Gulfstream G280

The Gulfstream G280 is a super midsize jet developed from the G200 with a new wing, new engines and a new cockpit. Israel Aerospace Industries builds the fuselage, and Gulfstream completes the cabin in Dallas. The cabin is 7.87 m long and 1.85 m high, with eight seats in two zones on most aircraft and up to ten with a sofa. At the rear are the toilet and, behind it, a hold you can enter during the flight.

G280 cabin: two zones and a rear toilet

The G280 cabin is 7.87 m long without the hold, 1.85 m high and 2.11 m wide, and most adults walk upright. The aisle sits lower than the floor under the seats, which gives more room when you move. Compared with the G200 the cabin gained 43 cm, because the designers removed the rear fuel tank, and its 19 large oval windows are four more than in the predecessor.

In charter you will usually find one of two layouts:

• At night up to four people can sleep flat, depending on the layout
• Seats are 53 cm wide between the armrests
• The galley is at the entrance; the toilet at the rear has a vacuum flush and a wardrobe
• At 12,500 m (41,000 ft) cabin pressure equals less than 1,800 m
• Two pilots fly the jet, and a flight attendant depends on the operator, usually at extra cost; on a five-hour leg to the Gulf it is worth asking for one
• Over Europe only satellite internet works, and not every aircraft has it

Baggage: 3.4 m³ behind the toilet

The G280 hold lies inside the fuselage behind the toilet, and you can walk in during the flight up to 12,192 m (40,000 ft). A bag with a change of clothes or presents for your hosts does not have to stand by the seat.

• Six people: large suitcases and hand luggage
• Four people: also skis in covers, ski boots and golf bags
• Ten people: one medium suitcase each

Engines, range and airports

Two Honeywell HTF7250G engines give 33.9 kN each, and the maximum take-off weight is 17,962 kg. Gulfstream quotes the range for four passengers at Mach 0.80. The G280 climbs to 13,100 m in under 23 minutes. With a full cabin, a higher speed and westbound headwinds the distance is shorter, so the table plans non-stop legs up to about 5,700 km.

FAA and EASA have approved the G280 for steep approaches, and the short take-off opens airports that many jets of the class cannot use:

Flying the type in Europe

• Most of the G280 fleet flies in North America and only a small number is based in Europe, so the aircraft often comes from a more distant base and that positioning is part of the price
• London City and the Alpine airports narrow the choice further to operators with trained crews, so name the airport in the request
• Nice and Geneva are slot-coordinated, and on summer weekends and winter Saturdays slots and parking run short
• EU flight time limitations cap the crew's day: London - Dubai and back on the same day needs an augmented crew or a night stop
• An operator from outside the EU, the UK included, cannot normally carry passengers within one EU country, while EU operators fly between any EU airports

Sample flights from European hubs

The table runs G280 flights from Frankfurt - Sion, one hour away, through London City, the islands and Morocco to Tenerife, Doha, Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Prices are for the whole aircraft one way with crew, without airport fees and passenger taxes. Flight time follows the shortest route with taxi, climb and approach added.

Up to 2 hours: London City, the Alps and the Riviera

2 to 4 hours: Greek islands, Morocco, Portugal and Cyprus to the Gulf

Over 4 hours: Canaries, Israel and the Gulf without a fuel stop

• The G280 flies every route in the table without a stop, London Farnborough - Dubai (5,531 km, 7:15 h) included
• Gulf routes depend on which airspace is open, so the operator confirms the flight time in the quote
• London City rows assume an operator with the steep-approach approval; without one the flight lands at Farnborough or Biggin Hill
• London - New York is about 5,530 km: with a light cabin it can be flown non-stop, but against winter headwinds operators often plan a fuel stop in Iceland or Canada, so we quote it case by case
• Mykonos allows private aircraft only about 40 minutes on the ground in summer, so the jet parks at another airport

The type pays off on legs from two and a half hours with six to eight people. For London or Sion with two or three passengers, a midsize or light jet is cheaper.

Choose departure and arrival airport and the number of passengers, and the calculator shows an indicative price for the G280 and for other classes that suit the distance.

