Bombardier Challenger 350

The Bombardier Challenger 350 is a twin-engine jet with a 1.83 m cabin, a flat floor from the galley to the toilet and a baggage hold that passengers can reach during the flight. In our catalogue the Challenger 350 is listed with midsize jets, but by cabin width and range it belongs one class higher, to the super midsize jets, between the Citation Latitude and heavy types such as the Challenger 650. Most aircraft have eight seats in two club groups, and layouts with a three-seat sofa take up to ten.

From European hubs the Challenger 350 covers London - Geneva in 1:27 h and flies non-stop from Hamburg to Tenerife or from Munich to Dubai. It makes most sense for groups of five to ten on legs of two to six hours. The limits are the Atlantic, where New York needs a fuel stop, and short hops with two passengers, where a light jet costs far less.

Challenger 350 cabin: layout, toilet and Wi-Fi

The Challenger 350 cabin is 7.68 m long from the cockpit to the rear bulkhead, 2.19 m wide and 1.83 m high. There is no dropped aisle, so most adults walk upright the whole way. The standard layout has two club groups of four seats facing each other, with tables that fold out of the side walls, and every seat swivels, slides on rails and reclines.

For a night flight the layout decides how many people can sleep, and the quote names it:

• Eight-seat layout: each pair of facing seats folds into a flat bed
• Layout with a sofa: six club seats give three beds and the sofa opens as a fourth, enough for four people on an overnight leg to the Gulf

Baggage: 3 m³ you can reach during the flight

The Challenger 350 hold lies behind the toilet. Ground staff load it through a door under the left engine, and passengers can walk in from the cabin at any altitude, so a coat or a laptop does not have to stay at the seat.

• Four passengers: large suitcases, golf bags and skis in covers fit together
• With eight on board, plan on one large suitcase and one cabin bag each

Engines, range and airports

Two Honeywell HTF7350 engines of 33 kN each power the Challenger 350, and normal cruise is Mach 0.80. Even at its maximum take-off weight of 18,416 kg the jet climbs straight to 13,106 m, above most airline traffic. Bombardier quotes the range with two pilots, NBAA IFR reserves and Mach 0.80, while headwind, heavy bags or a distant alternate make the real distance shorter on the day. For route planning we count on about 5,000 km non-stop with a full cabin.

Needing 1,474 m at full weight, the Challenger 350 uses many smaller European airports, with some conditions:

• Cannes-Mandelieu (1,539 m runway, 35 t weight limit) accepts it, so a Riviera trip does not have to end in Nice
• Sion (2,000 m) and Samedan (1,799 m at about 1,700 m elevation) need a crew trained for the mountain approach and a weight calculation for the day
• Lugano (1,414 m, steep approach) is shorter than the full-weight take-off distance and needs the operator's approval for the airport; where a flight is possible, the jet leaves with less fuel or fewer bags
• London City is possible only for an aircraft with Bombardier's 5.5 degree steep-approach option, certified by Transport Canada, flown by an operator with an approved procedure
• Courchevel altiport (537 m, sloped) and Saint-Tropez La Môle (1,071 m) are out of reach; Chambéry or Geneva serve Courchevel, Cannes-Mandelieu or Toulon serve Saint-Tropez

The Challenger 350 is no longer built. Its successor, the Challenger 3500, keeps the same airframe, engines and cabin dimensions and changes mainly the interior: voice control of the cabin, 4K screens and wireless chargers.

Flying the type in Europe: slots, crews and cabotage

Sample flights from European hubs

The table runs Challenger 350 flights from short hops such as Paris - London to the longest non-stop legs, Munich - Dubai and Geneva - Doha, plus one transatlantic example with a fuel stop. 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: business capitals, ski valleys and the Riviera

2 to 4 hours: islands, Morocco and the eastern Mediterranean

Over 4 hours: Canaries, Gulf and the Atlantic with a stop

• Every route except New York is flown non-stop, Munich - Dubai (4,578 km, 6:13 h) and Geneva - Doha (4,636 km, 6:18 h) included
• Gulf routes depend on which airspace is open, so the operator confirms the flight time in the quote
• New York takes a fuel stop, usually in Iceland or Ireland; crossing the Atlantic non-stop needs a long-range jet such as the Global 6000
• Mykonos gives 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 the Challenger 350 and for other classes that suit the distance.

How much does it cost to charter a Challenger 350

The indicative Challenger 350 rate is from EUR 6,500 per flight hour for the whole aircraft with crew and fuel, however many seats are filled. On short legs the total is well above rate times flight time: London - Geneva takes 1:27 h and costs from EUR 16,000, and even the 0:56 h hop from Paris to London is from EUR 12,500. Positioning, the minimum charge and fixed departure costs weigh heavily on a short flight.

