Eclipse private jets

Two versions on one airframe

With every seat taken the range falls well below the published figure; for two or three people we plan non-stop legs of up to about 1,500 km. Some operators always send two pilots, and then four seats remain for passengers.

What the cabin offers

Airports for a very light jet

• Cannes-Mandelieu, with 1,539 m of runway, is well within the jet's distances: Geneva - Cannes takes 1:01 h
• Sion and Samedan need a crew trained for the mountain approach, and at Samedan the take-off weight is limited on warm days
• The 537 m Courchevel altiport is too short for the type, so the jet lands at Chambéry instead

Rare in Europe: the jets we quote instead

When no aircraft of the type is free, four people carry suitcases or the leg is longer than 90 minutes, clients usually take one of these jets from Cessna, Embraer or HondaJet:

The hourly rates of these four are close to each other, so the deciding points are where the nearest free aircraft is based, how many bags you carry and how long the leg is. For four adults with suitcases the larger holds of the Mustang, Phenom 100 and HondaJet matter more than a few minutes of flight time; for two people on a one-hour hop the Eclipse remains the most compact choice.

What an Eclipse 500 charter costs

The Eclipse 500 is priced from EUR 2,500 per flight hour for the whole aircraft with crew, the floor for very light jets in the block below. The Citation Mustang starts at the same rate, and the Phenom 100, Citation M2 and HondaJet at EUR 2,600.

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

A short leg costs more than rate times time, because positioning, the minimum charge and airport fees are fixed: Zurich - Sion takes 0:47 h and costs from EUR 6,000, and Madrid - Ibiza (1:17 h) from EUR 7,000. On longer legs the jets with a toilet take over, such as London Farnborough - Nice in a HondaJet, 1:59 h from EUR 11,000.

The Eclipse prices come from our price model for the type. Few of these jets are based in Europe, so the quote may come on a Mustang, a Phenom 100 or another very light jet in the same price range.

Eclipse 500, one way

Very light jets with a toilet

Added to the table price:

• airport, handling and parking fees
• passenger taxes in France, Germany, Italy and Austria; the UK and the Netherlands do not tax departures on aircraft under 5.7 t, such as the Eclipse 500
• positioning, if the nearest free aircraft is based in another country
• crew hotel when the jet waits for a return on another day

Saving tips and Empty Legs

• Accept any very light jet: bringing one of these rare jets from far away can cost more than its lower rate saves
• Fly out and back on the same day, so no crew hotel is needed
• Travel light, so the 0.45 m³ hold is enough

Empty Legs on this jet are rare, as few aircraft fly with European operators. Those that appear are mostly short summer hops linking the Alps, the Riviera, Corsica and Sardinia, priced 40-65 % under a regular charter. The operator sets date and route and can withdraw the leg once the jet is sold for a full charter.

Booking the flight

For a quote we need:

• route, date and time, and the return if there is one
• the number of passengers and the size of their bags
• whether a jet with a toilet is needed on a longer leg

The offer names the operator, the version, the avionics standard and the number of pilots. The contract sets out the price, the payment terms and the operator's cancellation rules.

Why book an Eclipse through us

A low hourly rate means little if the aircraft has to fly in from another country. We compare the nearest aircraft of the type with the nearest Mustang, Phenom 100 or HondaJet and send the cheaper complete trip, not just the cheaper hour.

European Private Jets has worked in business aviation for 14 years, with 11 people in Cyprus, Nice, Hamburg and Geneva and access to about 6,500 aircraft through operators. Requests are accepted 24/7 at private@jets.flights and on +357 96407410.

Our team

Charlotte McKinney

Commercial Director

charlotte.m@jets.flights

Henry Richter

Head of Aviation Department and Data Protection Officer

henry.r@jets.flights

Emma Miller

Director of Development

emma.m@jets.flights

Liam Bishop

Senior Aviation Consultant

liam.b@jets.flights

Oliver Davis

Aviation Consultant

oliver.d@jets.flights

Anna Laurent

Aviation Consultant

anna.l@jets.flights

Questions about Eclipse jets

• • How much does an Eclipse 500 charter cost?

  • Zurich - Sion costs from EUR 6,000, Madrid - Ibiza from EUR 7,000 and London Farnborough - Edinburgh from EUR 7,500 for the whole aircraft one way. Airport fees, taxes and any positioning come on top.

• • Is the Eclipse 500 still built?

  • No. The manufacturer went bankrupt after about 260 deliveries, and the 550 on the same airframe followed in small numbers. The aircraft still fly with operators.

• • Is there a toilet on board?

  • No. The jet suits trips of up to about 90 minutes; for longer legs we offer a Mustang, Phenom 100, Citation M2 or HondaJet, which have one.

• • How many passengers can really fly?

  • Four in the cabin, and a fifth next to the pilot when one pilot flies. With full tanks the payload covers the pilot and two passengers, so three is realistic on longer legs.

• • What is the difference between the 500 and the 550?

  • The 550 has the same cabin, hold and engines with newer avionics. Many 500s have been upgraded to a similar standard, and the offer names what the aircraft has.

• • Are there Empty Legs on this type?

  • Seldom, since only a few are based in Europe. Other very light jets have them more often, at 40-65 % below a regular charter, on the operator's date and route.