Bombardier Challenger 600

The Bombardier Challenger 600 is where the family behind the Challenger 601, 604, 605 and 650 began. Canadair designed it, and the programme later passed to Bombardier. Every version shares one fuselage, so the cabin is 1.85 m high and 2.49 m wide at the centreline, and a typical aircraft has 9 to 11 seats including a three-place divan.

Cabin: a wide fuselage with older interiors

The fuselage cross-section set by the Challenger 600 stayed unchanged up to the Challenger 650. From the cockpit to the end of the pressurised section there are about 8.6 m, with the galley at the front and the toilet and baggage hold at the back, and most adults can stand upright in the aisle.

Layouts differ, but usually include:

• four club seats in the forward section;
• a three-place divan that converts into a bed;
• a galley by the door and a toilet with washbasin at the rear.

Age shows inside unless the owner has refurbished the cabin. Many aircraft have new seats and upholstery, yet Wi-Fi is rare and the cockpit keeps its analogue instruments. Two pilots fly the jet; a flight attendant depends on the aircraft and the operator, so ask for cabin photos with the offer.

Baggage: 3.26 m³ inside the pressure cabin

The hold sits behind the toilet, so bags stay warm and can be reached during the flight. A Challenger 600 has a lower take-off weight than later versions, which leaves less for passengers and bags once the tanks are full: on Paris to Tel Aviv with a full cabin the operator may ask for lighter luggage, while on a short hop to Nice it makes no difference.

• Four passengers: suitcases plus skis or golf bags.
• Ten passengers: a medium case and hand luggage each; give the number of ski pairs and golf bags with the request.

Engines, noise and airports

Two Lycoming ALF502L turbofans give the Challenger 600 33.4 kN each, less than the General Electric engines of the later versions. Market data give 5,387 km with four passengers and NBAA IFR reserves. We plan non-stop legs up to about 4,400 km, because a larger group, a headwind and a distant alternate airport all shorten the real distance.

How the runway figure works out at popular airports:

Challenger 600 routes from European hubs

The table shows one-way prices for the whole aircraft with crew, without airport fees or passenger taxes. Flight time is the great-circle distance at 790 km/h plus half an hour for taxi, climb and approach.

Up to 2 hours: Riviera, Alps and islands

2 to 4 hours: where the wide cabin pays off

Over 4 hours: Canaries and the eastern Mediterranean

• London Farnborough to Tenerife (4:10 h) and Paris Le Bourget to Tel Aviv (4:40 h) are flown non-stop; on the longer one, a full cabin means the operator checks baggage weight.
• Zurich to Madeira (3:54 h) needs a captain qualified for that airport, which narrows the choice further.
• Mykonos gives private aircraft about 40 minutes of parking in summer, so the jet waits on another island or the mainland.
• For the Gulf, a Challenger 604 or 605 flies non-stop to Dubai; across the Atlantic the Challenger 600 needs fuel stops.

Under two hours, as on Frankfurt to Nice (1:24 h), four passengers usually pay less in a super-midsize jet. The Challenger 600 earns its price with six or more people on legs from three hours, such as Amsterdam to Athens (3:16 h).

The calculator shows an indicative price for a heavy jet and for smaller classes on your route.

What a Challenger 600 charter costs

A Challenger 600 starts at EUR 8,300 per flight hour for the whole aircraft, with two pilots and fuel, regardless of how many seats are taken. A short leg costs far more than the rate times the flight time: Munich to Sion takes 1:01 h and starts at EUR 12,500, because the price also carries the operator's minimum charge and the empty flights to and from the aircraft's base.

On longer legs these fixed costs weigh less. London Farnborough to Nice (1:49 h) starts at EUR 19,000, Geneva to Lisbon (2:24 h) at EUR 24,000 and London to Tenerife (4:10 h) at EUR 39,000, one way.

