Gulfstream G100

The Gulfstream G100 is a midsize jet designed and built in Israel by IAI as the Astra SPX. The name changed when Gulfstream took over sales, but the aircraft stayed the same. It is fast and flies far for its class, while the cabin is only 1.68 m high and 1.47 m wide, closer in width to a light jet. Most aircraft have six or seven seats and an enclosed toilet at the rear.

G100 cabin: size, seats and toilet

The cabin is 5.36 m long, 1.68 m high and 1.47 m wide. The aircraft grew out of the older IAI Westwind, and its designers put speed and range before space. You sit in comfort, but need to mind your head when standing up, and the aisle is narrow.

Baggage: 1.80 m³ and a weight limit

The main hold sits in the rear fuselage and is loaded from the apron, so suitcases are out of reach during the flight. Keep medicines and papers in the cabin wardrobe.

• Four passengers: a medium suitcase and a hand bag each.
• Seven passengers: one soft bag per person.
• Aircraft with an extra fuel tank have a smaller tail hold, about 1.2 m³.
• Skis and golf bags: give their number and size, and the operator checks whether they fit.

On long legs weight sets the limit. With full tanks about 417 kg remains for passengers and bags, enough for four people travelling light. To Geneva or Nice the jet carries less fuel, and the limit does not matter.

Engines, range and runways

Two Honeywell TFE731-40R engines give 18.9 kN of thrust each, and typical cruise is about 850 km/h. With every seat taken, economy speed and NBAA IFR reserves, the G100 covers about 4,104 km; headwinds on westbound legs cut a few hundred kilometres from that.

The wing is built for fast cruise, so take-off needs a long runway: 1,829 m at the maximum weight of 11,181 kg, with a margin for a rejected take-off.

• Sion (2,000 m) has a mountain approach, and Samedan needs a weight calculation for the day.
• Cannes-Mandelieu (1,539 m) works only at reduced weight, so a return leg to Northern Europe may need a fuel stop.
• London City is not possible: the type lacks the steep approach approval, so in London the jet uses Farnborough, Luton or Biggin Hill.
• The 537 m sloped Courchevel altiport is too short for the type; Chambéry is the usual airport for the French ski resorts.

Flying the type in Europe

Gulfstream G100 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 with time added for taxi, climb and approach.

Up to two hours: short hops for a long-range jet

Two to four hours: the Mediterranean and the Atlantic islands

Over four hours: where the range shows

• From London to Tenerife (4:08 h) the jet flies non-stop with six on board and soft bags.
• London to Larnaca (4:37 h) and Amsterdam to Tenerife (4:32 h) suit up to five passengers.
• Vienna to Doha and Munich to Riyadh (5:30 h) are at the edge: four passengers with light bags, and with strong headwinds a fuel stop.
• London to Madeira needs a captain qualified for that airport, which narrows the choice of aircraft.

Dubai from Western Europe, the Maldives and New York need a fuel stop or a larger jet such as the Gulfstream G200.

The calculator gives an indicative price for the G100 or a midsize jet of the same class on your route.

What a Gulfstream G100 charter costs

A G100 costs from EUR 4,500 per flight hour for the whole aircraft, with two pilots and fuel. On a short leg the price is much higher than the rate times the flight time: Geneva to Nice takes 0:52 h and starts at EUR 9,000, because the operator's minimum charge and the jet's flights to and from its base are included.

On long legs those fixed costs matter less, and the price per hour comes close to the rate.

The price is for the aircraft, so the share per person on London Farnborough - Geneva falls as the group grows:

How to fly cheaper

• Let us quote the G150, the Learjet 60 and the Citation XLS next to the G100: an aircraft based nearer to you often costs less in total.
• Return on the same day on shorter legs, so the crew needs no hotel.
• Give a window for the departure time, so the operator can link your leg with another trip.

Empty Legs on this type

The type is rare in Europe, so its Empty Legs are infrequent. Return legs of similar midsize jets appear more often, mostly between London, Geneva, the Riviera and the Mediterranean islands in summer. Such a leg can cost 30-60% less than a full charter, but the date and route are fixed, and the operator may cancel it if the aircraft gets a paying trip.

Send your route and a window of dates to empty-legs@jets.flights or through the Empty Legs page.

G100 or another midsize jet

Most clients asking for this jet end up with its successor or with a midsize jet that is more common in Europe and has a higher cabin.

How to request the jet

For a quote we need:

• route, date and departure time;
• number of passengers and baggage, especially skis and golf bags;
• pets travelling with you, with breed and weight;
• if a G150 or another midsize jet is acceptable when no G100 is free nearby.

We check free aircraft with operators holding an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) and send prices including positioning, so you can compare. We always try to find the best combination, 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 for every passenger; EU citizens flying to the UK need an ETA.

Questions about the Gulfstream G100

• • How much does a Gulfstream G100 flight cost?

  • From EUR 4,500 per flight hour for the whole aircraft. London Farnborough to Geneva starts at EUR 11,500, Nice to Istanbul at EUR 17,500 and London Farnborough to Tenerife at EUR 23,000 one way. Airport fees, passenger taxes and any positioning come on top.

• • What makes up the price?

  • Flight time at the hourly rate, positioning from the jet's base, the crew's hotel or empty flights on multi-day trips, airport and handling fees, passenger taxes, catering and winter de-icing.

• • How can I pay less?

  • Let us compare the G100 with the G150 and other midsize jets based nearer to you, and return on the same day on short legs. Positioning often costs more than the difference in hourly rates.

• • Are there Empty Legs on the G100?

  • Rarely, as few aircraft fly in Europe. Empty Legs of similar midsize jets are more realistic and can be 30-60% cheaper, with a fixed date and route.

• • How many passengers can fly?

  • Usually six or seven. Up to about four hours six people with soft bags travel well; on the longest legs, such as Vienna to Doha, four is more realistic, as the cabin is narrow and the jet takes only about 417 kg of passengers and bags with full tanks.

• • Is there a toilet on board?

  • Yes, at the rear in a small compartment with a door.

• • How far can it fly without a stop?

  • Up to 5,463 km with four passengers and about 4,100 km with every seat taken. London to Larnaca (4:37 h) is non-stop; Dubai from Western Europe needs a fuel stop.

• • Can it land at London City or Cannes?

  • Not at London City, as the type has no steep approach approval; in London it uses Farnborough, Luton or Biggin Hill. Cannes-Mandelieu yes, at reduced weight, so a long return leg may need a fuel stop.

• • Can I bring my dog?

  • Yes, in the cabin next to you once the operator agrees before booking. The EU requires a microchip, a rabies vaccination at least 21 days before travel and a pet passport; the UK, Ireland, Malta, Finland and Norway also require tapeworm treatment 1-5 days before entry.