Bombardier Challenger 300

Bombardier designed the Challenger 300 from a clean sheet, and with the large Challenger 600 series it shares only the name. The cabin is 1.83 m high and 2.19 m wide with a flat floor, so adults walk upright from the galley to the toilet. Most aircraft carry eight passengers in two club groups of four; some have a three-seat sofa and a ninth place.

From London Farnborough the Challenger 300 reaches Geneva in 1:27 h and Tenerife in 4:08 h without a stop. It suits four to eight people on legs of two to five hours, at a slightly lower hourly rate than its successor.

Challenger 300 cabin: club seats, beds and toilet

From the cockpit to the rear of the cabin the Challenger 300 measures 7.68 m, the hold not included, exactly as in the Challenger 350. The floor has no dropped aisle, which also leaves more legroom at the seats.

Equipment differs from one aircraft to another:

• some cabins have the Lufthansa Technik Nice system, with light, temperature and video set from a small touch screen at each seat
• Wi-Fi is fitted on some aircraft as satellite internet, others have only a satellite phone or no connection
• there is a power socket at every seat
• two pilots fly the jet; a flight attendant depends on the aircraft and the operator and, if requested, appears in the quote

Baggage: 3 m³ behind the toilet

In the Challenger 300 the way to the bags leads through the toilet, so medicine, a charger or a jacket can be fetched in the air. The suitcases travel in the heated part of the fuselage.

• Four people: large suitcases plus skis in covers or golf bags
• Eight people: one large suitcase and one cabin bag each
• On a long leg such as London - Tenerife with a full cabin, the operator may ask for lighter bags, which is not an issue on the way to Cannes or Ibiza

Engines, range and runways

The Challenger 300 has two Honeywell HTF7000 engines of 30.4 kN each, and the cockpit has Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 avionics. Bombardier gave the range as 5,741 km with NBAA IFR reserves. Headwind, a full cabin and a distant alternate airport shorten that distance on the day, so we plan non-stop legs of up to about 4,800 km.

With a maximum take-off weight of 17,622 kg, the runway need works out like this at the airports clients ask about most:

Flying the type in Europe

• Nice and Geneva are slot-coordinated: on summer weekends and winter Saturdays slots and parking for a Challenger 300 run short, so a ski or Riviera trip is best booked early
• EU operators fly between any EU airports, while an operator from outside the EU, the UK included, cannot normally carry passengers within one EU country; UK domestic legs are closed to EU operators
• EU flight time limitations cap the crew's day, so Hamburg - Tenerife and back on the same day usually needs an augmented crew or an overnight stop
• On a winter morning de-icing is charged on top, and for a jet of 17.6 t it is a visible line in the invoice

Sample flights from European hubs

The table covers Challenger 300 legs of every length: business hops such as Geneva - Cannes, holiday routes to the islands and the longest non-stop legs to Tenerife and Riyadh. Prices are one way for the whole aircraft with crew, without airport fees and passenger taxes. Flight time is the great-circle distance plus taxi, climb and approach.

Up to 2 hours: city pairs, Alps and the Riviera in a stand-up cabin

2 to 4 hours: islands, Morocco, Istanbul and Israel

Over 4 hours: Canaries, Cyprus to Paris and Riyadh

Mykonos allows private aircraft only about 40 minutes on the ground in summer, so the jet drops its passengers and parks at another airport.

Enter departure, destination and the number of passengers, and the calculator shows an indicative price for a super midsize jet and for other classes that suit the route.

What a Challenger 300 charter costs

The rate starts at EUR 6,300 per flight hour for the whole aircraft with crew and fuel, a little below the Challenger 350, and the price is the same for two passengers or nine. Short legs cost more per hour, as positioning, the operator's minimum charge and each departure's fixed costs are paid whatever the length: Geneva - Cannes takes 0:53 h and costs from EUR 11,500, London - Geneva (1:27 h) from EUR 15,000.

Legs of two to four hours come closer to the hourly rate: London - Ibiza (2:14 h) is from EUR 20,000 and Paris - Marrakesh (3:09 h) from EUR 26,000. On the longest legs operators add the long duty day and the empty return, so Hamburg - Tenerife costs from EUR 36,000 and Munich - Riyadh from EUR 39,000.