Mid-length legs come closer to the hourly rate: Amsterdam - Palma (2:17 h) is from EUR 21,000 and Vienna - Lisbon (3:23 h) from EUR 29,000. Beyond four hours the price per hour falls only a little further, because operators also count the long duty day and a return they may fly empty: Hamburg - Tenerife (4:58 h) is from EUR 38,000 and Munich - Dubai (6:13 h) from EUR 45,000.

The price is for the whole aircraft, so the share per person falls as the cabin fills, here on London - Geneva:

How to pay less for the same trip

• Same-day return: on a trip such as Frankfurt - London the crew waits and flies you back, with no hotel or second positioning
• Several days away: compare a crew overnight with two empty legs, the cheaper option changes with the route
• Aircraft near your departure airport: a flexible time window lets us pick one that ends a trip close by
• One way: an aircraft heading home anyway can make a single leg cheaper
• Smaller cabin: for two to four people on a leg under two hours, the Citation Latitude or a light jet costs less

Empty Legs on this type

Many European operators fly the Challenger 350, so Empty Legs on it come up often: after a summer weekend from the islands and the Riviera back to London, Paris or Munich, after winter Saturdays from Geneva and Sion, and on repositioning between Europe and the Gulf. Such a leg can be 30-60% below the normal price, as examples, not a promise.

Send your route and date window to empty-legs@jets.flights or check the Empty Legs page, and we tell you when a suitable leg appears.

Challenger 350 or another jet

Clients weighing the Challenger 350 usually compare it with its predecessor, two Cessna Citation models and the Gulfstream G280.

Booking a flight

For a quote we need:

• route, date and preferred departure time
• number of passengers and baggage, especially skis and golf bags
• any dog or cat, with breed, weight and carrier
• if you want Wi-Fi, a flight attendant or a sofa layout for a night flight, as these vary by aircraft

We check free Challenger 350 aircraft with AOC holders and quote the price with positioning included. Within Schengen there is no passport control, but the operator still needs each passenger's passport or ID, and EU citizens flying to the UK need an ETA. If an operator cancels, we always try to find another aircraft or protect your payment, but each case depends on the operator's contract.

Questions before booking

• • How much does a Challenger 350 flight cost?

  • The rate starts at EUR 6,500 per flight hour. Paris Le Bourget - Nice costs from EUR 15,500, Amsterdam - Palma from EUR 21,000 and Hamburg - Tenerife from EUR 38,000, for the whole aircraft one way. Airport fees and passenger taxes are added.

• • What is in the price, and what is charged on top?

  • The table price covers the aircraft, two pilots, fuel and the positioning of the jet. Airport and handling fees, passenger taxes of the departure country, catering, de-icing in winter and crew costs for a multi-day trip are added in the quote, item by item.

• • How can the trip cost less?

  • Fly out and back on the same day so the crew does not need a hotel, keep the departure time flexible so we can pick an aircraft based nearby, and ask about Empty Legs. For two or three people on a short leg, compare with a smaller jet.

• • Are there Empty Legs on the Challenger 350?

  • Yes, fairly often, as many European operators fly it. They follow the operators' schedules, for example from the islands back to the big hubs after summer weekends, and can be 30-60% cheaper. Date and route are fixed, and the leg can be withdrawn if the aircraft is sold for a full charter.

• • How many passengers fit in practice?

  • A typical Challenger 350 has 8 seats, and layouts with a sofa take up to 10. Eight people sit comfortably on legs of up to about three hours. For a night flight or a lot of luggage, four to six is more realistic, so that some can lie flat and the rest have room.

• • Is there a proper toilet on board?

  • Yes. It is a separate room at the rear of the cabin with a door and a washbasin. In some aircraft it has an extra belted seat, used only when all other seats are taken.

• • Can the Challenger 350 fly from London to Dubai without a stop?

  • On paper the 5,926 km range covers the roughly 5,500 km, but with a full cabin, headwind and detours around closed airspace the margin is thin, so operators often plan a stop or limit the load. From Munich (4,578 km, 6:13 h) the flight is non-stop. London Farnborough - New York always includes a fuel stop and takes 8:55 h.

• • Will skis and golf bags fit?

  • Usually yes. The hold is 3 m³, and with four or five passengers there is room for equipment. Tell us how many ski pairs and golf bags you bring, and the operator checks before booking that they fit.

• • Can my dog fly in the cabin?

  • Yes, a dog or cat travels in the cabin next to its owner if the operator agrees in advance, so give the breed, weight and carrier in the request. Within the EU it needs a microchip, a rabies vaccination given 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 accepts animals only on approved routes and at airports that handle them.

• • Can the Challenger 350 land at London City, Cannes or Courchevel?

  • Cannes-Mandelieu, yes: its 1,539 m runway is longer than the 1,474 m the jet needs at full weight. London City only with an aircraft that has the steep-approach option and an operator with an approved procedure; otherwise the flight lands at Farnborough, Luton or Biggin Hill. Courchevel, no: the sloped altiport runway is only 537 m long, and the nearest choices are Chambéry and Geneva.