Dornier 328JET

The Dornier 328JET is the jet version of the German Dornier 328 turboprop. The propellers gave way to two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW306B engines, and the result is a small regional aircraft for 30 to 33 passengers. The cabin is 1.88 m high and 2.18 m wide, with a toilet behind a door and a galley.

For a group of 30 the 328JET replaces two or three business jets, and the price is shared by many. For eight people a midsize or large business jet is faster and usually cheaper.

328JET cabin: rows for the group or a VIP layout

Most 328JET aircraft are fitted like a small airliner, with about 30 seats in rows and overhead lockers. With 1.88 m to the ceiling most people stand upright in the aisle, and the 2.18 m width matches many midsize and large business jets.

The 328JET cabin is pressurised like that of any jet, and two pilots always fly it. Wi-Fi and entertainment depend on the aircraft.

Baggage for a whole group

With a full cabin there is room for a medium suitcase per person, with hand luggage in the overhead lockers. A sports team with kit bags, a choir with instruments or a ski group should send a baggage list with the request, as on the longest legs the take-off weight also limits the load.

Speed, range and regional airports

The 328JET flies slower and lower than large business jets, but on legs of one to two hours the difference is only a few minutes. The 1,667 km apply to the group layout. Aircraft with a VIP cabin, fewer passengers and extra tanks fly further, which we check for the aircraft offered.

One limit worth knowing for ski groups:

Rules that matter for a group aircraft

• Under EU rules an aircraft with more than 19 passenger seats must carry cabin crew, so the group layout always flies with a flight attendant on board
• France, Italy, Austria, the Netherlands, Germany and the UK charge passenger taxes per person, which add up with 30 on board; the amount for this type depends on its seat layout, and the quote lists it
• An operator from outside the EU, the UK included, cannot normally carry passengers within one EU country, such as Paris to Nice, and UK domestic legs are not open to EU operators

Group flights from European hubs

The table covers typical 328JET group trips to business cities, the Riviera, the ski airports and the nearer islands. Prices are one way for the whole aircraft with crew, without airport fees and passenger taxes. Flight time is the great-circle distance plus taxi, climb and approach.

Up to 2 hours: where the 328JET fits best

Just over 2 hours: close to the limit with a full cabin

• Every route in the table is flown without a stop
• London to Palma (2:18 h) and Nice to Hamburg (2:01 h) lie near the limit for the group layout, so with a full cabin the operator checks fuel and baggage
• Tenerife, Athens from western Europe and Marrakesh from the north need an aircraft with extra tanks or a fuel stop
• For groups of more than 33 or longer legs, the Avro Business Jet is the better choice

The calculator gives an indicative price for the Dornier 328JET on your route, for the whole aircraft with crew.

What a 328JET charter costs

The rate starts at EUR 4,900 per flight hour for the whole aircraft with two pilots, cabin crew and fuel. In the table Paris Le Bourget to Nice (1:26 h) starts at EUR 11,000, London Farnborough to Geneva (1:31 h) at EUR 11,500 and London to Nice (1:54 h) at EUR 13,500, one way. The short hop costs more than rate times flight time, because the quote also covers the minimum charge and the positioning of the aircraft.

With 30 people on board, Munich to Paris works out at about EUR 400 per person before taxes, while for 8-12 people we compare the price with a midsize or large jet.

The price is for the whole aircraft, so on Munich - Paris the share per person falls quickly as the group grows:

How to bring the price down

• Fill the cabin: the aircraft costs the same whether 15 or 30 people fly, only taxes and catering grow with the group
• Same-day return: on a leg of up to two hours, such as Frankfurt to London, the aircraft waits and flies the group back without a crew hotel
• Flexible dates: a window of a few days lets us fit the trip around the operator's other flights and saves positioning
• Series of flights: regular shuttles, such as staff between two plants or a team to several matches, are priced as a package with waiting time and crew nights, which costs less per leg than single bookings

Empty Legs on this type

With only a few aircraft in Europe, Empty Legs on a 328JET are rare. When one appears, usually on the way back to the operator's base, it can cost 30-60% less than a full charter, with a fixed date and route and the risk of cancellation if the aircraft gets a full booking. A group that can move its date should send the route and a date window to empty-legs@jets.flights or use the Empty Legs page.

Dornier 328JET, Avro or a large business jet

Clients asking for the 328JET usually have a group larger than the cabin of an ordinary business jet, so we compare it with a larger group aircraft and two large business jets.

How to request the aircraft

Put in the request:

• route, date and time, also for the return
• number of passengers
• VIP layout or seats in rows
• baggage and equipment, such as kit bags, instruments, skis or golf bags
• for shuttles: how often and for how long

VIP and group layouts are two different kinds of aircraft, so the answer decides which operators we ask. We work only with AOC holders and always try to protect the group if an operator cancels, but each case depends on the operator's contract.

Dornier 328JET: questions and answers

• • How much does a 328JET cost from Munich to Paris?

  • From EUR 11,000 for the whole aircraft one way, with a flight time of 1:26 h. With 30 passengers that is about EUR 400 per person. Airport fees, passenger taxes and usually positioning are added.

• • What makes up the price?

  • The aircraft, two pilots, cabin crew and fuel, plus positioning, airport and handling fees, passenger taxes per person, catering, de-icing in winter and crew costs if the aircraft waits for you.

• • How can a group fly for less?

  • Fill the seats, fly back the same day on short legs, keep the dates flexible and, for regular trips, book a series of flights instead of single legs.

• • Are there Empty Legs on the 328JET?

  • Rarely, as few aircraft fly in Europe. A leg back to the operator's base can be 30-60% cheaper, but the date and route are fixed.

• • How many people can fly?

  • 30 to 33 in a group layout and about 12 in a VIP layout. Mixed cabins with a VIP section and seats for the rest of the group also exist. The quote names the layout of the aircraft offered.

• • How far can it fly without a stop?

  • About 1,667 km in group layout, enough for London to Nice or Geneva to Ibiza. VIP aircraft with extra tanks reach about 3,700 km, which we check for the aircraft offered.

• • Is there a toilet on board?

  • Yes, a toilet with a door, next to a galley for hot and cold meals. In the group layout cabin crew fly along and serve.

• • Can a ski group fly to the Alps?

  • Yes, to Geneva, Chambéry or Salzburg, as in the table. Courchevel's altiport is too short for the type, so the group continues by road from Chambéry or Geneva.