Light Jets

What a light jet offers

In most types the cabin is 4.1-6.0 m long, 7.0 m in the PC-24, against about 3.4 m in the smallest jets; only the Learjet 25, 31 and 35, the Falcon 10 and the SJ30-2 stay under 4 m. Six people sit in proper seats, four of them in a club group, and the toilet is usually behind a door or rigid panels. In most types the holds take 1.6-2.6 m³, enough for skis or golf bags. There is still no galley in the usual sense, only a drinks cabinet with cold food, and no flight attendant.

What a light jet does not offer is standing room. Except for the Premier I at 1.65 m, the cabins are 1.31-1.55 m high, most of them 1.45-1.50 m, and on a leg of more than three hours that matters. For a stand-up cabin you need a midsize jet such as the Citation XLS, at 1.73 m.

Families and models

The first table shows the types you are most likely to be offered in Europe, the second the older and rarer ones.

Older and rarer types

These types are no longer built. Many are well kept and cheaper per hour, but few fly in European charter, so the nearest free one may be far away.

Cabin, toilet and baggage

The toilet and the length of the cabin decide whether six adults travel comfortably for three hours. The common types compare as follows.

With six passengers, plan the luggage like this:

• one medium suitcase and one soft bag each in a Phenom 300, CJ4 or PC-24
• soft bags or smaller cases in a CJ2, CJ3 or Hawker 400XP
• skis, golf bags and bicycles: give their number and length with the request; the PC-24 takes them through its cargo door
• in the PC-24, Bravo and Encore part of the baggage can be reached in flight, in most other types only a small cabin locker

Light jet trips in Europe

A light jet covers most of Europe from any of the hubs on this page. It fits four to six people on legs of one to four hours, and on longer legs with every seat taken the operator checks the weights.

Airports with limits that matter for this class:

• Cannes-Mandelieu (1,539 m) and Sion (2,000 m) are within reach for most types; the operator checks weight and temperature on hot days.
• Samedan, about 1,700 m above sea level, needs a crew with mandatory training, and London City and Lugano a steep-approach approval for aircraft and crew. The PC-24 flies to both in the table.
• Saint-Tropez La Môle (1,071 m) suits only some aircraft under seasonal limits, and the 537 m altiport at Courchevel is closed to jets; the usual alternatives are Chambéry and Geneva.
• The oldest Learjets without a hushkit meet only the older noise standard, which rules out several European airports.

Which type for which trip

Light jet prices on European routes

Each price is for a one-way flight of the whole aircraft with its crew and fuel; airport fees and passenger taxes come on top. The times are block times, from taxiing out to parking, and every leg is flown non-stop.

On short legs the fixed part of the price weighs most. Munich - Samedan in a Citation Bravo takes 0:51 h and starts at EUR 7,000, although the hourly rate is EUR 3,200. Positioning, the operator's minimum charge, crew and handling make up the difference. From two hours upwards the flight time dominates: London - Nice in a Phenom 300 starts at EUR 13,000 and London - Athens in a CJ4 at EUR 18,500.

A light jet costs the same whether two or seven people fly. For six passengers London - Geneva in a Citation CJ3, from EUR 10,000, works out at well under EUR 2,000 per person.

Business jet price per flight hour

Heavy Jets from EUR 8,300 / hour

Light Jets from EUR 3,200 / hour

Ultra Long Range Jets from EUR 12,000 / hour

Super Midsize Jets from EUR 6,300 / hour

Very Light Jets from EUR 2,500 / hour

Long Range Jets from EUR 9,800 / hour

Midsize Jets from EUR 4,500 / hour

Turboprops from EUR 2,000 / hour

What goes into the final quote:

• block time at the hourly rate of the chosen type
• positioning of the aircraft from its base, often short for the CJ3 and Phenom 300, which many European operators fly
• crew hotel and allowances when the aircraft waits for a return, or two empty legs instead
• airport charges for landing, parking and handling, which peak at Nice, Geneva, Le Bourget and the London airports in summer
• passenger taxes in France, Italy, Germany, Austria and the Netherlands; UK Air Passenger Duty is charged at the higher private-jet rate on aircraft from 5.7 t and the Dutch passenger tax also starts at 5.7 t, so the CJ2 and Premier I, at 5,670 kg, are exempt from both
• catering ordered ahead, and de-icing on cold mornings

How to pay less

• Choose an older type of the same size: a Citation Bravo, Encore or Hawker 400XP flies most two-hour routes at a lower rate than a CJ4 or Phenom 300.
• Ask for several types in one request. The CJ2, CJ3, Phenom 300 and PC-24 overlap on most routes, and the closest free aircraft saves positioning.
• Return the same day where crew duty time allows, or compare a waiting crew with two one-way flights for a return after a few days.
• Keep the departure time flexible, so an aircraft that ends a trip near you can take yours.
• With two or three passengers on a short leg, compare with a very light jet, from EUR 2,500 per hour.

