Beechcraft Hawker 700

The Beechcraft Hawker 700 is a midsize jet of the British 125 line, built by Hawker Siddeley and British Aerospace and replaced by the Hawker 800. Its cabin is 6.49 m long, 1.83 m wide and about 1.75 m high, almost the same as in the later Hawkers, with eight seats and a toilet with a door at the rear.

The Hawker 700 flies Geneva to Lisbon (2:28 h) without a stop even with a full cabin, and London to Tenerife (4:19 h) with a lighter load. Its weak points are age and baggage: the hold takes only 1.13 m³, and cabin standards vary a lot between aircraft.

Cabin: eight seats and a toilet with a door

The cross-section is that of the Hawker 800 and 900: 1.83 m wide and about 1.75 m high in the aisle, over a length of 6.49 m. The usual layout has five single seats that slide and swivel, plus a three-seat divan along the side, where one person can lie down. A small galley sits at the front, with wardrobes by the door and at the rear.

Two Hawker 700s can differ more than two different models. Before you confirm, ask when the cabin and avionics were last renewed and request photos of the actual aircraft.

Baggage: the weak point of the type

The hold of the Hawker 700 is smaller than in the later family members, and with full tanks about 610 kg remains for passengers and baggage.

What fits in practice:

• Four passengers: one suitcase each and hand baggage.
• Six passengers: soft bags and medium suitcases.
• Skis for the whole group or several golf bags: usually not, and a Citation XLS is the better choice.

Speed, range and runways

Two Honeywell TFE731-3RH engines give the Hawker 700 16.5 kN each. It was sold as the 700A in the USA and the 700B elsewhere, mainly a matter of certification. With a full cabin the range is under 3,700 km, and we plan non-stop legs up to about 3,300 km, leaving room for headwind and an alternate. A lift dump system cuts wing lift after touchdown, and landing takes about 820 m.

Take-off needs more runway than on later Hawkers:

• Cannes-Mandelieu (1,539 m) and Florence (1,560 m) only with a clearly lower weight, so Nice or Pisa is often the better choice.
• Sion (2,000 m) works; Lugano and Samedan are not planned with this type.
• The 537 m sloped altiport at Courchevel is far too short and needs a special qualification; skiers land at Chambéry or Geneva.

An older jet in Europe

Hawker 700 flights 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 760 km/h plus taxi, climb and approach.

Within two hours: city hops, the Riviera and the Alps

Two to four hours: Spain, Portugal, Greece and Morocco

Beyond four hours: the edge of the range

• Every route in the table is flown non-stop. London to Tenerife (4:19 h) is close to the range we plan with, so with eight people and full baggage, or a strong headwind, the operator may add a fuel stop.
• Zurich to Madeira (4:02 h) needs a captain with the special Madeira qualification.
• Mykonos allows private aircraft only about 40 minutes of parking in summer, so the jet waits elsewhere.
• London to Larnaca and the Gulf need a stop or a jet with more range.

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

What a Hawker 700 charter costs

The rate starts at EUR 4,500 per flight hour for the whole aircraft, with two pilots and fuel, the same as for the younger Hawker 800XP. A short leg costs more than rate times flight time: Paris Le Bourget to Geneva takes 1:02 h and starts at EUR 9,500, because the operator's minimum charge and the flights to and from base are included.

On longer legs these fixed costs weigh less. A Hawker 700 from Amsterdam to Lisbon (2:56 h) starts at EUR 18,000, and London Farnborough to Marrakesh (3:29 h) at EUR 20,000. Not every operator charges less for an older aircraft.

The price is for the aircraft, so on London Farnborough - Nice the share per person drops as seats fill:

How to fly cheaper

• Accept a Hawker 800XP or another midsize jet: the hourly rate is the same, and an aircraft based nearer saves the positioning.
• Return the same day if the crew's duty time allows: no hotel and no second empty flight.
• Give a window of departure times, so the operator can link your trip with another flight.
• For a stay of several days, compare two one-way quotes with one where the aircraft waits.
• Four passengers on a leg under two hours often pay less in a light jet.

Empty Legs on the Hawker 700

Empty Legs on this type are rare, mostly when a jet returns to base after a Mediterranean trip. A matching leg can cost 30-60% less than a regular charter, but the date and route are fixed, and the operator may cancel it 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 include the Hawker 800 series and other midsize jets in the search.

Hawker 700 or a similar jet

A request for this type usually gets its successor or another midsize jet with a similar cabin as an alternative.

How to request the aircraft

For a quote we need:

• route, date and departure time;
• number of passengers and a description of the baggage;
• pets travelling with you, with breed and weight;
• if another jet of this class is acceptable, as a free Hawker 700 is rare.

We search operators holding an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) and add alternatives of the same size. We always try to offer both, but each case depends on the operator's schedule and contract. Within Schengen there is no passport control, yet the operator needs passport or ID details of every passenger; EU citizens flying to the UK need an ETA.

Questions about the Hawker 700

• • How much does a Hawker 700 flight cost?

  • From EUR 4,500 per flight hour for the whole aircraft. Zurich to Nice costs from EUR 9,500, London Farnborough to Palma from EUR 15,000 and Munich to Lisbon from EUR 18,500 one way, before airport fees and passenger taxes.

• • What makes up the price?

  • Flight time, the operator's minimum charge and positioning to and from base, so Munich to Sion (1:02 h) starts at EUR 9,500. Airport fees, passenger taxes, de-icing and the crew's hotel on multi-day trips are added.

• • How can I pay less?

  • Accept a Hawker 800XP or another midsize jet based near your departure airport, return the same day and keep the departure time flexible.

• • Are there Empty Legs on the Hawker 700?

  • Rarely, as few aircraft fly in Europe. A matching leg can cost 30-60% less, with a fixed date and a risk of cancellation, so we search other Hawkers as well.

• • Is an old aircraft safe?

  • Age does not decide safety: every aircraft goes through mandatory maintenance and flies charter only with an AOC holder. The differences lie in comfort: cabin equipment, noise and internet.

• • How many passengers fit, and is there a toilet?

  • Usually eight, six in comfort. The toilet at the rear has a door, and its belted seat can serve as a ninth place.

• • How far does the Hawker 700 fly without a stop?

  • We plan up to about 3,300 km with passengers. That covers Spain, Portugal, Greece, Morocco and, from London, Tenerife; the Gulf needs a stop.

• • Can we bring skis and a dog?

  • Skis for a small group, yes; six people with equipment need a jet with a bigger hold. A dog flies in the cabin once the operator agrees, with a microchip, a rabies vaccination at least 21 days before travel and an EU pet passport; the UK, Ireland, Malta, Finland and Norway also require tapeworm treatment 1-5 days before entry.

• • Can the Hawker 700 fly to Lugano or Courchevel?

  • No. We do not plan the type at Lugano with its 1,414 m runway, and the Courchevel altiport is far too short. The jet uses Milan, or Chambéry and Geneva for the French Alps; Sion is possible.