Learjet 45XR

The Learjet 45 was an all-new design rather than a development of the older Learjets, and the 45XR is its improved version. The cabin is 6.02 m long, 1.50 m high and 1.55 m wide, with eight seats in two club groups and a ninth place on the belted toilet seat. The shorter Learjet 40XR shares the fuselage, and Bombardier later replaced the type with the Learjet 75.

Learjet 45XR cabin: two club groups and a full-width toilet

The cabin of the Learjet 45XR holds about 11.8 m³ over a flat floor, and the walls rise fairly straight, leaving room for shoulders at the window. Two groups of four seats face each other at fold-out tables; the seats swivel and recline but do not become beds.

Baggage: what fits in the hold

In total the Learjet 45XR takes 1.84 m³. About 1.42 m³ is in the hold behind the cabin, loaded from outside and closed in flight; the other 0.42 m³ is a compartment by the toilet for a bag and coats, which you can reach in the air.

• Four or five people: large suitcases and two or three golf bags or several pairs of skis beside them.
• Six people: a medium suitcase and a bag each.
• Skis: give the number of pairs and the length of the covers.

Performance and runways

With every seat taken, economy cruise and NBAA IFR reserves for an alternate 370 km away, the Learjet 45XR covers about 3,120 km, and a westbound headwind shortens it further.

At its maximum take-off weight of 9,752 kg the Learjet 45XR needs about 1,540 m of runway, less when lighter:

• Cannes-Mandelieu, 1,539 m: possible, but on hot days with a lower weight and so less fuel.
• Sion, 2,000 m with a mountain approach: no problem for the runway.
• Samedan: only with a crew holding the mandatory airport training, and the elevation of about 1,700 m lowers the take-off weight.
• Courchevel: the 537 m altiport is far too short, so skiers land at Chambéry or Geneva.

Flying it in Europe

• Zurich places the Learjet 45XR and its family in the quietest noise class.
• Nice and Geneva are slot-coordinated: book summer weekends and winter Saturdays early.
• Many aircraft are registered outside the EU, and such an operator, including a UK one, cannot normally fly a passenger leg inside one EU country, such as Paris to Nice.

Learjet 45XR routes from European hubs

One-way prices for the whole aircraft with crew, before airport fees and passenger taxes. Flight time is the great-circle distance at 790 km/h plus half an hour for taxi, climb and approach.

Within 2 hours: Alps, Riviera, Balearics

2 to 4 hours: islands, Iberia, Greece and Morocco

• London, Paris, Nice, Majorca and Ibiza: non-stop with a full cabin.
• Athens and Mykonos from Nice, Munich, Frankfurt or Geneva: non-stop with six and normal baggage.
• Munich to Lisbon (3:01 h), Hamburg to Faro (3:25 h) and Larnaca to Geneva (3:49 h): four or five people with bags; with a full cabin or a strong headwind a fuel stop is possible.
• The Canary Islands from London or Hamburg: a fuel stop or a jet with more range.
• Mykonos in summer: about 40 minutes of parking, so the Learjet 45XR leaves and returns for you.

The calculator gives an indicative price for this model or a jet of the same class on your route.

What a Learjet 45XR charter costs

The rate starts at EUR 4,500 per flight hour for the whole aircraft, with two pilots and fuel; the number of passengers does not change it. Short legs cost more than rate times hours: Paris Le Bourget to Geneva (1:01 h) starts at EUR 9,000, because the quote includes the minimum charge, positioning and the fixed time for taxi, climb and approach.

On a longer leg that share is smaller. London Farnborough to Palma (2:11 h) starts at EUR 14,000, and Larnaca to Geneva (3:49 h) at EUR 22,000.

With eight seats the share per person drops quickly, here on London Farnborough - Nice:

How to fly for less

Empty Legs on this jet

Several European operators fly the Learjet 45XR, so Empty Legs appear more often than on older Learjets: the Riviera, the Balearics and the Greek islands in summer, the Alps in winter. Such a leg can cost 30-60% less than a regular charter, but its date and route are fixed and the operator may cancel it if the aircraft gets a full booking.

Send your route and a date window to empty-legs@jets.flights or via the Empty Legs page, and we look at the Learjet 40XR and 75 as well.

Similar aircraft to compare

Clients most often weigh the Learjet 45XR against its successor on the same fuselage, the shorter Learjet 40XR and the Citation XLS with a taller cabin.

How to book

Send the route, date and time, the number of passengers and the baggage, especially skis, golf bags and pets. We check free Learjet 45 and Learjet 45XR aircraft with operators holding an AOC and add the price of a similar jet based closer.

Learjet 45XR: questions and answers

• • How much does it cost to charter a Learjet 45XR?

  • From EUR 4,500 per flight hour for the whole aircraft. Milan Linate to Olbia costs from EUR 9,500, London Farnborough to Nice from EUR 12,500 and Munich to Lisbon from EUR 18,000 one way, before airport fees and passenger taxes.

• • What makes up the price?

  • Flight time, positioning, crew hotel on overnight trips, airport and handling fees, passenger taxes, catering and winter de-icing.

• • How can I pay less?

  • Return the same day, keep your time flexible and let us compare jets based closer, including the cheaper Learjet 40XR.

• • How often are there Empty Legs on the Learjet 45XR?

  • More often than on older Learjets, mainly in high season. They can be 30-60% cheaper, but the date and route are set by the operator and the leg can be cancelled.

• • How many people can really fly in a Learjet 45XR?

  • Eight in the seats and a ninth on the belted toilet seat. On legs up to about two hours eight is realistic; around three hours plan six with normal baggage, and on the longest legs four or five.

• • Is the toilet a proper one?

  • Yes, a room at the rear across the full cabin width, with a belted seat used for take-off and landing when the cabin is full.

• • How far does it fly without refuelling?

  • The manufacturer quotes 3,587 km with four passengers, about 3,120 km with every seat taken. Larnaca to Geneva works non-stop with a moderate load; the Canary Islands from London need a stop.

• • Will golf bags and skis fit?

  • Yes, in the tail hold: with four or five people two or three golf bags or several pairs of skis fit next to the suitcases.

• • Can we bring the dog?

  • A small dog can fly in the cabin once the operator agrees. The EU requires a microchip, a pet passport and a rabies vaccination at least 21 days before travel; the UK, Ireland, Malta, Finland and Norway also require tapeworm treatment 1-5 days before entry.

• • Can it land at Sion or Cannes?

  • Yes. Sion has 2,000 m of runway; Cannes-Mandelieu has 1,539 m, about what the jet needs at maximum weight, so on hot days it leaves with less fuel.