Dassault Falcon 50

The Dassault Falcon 50 is the first Falcon with three engines. Dassault took the fuselage cross-section of the Falcon 20, added a new wing and three Garrett TFE731 turbofans, and later grew the Falcon 900 from this design. In charter the jet counts as a super midsize: the cabin is 7.16 m long, 1.80 m high and 1.85 m wide, with eight or nine seats, a divan and a toilet at the rear.

With every seat taken the Falcon 50 flies about 5,662 km. From the hubs that means Europe, Iceland, Morocco, Tel Aviv and usually Tenerife without refuelling.

Cabin, seats and service

The usual Falcon 50 layout has four club seats at the front, then a three-seat divan facing two forward-facing seats. The divan and a pair of seats convert into beds for three people on a night flight. Under the 1.80 m ceiling most passengers walk upright.

Baggage and payload

• Eight passengers: one medium suitcase each, with hand luggage in the cabin
• Four or five people: large cases, skis and golf bags

On the longest legs weight is the limit: with full tanks only about 581 kg remain for people and luggage, less than six adults with suitcases. For Zurich - Tenerife (4:20 h) or Vienna - Riyadh (5:06 h) with a full cabin, the operator may ask for lighter bags or plan a fuel stop. To Geneva or Nice the issue disappears.

Falcon 50 engines, range and airports

The three TFE731-3 engines of the Falcon 50 sit at the tail, and the centre one breathes through an intake on top of the fuselage. The 5,662 km figure assumes a full cabin, economy cruise and NBAA IFR reserves. Westerly winds and a distant alternate airport shorten it, so Atlantic legs to Madeira or the Canary Islands get a careful fuel plan, and New York needs a stop.

With about 1,509 m needed at full weight, the Falcon 50 uses many smaller airports:

• Cannes-Mandelieu (1,539 m) at a lower weight
• Lugano (1,414 m, steep approach) only if the aircraft and crew hold the approval, and with a very careful weight calculation
• Sion and Samedan with a specially trained crew
• London City only for an aircraft, operator and crew approved for its 5.5 degree approach, checked for each request
• Not Courchevel: the 537 m sloped altiport is too short for this jet and needs a special qualification

Routes and prices from European hubs

27 one-way routes from all thirteen hubs, each without a fuel stop. Prices are for the whole aircraft with crew, before airport fees and passenger taxes; flight time is the great-circle distance plus taxi, climb and approach.

Up to two hours: Riviera, islands and capitals

Two to four hours: Iberia, Greece, Iceland and Morocco

Four hours and more: weigh the bags

Mykonos gives private aircraft about 40 minutes on the ground in summer, so the Falcon 50 leaves after dropping you and returns for the flight back.

The calculator shows an indicative price for the Falcon 50 or a jet of its class on your route.

Falcon 50 charter cost

The Falcon 50 rate starts at EUR 6,300 per flight hour for the whole aircraft with crew and fuel, whatever the number of passengers. Short legs cost more per hour: Zurich - Cannes (1:04 h) is from EUR 12,000 and Paris - Nice (1:22 h) from EUR 14,000, as positioning, the minimum charge and the crew's day weigh heavily on a short trip.

Over longer legs the flight time dominates: London - Athens (3:33 h) is from EUR 28,000, Vienna - Riyadh (5:06 h) from EUR 37,000.

Nice - London Farnborough for the whole aircraft and per person, before taxes and fees:

Paying less

• Flexible dates let us use an aircraft that ends a trip near your departure airport
• A same-day return on short legs saves the crew hotel
• Accept the 50EX or a newer super midsize jet as well as the Falcon 50
• Four people on a leg under two hours: a two-engine midsize jet such as the Hawker 800XP costs less per hour

Empty Legs on the Falcon 50

Few Falcon 50 aircraft fly in Europe, so Empty Legs on this exact type are occasional. With flexible dates widen the search to other super midsize and midsize jets: such legs can be 30-60% below a normal charter, with a fixed date and route and a risk of cancellation.

Newer or larger alternatives

Anyone considering the Falcon 50 usually compares it with the later 50EX, the larger three-engine Falcon 900, the Challenger 350 and the smaller Hawker 800XP.

How to book

For a Falcon 50 quote, tell us the route, date, time and number of passengers, the baggage including skis, golf bags and pets, and if you need Wi-Fi or beds. We check free aircraft with operators holding an AOC, quote the price with positioning and add photos of the cabin. The operator needs passport or ID details even within Schengen, and EU citizens flying to the UK need an ETA.

Dassault Falcon 50: questions and answers

• • How much does a Falcon 50 flight cost?

  • From EUR 6,300 per flight hour. London Farnborough - Geneva costs from EUR 14,500, Geneva - Marrakesh from EUR 25,000 and Nice - Tenerife from EUR 30,000 for the whole aircraft one way, before airport fees and passenger taxes.

• • What is added to the table price?

  • Airport and handling fees, passenger taxes, catering and winter de-icing. A Paris departure adds about EUR 420 per passenger in French tax within Europe, more on longer routes (about EUR 1,015 to Tel Aviv and EUR 2,100 beyond 5,500 km); a Milan departure to Tel Aviv EUR 200 per passenger. The quote lists everything.

• • How can I fly the Falcon 50 for less?

  • Keep the dates flexible, return the same day on short trips and also accept the 50EX or a newer super midsize jet.

• • Are there Empty Legs on this type?

  • Rarely, as few aircraft remain in Europe. Empty Legs on similar jets can be 30-60% below a normal charter; send your route and dates to empty-legs@jets.flights.

• • How many passengers fit?

  • A Falcon 50 usually has eight or nine seats. Eight travel comfortably for three to four hours; on a night flight six is better, so three can sleep.

• • Is there a real toilet?

  • Yes, at the rear of the Falcon 50 cabin; fittings such as a washbasin depend on the aircraft.

• • How far does the Falcon 50 fly without a stop?

  • About 5,662 km with a full cabin. Tenerife is usually non-stop; with eight people, heavy bags and a headwind the operator may plan a fuel stop.

• • Will skis and golf bags fit, and can my dog come?

  • With four or five passengers the 2.55 m³ hold takes skis and golf bags next to the cases; give the number of items. A dog flies in the cabin if the operator agrees, and the UK accepts animals only at approved airports.

• • Can it land at London City or Courchevel?

  • London City only with an operator and crew approved for the steep approach, otherwise Farnborough or Luton. Courchevel no: the jet lands at Chambéry or Geneva.