Learjet 60

The Learjet 60 grew out of the Learjet 55: a longer fuselage and Pratt & Whitney Canada PW305A engines in place of the Honeywell TFE731. The cabin is 5.38 m long, 1.75 m high and 1.80 m wide, the largest of all Learjets, with seven seats in most aircraft and an enclosed toilet at the rear.

It climbs fast and cruises at up to 861 km/h, so it suits legs of two to four hours, such as Munich to Lisbon in 2:59 h or Paris to Athens in 3:09 h. The limit is payload with full tanks: for the longest legs plan four people with bags rather than a full cabin.

Cabin: divan, club seats and an enclosed toilet

The cabin holds about 12.8 m³. At the front there is a two-seat divan and a single seat, behind them four club seats facing each other. The seats recline but do not form a flat bed, which few people miss on legs of up to five hours. Anyone taller than about 1.70 m walks with a slight stoop.

Baggage and payload

• Four passengers: large suitcases and a golf bag.
• Seven passengers: a medium case and a hand bag each.
• Skis and golf bags: give their number with the request.

Weight matters more than volume. On a leg of up to three hours the Learjet 60 does not need full tanks, so the cabin can fly full. To Lisbon or Marrakesh with every seat taken the operator may limit the baggage or plan a fuel stop.

Performance, airports and noise

Bombardier quotes 4,454 km with two pilots, four passengers and NBAA reserves. We plan non-stop legs of up to 3,400 km, because westbound headwinds and a distant alternate airport shorten the real range.

At full weight and sea level the Learjet 60 needs about 1,800 m of runway:

• Nice, Geneva and the large hubs: no limit.
• Sion, 2,000 m: usable, on hot days with less weight.
• Cannes-Mandelieu, 1,539 m: the jet leaves lighter, with less fuel or fewer people.
• Samedan: only a crew with the airport's training, and the elevation cuts the weight; the 537 m Courchevel altiport is far too short and needs a special qualification.

Flying the type in Europe

• Zurich places the Learjet 60 in its quietest noise class, number five.
• Nice and Geneva are slot-coordinated: book summer weekends and winter Saturdays early.
• An operator from outside the EU, including a UK one, cannot normally fly a passenger leg inside one EU country, such as Paris to Nice.
• Madeira accepts only captains with a special qualification for the airport, which narrows the choice of aircraft.

Learjet 60 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 at 800 km/h plus half an hour for taxi, climb and approach.

Within two hours: Riviera, Alps and Balearics

Two to four hours: where the climb and speed pay off

Over four hours: Canaries and Cyprus with a light load

• Majorca, Ibiza, Olbia and Athens are flown non-stop with a full cabin.
• Munich to Lisbon (2:59 h), Paris to Athens (3:09 h) and Larnaca to Dubai (3:26 h): non-stop, but with every seat taken the operator asks for the baggage weight.
• London to Tenerife (4:08 h), Paris to Larnaca (4:14 h) and London to Larnaca (4:37 h): four people with moderate bags; with a full cabin or a strong headwind, a fuel stop.
• Mykonos gives private aircraft about 40 minutes of parking in summer, so the jet waits at another airport.

For two or three people on a short hop such as Paris to Nice, a light jet is cheaper.

The calculator shows an indicative price for the Learjet 60 or a midsize jet of the same class on your route.

What a Learjet 60 charter costs

The rate starts at EUR 4,500 per flight hour for the whole aircraft with two pilots and fuel; it does not depend on the number of passengers. On short legs the fixed part weighs more: Nice to Palma takes 1:14 h and starts at EUR 10,500, as the quote includes the operator's minimum charge, positioning and the time for taxi, climb and approach.

Longer legs come closer to rate times hours. Munich to Lisbon (2:59 h) starts at EUR 18,500, London Farnborough to Tenerife (4:08 h) at EUR 23,000.

The aircraft costs the same with two or six on board, so on London Farnborough - Palma the share per person drops:

How to fly cheaper

• Ask for the aircraft based nearest to you: on a two-hour leg a long positioning can add more than the difference in hourly rates.
• Return the same day when the crew's duty time allows, and you save the pilots' hotel.
• Give a departure window, so the operator can join your trip to another flight.
• For a return after several days compare the crew waiting with two one-way flights.

Empty Legs on the Learjet 60

Several European operators fly the Learjet 60, so Empty Legs appear now and then, mostly on medium and long legs between business cities, the Mediterranean and the Canary Islands. Such a leg can cost 30-60% less than a regular charter, but the date and route are set by the operator and the leg may be cancelled if the aircraft gets a full booking.

Send your route and a date window to empty-legs@jets.flights or via the Empty Legs page, and we include the Learjet 60XR and other midsize jets in the search.

Similar jets

Clients usually weigh the Learjet 60 against its predecessor and successor in the same family and against two Cessna types.

How to book

Send the route, date and time, the number of passengers and the baggage, especially skis, golf bags and pets. For legs over 2,500 km give the approximate baggage weight as well, as the operator decides on that basis whether the flight goes non-stop.

Questions about the Learjet 60

• • How much does a Learjet 60 flight cost?

  • From EUR 4,500 per flight hour for the whole aircraft. Paris Le Bourget to Nice costs from EUR 11,000, London Farnborough to Palma from EUR 14,500 and Hamburg to Lisbon from EUR 19,500 one way, before airport fees and passenger taxes.

• • What is included in the price?

  • Aircraft, two pilots and fuel. Airport and handling fees, passenger taxes, catering, de-icing, positioning from a distant base and the crew's hotel on overnight trips are added in the quote.

• • How can I pay less?

  • Choose the aircraft based nearest to you, return the same day when possible and keep your departure time flexible.

• • Are there Empty Legs on the Learjet 60?

  • Sometimes, as several European operators fly it. They can be 30-60% cheaper, but the date and route are fixed and the leg may be cancelled.

• • How many passengers fit in a Learjet 60?

  • Seven in the seats, and many aircraft have an eighth belted seat in the toilet. For legs over three hours four to six people are best, also because of the payload with full tanks.

• • Is there a real toilet?

  • Yes, an enclosed room at the rear with toilet and washbasin. In many aircraft it also has a belted seat, used only when every place is taken.

• • How far does the Learjet 60 fly without a stop?

  • Bombardier quotes 4,454 km with four passengers. Lisbon from Munich and Larnaca from Geneva are non-stop, with a full cabin subject to the baggage weight; London to Tenerife works with four people and moderate bags.

• • Is there internet on board?

  • It depends on the aircraft. The ATG system some carry works only over North America, so over Europe a satellite link is needed. Mention it in the request if it matters.

• • Can we bring skis or the dog?

  • Skis and golf bags fit for four or five people if you give their number and length. A dog travels in the cabin once the operator agrees, with a microchip, an EU pet passport and a rabies vaccination at least 21 days old; the UK, Ireland, Malta, Finland and Norway also require tapeworm treatment 1-5 days before entry.