Learjet 70

The Learjet 70 replaced the Learjet 40XR and sits between the light and midsize classes. It kept the 5.38 m cabin but received the Bombardier Vision cockpit based on Garmin G5000 avionics, Honeywell TFE731-40BR engines with more thrust and new winglets. Six seats are usual, with a seventh place on the belted toilet seat.

Bombardier built only 13 aircraft, so in charter the type is a rarity. When none is free, which happens often, we offer the longer Learjet 75 with the same cockpit or an Embraer Phenom 300.

Learjet 70 cabin: six seats in the 40XR tube

The cabin is 5.38 m long, 1.50 m high and 1.55 m wide, exactly as in the Learjet 40XR, over a flat floor. You stoop when walking but sit comfortably. The usual layout has four club seats facing each other and two more nearer the toilet; they recline but do not become beds. At the certified ceiling the cabin pressure corresponds to about 2,400 m.

Baggage: the heated tail hold

Bags travel mainly in the hold behind the cabin, heated but not pressurised, of about 1.42 m³; with the cabin locker the total is about 1.84 m³. The hold cannot be reached in flight, so keep medicines and documents in the cabin.

• Four people: large cases and golf bags.
• Six people: a medium case and a bag each.
• Skis: give the number of pairs with the request.

Performance and airports

Normal cruise is Mach 0.76. Bombardier quotes 3,797 km with four passengers; with every seat taken, economy cruise and an alternate 370 km away it is about 3,420 km. Westbound headwinds shorten the distance, so we plan non-stop legs of up to 3,000 km.

The short take-off run opens airports that larger Learjets use only with restrictions:

• Cannes-Mandelieu, 1,539 m: usable, so you land next to Cannes rather than in Nice.
• Sion, 2,000 m: no problem for the runway, with a mountain approach.
• Samedan: only a crew with the mandatory airport training, and the elevation of 1,707 m limits the weight.
• Courchevel: the 537 m sloped altiport is too short for this jet and needs a special qualification; land at Chambéry or Geneva and drive.

Flying the type in Europe

• Zurich places the Learjet 70 in its quietest noise class, number five.
• Nice and Geneva are slot-coordinated, so book summer weekends and winter Saturdays early.
• The few aircraft may be 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 Cannes.
• With a maximum take-off weight of 9,752 kg, the UK charges its higher Air Passenger Duty rate.

Learjet 70 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 800 km/h plus half an hour for taxi, climb and approach.

Under two hours: Cannes, the Alps and the islands

Two to four hours: Iberia, Greece and Morocco

• Cannes from London (1:48 h) or Hamburg (1:56 h), Majorca and Ibiza: non-stop with a full cabin.
• London to Lisbon (2:25 h), Paris to Marrakesh (3:09 h) and Hamburg to Malaga (3:14 h): non-stop, with six on board depending on wind and baggage.
• Larnaca to Geneva (3:47 h) is at the edge: five or six people with moderate bags, otherwise a fuel stop.
• The Canary Islands from Paris, London or Geneva are at the limit: with a full cabin or a headwind plan a fuel stop or a jet with more range.

Mykonos allows only about 40 minutes of parking in summer, so the jet waits at another airport.

The calculator shows an indicative price for the Learjet 70 or a jet of the same class on your route.

What a Learjet 70 charter costs

The hourly rate for a Learjet 70 starts at EUR 4,500 for the whole aircraft with two pilots and fuel, whatever the number of passengers. Short legs cost more than the rate suggests: Milan Linate to Cannes takes 0:51 h and starts at EUR 9,000, because the minimum charge, positioning and the fixed time for taxi, climb and approach are included.

With so few aircraft the nearest free one may be far away, and then positioning can outweigh any saving on the rate. London Farnborough to Cannes (1:48 h) starts at EUR 13,500, Paris Le Bourget to Marrakesh (3:09 h) at EUR 19,500.

On London Farnborough - Cannes the aircraft costs the same whether two or six people fly:

How to fly for less

• Accept a jet of the same class: the Learjet 75 or a Phenom 300 based nearby often costs less than a Learjet 70 positioned from far away.
• Fly back on the same day if the crew's duty time allows, and the pilots' hotel falls away.
• Give a departure window so the operator can combine your trip with another flight.
• For four people on a short leg ask for a light jet quote too, such as the Citation CJ4 at a lower hourly rate.

Empty Legs on this type

With so few aircraft built and fewer still in Europe, an Empty Leg on the Learjet 70 is a matter of luck. If one fits, it can cost 30-60% less than a regular charter, but the date and route are fixed and the operator may cancel it when the aircraft gets a full booking.

Send your route and a date window to empty-legs@jets.flights or via the Empty Legs page; we also watch the Learjet 75, Phenom 300 and similar jets, where Empty Legs are far more frequent.

Alternatives to the Learjet 70

As the type is so rare, the choice is usually between the Learjet 70 and the aircraft actually free on your date.

How to request the aircraft

Send the route, date and time, the number of passengers and the baggage, especially skis, golf bags and pets, and tell us if you accept another jet of the same class. That speeds up the quote and often shortens positioning.

Learjet 70: questions and answers

• • How much does a Learjet 70 flight cost?

  • From EUR 4,500 per flight hour for the whole aircraft. Zurich to Cannes costs from EUR 10,000, London Farnborough to Palma from EUR 15,000 and Zurich to Lisbon from EUR 17,000 one way, before airport fees and passenger taxes.

• • What makes up the price?

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

• • How can I pay less?

  • Allow a Learjet 75 or Phenom 300 based closer, return the same day if possible and keep the departure time flexible.

• • Are there Empty Legs on the Learjet 70?

  • Very rarely, as so few were built. A matching leg can be 30-60% cheaper, but date and route are fixed, so we search similar jets at the same time.

• • Why is it hard to charter?

  • Bombardier built only 13 aircraft, and few of them fly charter. If none is free, we offer a Learjet 75, a Learjet 40XR or a Phenom 300 on the same route.

• • How many passengers fit in a Learjet 70?

  • Six in seats and a seventh on the belted toilet seat. Up to three hours the cabin can fly full; on longer legs four or five people are more comfortable.

• • How far does it fly without a stop?

  • Bombardier quotes 3,797 km with four passengers. London to Lisbon and Paris to Marrakesh are non-stop; the Canary Islands from London are at the limit and with a full cabin usually need a fuel stop.

• • Can it land at Cannes-Mandelieu?

  • Yes. At full weight it needs about 1,330 m, and Cannes-Mandelieu has 1,539 m, so you land close to Cannes rather than in Nice.

• • Can I bring skis, golf bags or the dog?

  • Skis and golf bags fit in the tail hold for four or five people; give their number with the request. A dog flies in the cabin once the operator agrees, with a microchip, an EU pet passport and a rabies vaccination at least 21 days old; the UK, Ireland, Malta, Finland and Norway also require tapeworm treatment 1-5 days before entry.