Empty Legs appear regularly on the Citation CJ3 and Phenom 300, since many of them are based in Europe: in summer between Germany, Switzerland, the Riviera, the Balearics and Sardinia, in winter towards Geneva, Sion and Chambéry. They can be 40-65 % below a standard charter.

European rules that affect the trip

When another class fits better

How to book

Send us the following, and we come back with light jet offers from operators that hold an Air Operator Certificate:

• route, date and preferred departure time
• how many people fly and what they carry, with skis, golf bags and pushchairs counted separately
• pets: species, breed, weight and carrier
• any airport with special approvals, for example London City, Lugano or Samedan
• a preferred type, or the minimum you accept, such as an enclosed toilet

In the offer you see the operator, the exact version and year of the aircraft, the positioning and the taxes. The office answers on +357 96407410 from 08:00 to 23:30, and requests to private@jets.flights are accepted 24/7.

Why book a light jet through us

The light jet class is the busiest part of European charter, with many operators and types at similar rates. We ask several operators for the same date and compare the price together with the age of the aircraft, the toilet and the baggage space, which differ a lot between a CJ2 and a Phenom 300.

Our team of 11 works in eight languages across offices in Nice, Hamburg, Geneva and Cyprus, and has arranged flights for 14 years.

Our team

Charlotte McKinney

Commercial Director

charlotte.m@jets.flights

Henry Richter

Head of Aviation Department and Data Protection Officer

henry.r@jets.flights

Emma Miller

Director of Development

emma.m@jets.flights

Liam Bishop

Senior Aviation Consultant

liam.b@jets.flights

Oliver Davis

Aviation Consultant

oliver.d@jets.flights

Anna Laurent

Aviation Consultant

anna.l@jets.flights

Questions about light jet charter

• • How much does it cost to charter a light jet?

  • Older types start at EUR 2,500 per hour and a Citation CJ3 at EUR 3,200, for the whole aircraft with crew and fuel. One way, London - Geneva starts at EUR 10,000 and London - Nice at EUR 13,000, before airport fees and passenger taxes.

• • How many passengers fit in a light jet?

  • Six in proper seats is the usual load. Many types take seven or eight with a side seat or a belted toilet seat, but then there is less room for bags and fuel.

• • Can I stand up in a light jet?

  • No. Cabins are 1.31-1.55 m high, most of them 1.45-1.50 m, and the Premier I reaches 1.65 m. A stand-up cabin starts with midsize jets such as the Citation XLS at 1.73 m.

• • How far does a light jet fly without a stop?

  • With four to six passengers about 2,000-3,000 km, depending on the type. In the table the CJ4 flies London - Athens and the Phenom 300 Larnaca - Geneva non-stop.

• • Is there a toilet on board?

  • Yes, in almost every type. The CJ3, Phenom 300 and PC-24 have an enclosed compartment with a door; in the CJ2 it depends on the aircraft, and the older Learjets 25, 31 and 35 have only a unit under a side seat.

• • Which light jet can land at London City or Lugano?

  • Both airports need a steep-approach approval for aircraft and crew. The PC-24 flies Paris - London City and Zurich - Lugano in the table; for other types we check the operator's approvals.

• • Is UK Air Passenger Duty charged on a light jet?

  • Most light jets weigh more than 5.7 t at take-off, so UK departures pay the higher private-jet rate. The Citation CJ2 and Premier I, at 5,670 kg, are exempt.

• • Is the PC-24 a jet or a turboprop?

  • A jet, with two Williams turbofans. It was designed to use short runways and unpaved strips like a turboprop, which is why some lists group it with turboprops.

• • Are Empty Legs available on light jets?

  • Yes, regularly on the Citation CJ3 and Phenom 300. They can be 40-65 % below a standard charter, but the operator fixes the date, route and time.

• • How long before departure should we book?

  • A light jet can often fly within a few hours if one is free nearby. For August on the Riviera and the Balearics, and for ski weekends, book a few days ahead.