How much does it cost to charter a Gulfstream G280

The indicative G280 rate is from EUR 6,700 per flight hour for the whole aircraft with crew and fuel, whatever the number of passengers. Short legs cost more than rate times time, because positioning, the operator's minimum charge and the fixed costs of each departure fall on a short flight: Frankfurt - Sion (1:02 h) costs from EUR 14,000 and London - Geneva (1:25 h) from EUR 16,500.

Between two and four hours the price comes closer to the rate: Geneva - Athens (2:37 h) is from EUR 25,000 and Munich - Marrakesh (3:33 h) from EUR 31,000. On the longest legs the hourly figure falls further, even with the crew's long day and an empty return included, so Geneva - Doha costs from EUR 46,000 and London - Dubai from EUR 53,000.

The price is for the whole aircraft; shared on Geneva - Athens it comes to:

How to fly cheaper

Empty Legs: how often and where

Because few aircraft of the type are based in Europe, its Empty Legs are less frequent than on the Challenger 350, but long trips often create one: after bringing clients from the Gulf, from Israel or across the Atlantic, the jet has to return. Such a leg can be 30-60% below the normal price, as an example, with a date, route and time set by the operator, and it can be withdrawn if a full charter takes the aircraft.

G280 or another super midsize jet

Clients usually compare the G280 with the Challenger 350, the Citation Longitude and the Legacy 500, and with the G200 predecessor when the budget is lower. Gulfstream has presented the G300, with a longer cabin, as the successor; in charter the G280 is the model you will find.

How to book

For a quote we need:

• route, date and time, and whether the destination is London City or an Alpine airport
• number of passengers and baggage, especially skis and golf bags
• any dog or cat, with breed, weight and carrier
• wishes on layout, Wi-Fi and a flight attendant

We check free aircraft and the crews' approvals with AOC operators and send a price with positioning included. The operator needs a passport or ID for each passenger even inside 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 about the Gulfstream G280

• • How much does a G280 flight cost?

  • From EUR 6,700 per flight hour. Paris Le Bourget - Nice costs from EUR 16,000, Amsterdam - Palma from EUR 22,000 and London Farnborough - Dubai from EUR 53,000, for the whole aircraft one way. Airport fees and passenger taxes come on top.

• • What is included and what is extra?

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

• • How can I pay less for a G280?

  • Return the same day, be flexible by a day, fly one way in the direction the aircraft is heading, and let us compare a Challenger 350 or Citation Longitude when the airport does not require the G280's approvals.

• • Are there Empty Legs on this type?

  • Sometimes, mostly when an aircraft returns from a long trip, for example from the Gulf. They are less frequent than on more common jets, as few G280s are based in Europe, and can be 30-60% cheaper on the operator's date and route.

• • How many passengers really fit?

  • A typical aircraft has eight seats, and with a sofa ten. Eight people travel comfortably on legs of up to four hours. For a night flight, plan four to six, since only some seats fold flat.

• • Is there an enclosed toilet?

  • Yes, at the rear of the cabin with a door, vacuum flush and a wardrobe. The hold lies behind it.

• • Can the G280 land at London City and Saint-Tropez?

  • London City yes, if the operator and crew hold the approval: the type is certified for the steep approach the airport requires. Otherwise the jet lands at Farnborough, Luton or Biggin Hill. For Saint-Tropez it uses Cannes-Mandelieu or Toulon, as the 1,071 m runway at La Môle is meant for light jets and turboprops.

• • How far does it fly without a stop?

  • Gulfstream quotes 6,667 km with four passengers. From London that covers Dubai (7:15 h) and all of Europe, North Africa and the Canaries. To New York a fuel stop is often planned against the headwind.

• • Can we reach the baggage in flight?

  • Yes. The 3.4 m³ hold is behind the toilet and can be entered at any time during the flight. With four passengers there is room for skis or golf bags.

• • Can my dog travel with us?

  • Yes, in the cabin next to you once the operator has agreed; give breed, weight and carrier. In the EU it needs 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 for dogs 1-5 days before entry, and the UK accepts animals only on approved routes and at airports that handle them.