The price covers the aircraft, so on London Farnborough - Nice the share per person drops with every extra passenger:

How to fly this cabin for less

• Ask us to price a Challenger 604 or 605 parked nearby as well: on a short leg, positioning decides more than the hourly rate.
• Return the same day if crew duty time allows: no hotel, no second positioning.
• Give a time window, so the operator can join your trip to a flight the aircraft already has.
• For four passengers on a leg under two hours, a super-midsize jet such as the Challenger 350 costs less.

Empty Legs with this cabin

Empty Legs on the Challenger 600 itself are rare, as so few aircraft fly in Europe. Legs with the same cabin width turn up more often on the Challenger 604, 605 and 650, mostly between business cities and the Mediterranean in summer and towards the ski airports in winter. Such a leg can cost 30-60% less than a normal charter, as an example rather than a promise.

The date and route are fixed by the operator, and the leg can be cancelled if the aircraft gets a full charter. Send your route and a window of dates to empty-legs@jets.flights or through the Empty Legs page, and we search across the whole family.

Challenger 600 or a later Challenger

Instead of the Challenger 600, most clients receive offers for a successor with the same fuselage or for the smaller, much younger Challenger 350.

How to request the aircraft

For a quote we need:

• route, date and departure time, for both directions if you return;
• number of passengers and baggage, including skis, golf bags and pets;
• whether a late departure or night arrival is planned, as noise rules may rule out this version;
• whether a Challenger 604 or 605 is also acceptable.

We check whether a free Challenger 600 with an AOC operator is within reach and add later versions, so you can compare price, age and cabin; each case depends on the operator's schedule and contract. Within Schengen there is no passport control, but the operator needs passport or ID details of every passenger, and EU citizens flying to the UK need an ETA.

Questions about the Challenger 600

• • How much does a Challenger 600 flight cost?

  • From EUR 8,300 per flight hour for the whole aircraft. London Farnborough to Nice starts at EUR 19,000, Hamburg to Palma at EUR 26,000 and London to Tenerife at EUR 39,000, one way, before airport fees and passenger taxes.

• • What makes up the price?

  • Flight time, positioning from the aircraft's base, crew costs on overnight trips, airport and handling fees, passenger taxes, catering and winter de-icing, each listed in the quote.

• • How can I pay less?

  • Let us price a Challenger 604 or 605 based closer to you, keep the departure time flexible and return the same day if crew duty time allows. For four people on a short leg, a super-midsize jet is usually cheaper.

• • Are there Empty Legs on the Challenger 600?

  • Rarely on this exact version. Legs with the same cabin appear more often on the 604, 605 and 650 and can cost 30-60% less, but the date is fixed and the leg can be cancelled.

• • Is a Challenger 600 of this age safe?

  • Age alone does not decide safety. A charter aircraft must hold a valid airworthiness certificate, pass the required maintenance and fly with an AOC operator, which we check before every offer. Age shows in the cabin, noise and equipment.

• • How many passengers fit in a Challenger 600?

  • A typical aircraft has 9 to 11 seats. Up to three hours, nine people travel without crowding; on a longer or night flight six to eight leave room for bags and for sleeping on the divan.

• • How far does it fly non-stop?

  • Market data give 5,387 km with four passengers, and we plan up to about 4,400 km. That covers Europe, Morocco, Israel and the Canary Islands from most hubs; the Gulf needs a Challenger 604 or 605.

• • Is there a proper toilet and room for skis?

  • Yes. The enclosed toilet with washbasin is at the rear, and behind it a 3.26 m³ hold that can be reached in flight; with four passengers it also takes skis or golf bags.

• • Can I bring my dog?

  • Usually yes, in the cabin next to you, once the operator knows the breed, weight and carrier. The EU requires a microchip, a rabies vaccination at least 21 days before travel and a pet passport; the UK and a few other countries also require tapeworm treatment 1-5 days before entry.

• • Can it land at London City or Courchevel?

  • No. The London City steep approach is approved for the Challenger 604 and 605, not this version, so it uses Farnborough, Luton or Biggin Hill. The Courchevel altiport is far too short; skiers land at Chambéry or Geneva.