The quote is for the whole aircraft; here is how London - Ibiza divides as more seats are filled:

Ways to fly the type for less

Jet sharing, where seats are sold one by one, rarely works on the Challenger 300 in Europe. Empty Legs are the more realistic route to a lower price.

How often Empty Legs appear

With about 450 built and many based in Europe, the Challenger 300 appears on Empty Legs fairly often, usually when an aircraft returns to base after a charter: from the islands and the Riviera after summer weekends, from Geneva and the Alps after ski Saturdays, between Cyprus and western Europe. Discounts of 30-60% on the normal price are possible on such legs, as examples.

Challenger 300, 350, Latitude, Legacy 500 or 605

Next to the Challenger 300 we usually quote its successor, a smaller midsize jet, an Embraer with a similar cabin height and a heavy Challenger with a wider cabin.

How to book

Tell us in the request:

• route, date and preferred time
• number of people and baggage, especially ski pairs and golf bags
• any dog or cat, with breed, weight and carrier
• if you need Wi-Fi or nine seats, as not every aircraft has them

We ask AOC operators for the Challenger 300 and 350 at the same time and send offers with the year of build, cabin photos and a price that includes positioning. The operator needs a passport or ID for every passenger even within Schengen, and EU citizens flying to the UK need an ETA. If an operator cancels, we always try to find another aircraft, but each case depends on the operator's contract.

Questions before you book

• • How much does a Challenger 300 flight cost?

  • From EUR 6,300 per flight hour. London Farnborough - Geneva costs from EUR 15,000, Frankfurt - Mykonos from EUR 24,000 and London - Tenerife from EUR 32,000, for the whole aircraft one way. Airport fees and passenger taxes come on top.

• • What is added to the table price?

  • Airport and handling fees, passenger taxes of the departure country, catering and de-icing in winter. For a return after several days, the crew's hotel or two empty legs, whichever is cheaper. Every item is listed in the quote.

• • How can I pay less?

  • Return on the same day, accept an aircraft with an older interior, keep the departure time flexible and ask about Empty Legs. For two or three people on a short leg, a light jet is the cheaper choice.

• • Are Empty Legs common on the Challenger 300?

  • Fairly common, as many European operators fly it. They follow the aircraft's schedule, for example back to London, Paris or Munich after summer weekends, and can cost 30-60% less. The date and route are fixed and the leg can be cancelled if the aircraft is sold for a full charter.

• • What is the difference between the Challenger 300 and the 350?

  • The cabin has the same dimensions. The 350 has stronger engines, a higher take-off weight, canted winglets and a newer interior, and its range grows from 5,741 to 5,926 km. The older Challenger 300 costs a little less per hour, so when both are equally far away it usually wins on price.

• • How many passengers fit, and how many can sleep?

  • Eight in two club groups, nine on aircraft with a sofa. Facing seat pairs fold into flat beds, so two or three people can sleep on a night leg, depending on the layout.

• • Can it fly non-stop to Dubai?

  • From Larnaca easily (3:26 h). From Munich, about 4,578 km, it is at the limit: with a full cabin or headwind the operator plans a fuel stop. For a sure non-stop flight from central Europe we suggest the Challenger 350.

• • Can we reach our bags in flight, and will skis fit?

  • Yes. The 3 m³ hold lies behind the toilet inside the pressurised cabin, and you walk in through the toilet compartment. With four people there is room for skis or golf bags on top of the suitcases.

• • Can my dog fly with us?

  • Yes, in the cabin next to you once the operator has agreed; give breed, weight and carrier in advance. In the EU the dog needs a microchip, a rabies vaccination at least 21 days before travel and an EU pet passport. Finland, Ireland, Malta, Norway and the UK also require tapeworm treatment for dogs 1-5 days before entry, and the UK admits animals only on approved routes and at airports that accept them.

• • Can the Challenger 300 land at London City or Cannes?

  • Not at London City: the steep-approach option exists only for the Challenger 350, so the jet uses Farnborough, Luton or Biggin Hill. Cannes-Mandelieu, yes: the 1,539 m runway exceeds the 1,466 m needed at full weight, and on a trip from Paris or Munich the jet is far below that weight.