days

Four managers present results to investors in Paris, London and Amsterdam, starting and ending in Frankfurt. The light jet stays with them for both days and spends one night at Farnborough:

1. Day 1: Frankfurt - Paris Le Bourget1:08 h in a Citation CJ3; booked on its own, EUR 9,000.
2. Day 1: Paris Le Bourget - London Farnborough0:59 h in a Citation CJ3; booked on its own, EUR 8,500.
3. Day 2: London Farnborough - Amsterdam1:03 h in a Citation CJ3; booked on its own, EUR 8,500.
4. Day 2: Amsterdam - Frankfurt1:01 h in a Citation CJ3; booked on its own, EUR 8,500.

Booked as one programme, the four legs come to 4:11 h of flying. The operator prices those hours at the jet's rate and adds positioning only at the start and the end, one crew hotel night, parking at Farnborough and handling at four airports. That is why the programme costs noticeably less than the sum of four separate one-way flights.

Taxes follow the departures: EUR 420 per passenger in France, UK Air Passenger Duty at the standard rate for a jet of this size, and the German and Dutch departure taxes, which are listed in the quote.

Three days in Madrid with the jet waiting

Four passengers fly from Paris Le Bourget to Madrid for a two-night stay. A midsize Citation XLS+ takes 1:51 h and costs EUR 15,000 one way; a Challenger 350 with a larger cabin takes 1:49 h for EUR 18,500.

For a jet based in Paris, releasing it would mean two empty positioning flights of almost two hours each, so for two nights it is cheaper to keep it in Madrid and pay parking, two hotel nights for the crew and any daily minimum. The French tax of EUR 420 per passenger applies on departure from Paris.

A delegation of twelve: Zurich - Istanbul

Twelve people travel together, so a heavy jet replaces two smaller ones. An Embraer Legacy 650 with 13 seats flies from Zurich to Istanbul Airport in 2:36 h for EUR 33,000 one way, about EUR 2,800 per person. Heavy jets usually carry a flight attendant, and the cabin has room for a meeting table and a separate rest area. For groups of 20 and more, events and incentive trips, see MICE flights.

Keep the jet or release it

For a return trip the main decision is whether the aircraft waits for you.

Rough rules that hold on most European routes:

If the return date is flexible by a day or two, an Empty Leg on your route can cost 30-60% less than a normal charter. Send us your route and dates, and we will send the legs that match; how they work is explained on the Empty Legs page.

Working on board

A rented jet carries only your group, so documents can stay on the table and calls can be made without being overheard. The class decides how comfortable that is:

Aircraft classes are described in the catalogue of private jets.

Longer rentals: seasons, projects and regular flights

A company that flies often has more options than single trips:

Leasing a jet without crew, a dry lease, is a contract between an owner and an operator or a flight department with its own pilots and maintenance organisation. A company without them rents the aircraft with crew, which is the service on this page. For clients who fly regularly we agree terms case by case.

How a rental is booked

1. Your programmeSend the airports, dates, meeting times, number of passengers and whether the jet should wait. Mention baggage, Wi-Fi or catering needs at this point.
2. OffersYou usually receive 4 to 7 options from different operators. We ask operators to show waiting, night stops and taxes as separate lines, so the offers can be compared.
3. Contract and paymentThe contract names the operator, the aircraft, the times and the cancellation terms. Payment is by bank transfer or card, cryptocurrency (mainly USDT and USDC) is possible, and other arrangements are discussed individually: see Payment and Terms and Conditions.
4. PreparationThe operator requests slots and permits; we arrange the business aviation terminal, cars and catering. Before departure you receive the flight brief with times, terminal, aircraft and crew.
5. During the tripYour consultant follows every leg. If a meeting runs late, the operator moves the departure within the crew duty time and the airport opening hours, and any extra cost is confirmed with you first.

Charter types, what a quote includes and how to match the aircraft to the group are explained on the Private jet charter page; the sector as a whole is described under Business aviation.

To get offers for your trip, send the route, dates and number of passengers through the form:

Questions about business jet rental

• • What does the hourly rate of a rented business jet include?

  • The aircraft, the pilots, fuel, maintenance reserves and insurance for the time in the air. Rates start at EUR 2,500 per hour for a very light jet, EUR 3,200 for a light jet and EUR 4,500 for a midsize jet. Positioning, airport charges, passenger taxes, waiting days and crew hotels are added in the quote.

• • Why does a 50-minute flight cost more than one hour at the hourly rate?

  • The one-way price also covers bringing the jet to you and taking it home, airport charges and the minimum time most operators bill per leg. A Citation CJ3 from Zurich to Milan Linate flies 0:49 h and costs from EUR 8,000.

• • Can the jet wait while I am at a meeting?

  • Yes, that is the usual same-day trip. The crew stays at the airport, and you pay parking and handling for the day. The return time must fit the crew duty time and the opening hours of both airports.

• • Is it cheaper to keep the jet for a few days or to book two one-way flights?

  • For two to four nights keeping the jet is usually cheaper. For a week or longer two one-way flights cost less, because parking, crew hotels and daily minimums add up. We can price both options for your dates.

• • What happens if my meeting runs late?

  • Tell your consultant as soon as you know. The operator moves the departure if the crew duty time and the airport hours allow it, and we confirm any extra cost before the change.

• • Do I pay for the crew's hotel?

  • Only when the jet stays overnight away from its base. Hotel rooms and daily allowances for the crew are then listed in the quote; a same-day return has none.

• • Can I add a leg during a multi-day rental?

  • Yes, if the crew duty time allows it and the airports give a slot and a landing permit in time. The extra leg is priced by its flight time at the jet's hourly rate plus the charges of the added airport.

• • Can I rent a business jet for a month or a whole season?

  • Yes. The operator keeps one aircraft and crew available for the period, typically against an agreed minimum of flight hours. Terms are set in a separate contract for each case.

• • Can a company lease a business jet without pilots?

  • A lease without crew is possible only for an operator or a flight department with its own pilots and maintenance arrangements. Other companies rent the jet with crew from a licensed operator, as described on this page.

• • Does the price change if more colleagues join the trip?

  • Not while there are free seats: the price is for the aircraft, and only taxes charged per passenger increase. If the group outgrows the cabin, we check a larger jet and tell you the difference before confirming.

• • How far ahead should a business trip be booked?

  • Two or three days are usually enough to choose between several aircraft. If a jet and crew are available nearby, an urgent departure is possible about 4 hours after confirmation. For dates of large trade fairs and congresses, ask two or three weeks ahead.