Avro Business Jet

Avro Business Jet was the name BAE Systems used for BAe 146 and Avro RJ70, RJ85 and RJ100 regional jets converted for companies, governments and group charter. It is a high-wing jet with four engines that carried from about 70 to over 100 passengers in airline service. In the group version it usually has about 46 wide seats with generous legroom, or a VIP section at the front and seats for the rest of the group behind it.

The aircraft suits a group rather than a few people: a football team with its kit, a company on the way to a conference, wedding guests flying together. It covers Western and Southern Europe non-stop on legs of up to about three and a half hours.

Avro cabin: a group flying together

In airline service the cabin had five or six seats per row. In the group version the seats are wider and set about 109 cm (43 in) apart, closer to business class than to economy, and with 2.07 m to the ceiling everyone stands upright.

Two pilots fly the aircraft, cabin crew is on board and the galley serves a meal to everyone. Beds are not fitted, as the type was not built for long night flights. The BAe 146 was nicknamed Whisperjet for being quiet outside, yet inside it sounds like an ordinary airliner. Wi-Fi and screens depend on the aircraft.

Baggage: 18.25 m³ for the whole group

The hold under the floor takes 18.25 m³ and up to about 3 t, roughly a large suitcase and a bag for each of 46 passengers. Golf bags, skis, bicycles or a team's kit cases also fit if announced in advance; the hold is closed in flight.

Dogs and cats fly in the cabin with their owner once the operator agrees. Within the EU they need a microchip, a rabies vaccination at least 21 days before travel and an EU pet passport; the UK, Ireland, Malta, Finland and Norway also require a tapeworm treatment for dogs 1-5 days before entry.

Range, short runways and London City

The manufacturer gives 2,796 km for the RJ family, and the route table plans non-stop legs up to 2,300 km with a full cabin: London, Paris, the Riviera, the Balearics, Lisbon, and Tenerife from Madrid. The jet is slower than a typical business jet, so a two-hour leg takes about a quarter of an hour longer.

Flying a regional jet in Europe

• With more than 19 seats the aircraft always carries cabin crew under EU rules, and their cost is part of the price
• Many Avros fly for operators from outside the EU, including the UK, which cannot normally fly a passenger leg within one EU country, such as Paris to Nice or Madrid to Barcelona
• Nice and Geneva are slot-coordinated, and a group of 40 cannot easily make up a delay, so departure times should be set with a reserve

Group flights from European hubs

Typical group trips: cities with matches, congresses and trade fairs, and holiday destinations. Prices are one way for the whole aircraft with crew, without airport fees and passenger taxes; flight time follows the great circle at the Avro's lower speed, with taxi, climb and approach added.

Up to 2 hours: city hops, London City and the Mediterranean

2 to 4 hours: islands, Iberia and the far end of the range

Every route in the table is flown without a stop. Frankfurt - Lisbon and Larnaca - Rome are close to the planning limit, so with a full cabin and heavy baggage the operator checks the take-off weight. London - Tenerife and flights to the Gulf need a fuel stop, and for a smaller group on such routes a heavy business jet is the better choice.

The calculator shows an indicative price for this aircraft on your route, for the whole aircraft with crew.

What an Avro Business Jet charter costs

The rate starts at EUR 8,300 per flight hour for the whole aircraft with crew and fuel. On a short hop the fixed part for positioning and the minimum charge counts most: Paris Le Bourget - London City (0:58 h) costs from EUR 12,000. Over longer legs the price follows flight time: London Farnborough - Palma (2:24 h) starts at EUR 24,000 and Larnaca - Rome (3:20 h) at EUR 32,000, one way.

Because the price is for the aircraft, with 40 people on London Farnborough - Palma it comes to about EUR 600 each, and the group flies together without splitting across several jets.

On London Farnborough - Palma the share per person falls quickly with every seat filled:

How a group pays less

• Fill the seats: the price stays the same, and the share per person falls
• Keep the departure time flexible, so the operator can link the trip with another flight
• For a return after a few days, compare the aircraft waiting with its crew against two separate flights, as it may go back to base in between
• For a group that would fit in a heavy jet, an Avro is sometimes cheaper on short legs, so we price both; for over 50 people we compare it with an airliner chartered for the group

Empty Legs on this type

Empty Legs on an Avro Business Jet are rare: the few aircraft fly mostly on contract for airlines. When one matches a group's route, it can be 30-60% below a normal charter, as an example rather than a promise, with a fixed date and the risk of cancellation. Send the route and a date window to empty-legs@jets.flights or through the Empty Legs page.

Avro or a bizliner

For a group of several dozen the choice is small: a smaller regional jet, or a bizliner that carries fewer people further in a more private cabin.

How to book

Send the route, the date, the number of passengers including staff, the baggage and any team equipment. Tell us whether a VIP section is needed and by what time the group must arrive.

Questions about the Avro Business Jet

• • How much does a group flight from London to Palma cost?

  • London Farnborough - Palma takes 2:24 h and starts at EUR 24,000 one way for the whole aircraft, about EUR 600 each with 40 passengers. Airport fees, passenger taxes and usually positioning come on top.

• • What makes up the price?

  • Flight time at the hourly rate, positioning from the operator's base, crew costs, airport and handling fees, passenger taxes for every member of the group, catering and de-icing in winter.

• • Why does a short flight cost so much per hour?

  • Positioning and the minimum charge are a fixed part of every trip: Paris Le Bourget - London City costs from EUR 12,000 for 0:58 h.

• • How can the group fly cheaper?

  • Fill all seats, keep the departure time flexible and compare a crew stay with two separate flights. A matching Empty Leg, which is rare on this type, can be 30-60% lower.

• • How many passengers does the Avro Business Jet take?

  • In the usual group layout about 46 in wide seats with generous legroom. Aircraft with a VIP section have fewer seats, airliner layouts many more. The exact layout comes with the quote.

• • Can the aircraft land at London City?

  • Yes, the Avro RJ is approved for the steep approach and flew there for many years; the airport confirms approval for the specific aircraft and operator.

• • Is there room for a sports team's equipment?

  • Usually yes. The hold takes 18.25 m³ and up to about 3 t. With heavy equipment and a full cabin the operator checks the take-off weight, so send a baggage list with the request.

• • What is the difference between the BAe 146 and the Avro RJ?

  • The Avro RJ is the updated BAe 146 with LF507 engines and a new cabin. The RJ70, RJ85 and RJ100 differ in fuselage length, and the number in the name roughly matched the seats in the airline version.

• • Can the aircraft fly non-stop to the Canary Islands?

  • From Madrid yes: Madrid - Tenerife takes 3:06 h. From London, Paris or Germany the distance is beyond the planning limit, so the operator plans a fuel stop.