Cessna 340

The Cessna 340 is a six-seat aircraft with two turbocharged piston engines and a pressurised cabin. The pilot takes one seat, four seats fill the cabin, and a fifth passenger can sit up front. Pressurisation is the big difference from a Baron or a Piper Aztec: the Cessna 340 flies higher, often above the cloud, and passengers need no oxygen.

In Europe the type serves as an air taxi:

A pressurised cabin in a small aircraft

Behind the cockpit four seats face each other in pairs with a narrow aisle between them. The cabin is about 2.84 m long, 1.24 m high and 1.18 m wide, so you sit comfortably but cannot stand. You board through a rear door with built-in steps, and since the way forward is narrow, the passenger in the front seat gets in first.

There is no toilet, galley or cabin crew, so bring drinks and snacks. With well synchronised engines headsets are not essential, but the cabin is louder than a jet. Seats, avionics and internet vary by aircraft, so we ask the operator for cabin photos before you book.

Baggage: small compartments and a tight weight limit

Bags go in three places: the nose, lockers at the back of the engine nacelles and the space behind the cabin seats. In practice there is often less room, as on most aircraft an extra fuel tank fills one nacelle locker and avionics take part of the nose.

Weight limits the load more than volume:

• Four passengers: one soft bag each
• Two or three passengers: suitcases, skis or a golf bag can come along
• With fuel for about four and a half hours plus reserve, only two passengers with bags fit

Speed, altitude and weather

The figures refer to the 340A with two Continental TSIO-520-NB engines of 310 hp. Older aircraft have 285 hp engines, and some carry stronger engines after a RAM conversion. Cruise is usually 370-424 km/h depending on power and altitude. With a full cabin the operator fuels for under two hours of flight and plans a stop on longer legs.

One pilot flies. With two engines the Cessna 340 may carry passengers commercially at night and in cloud without the special approval that EU rules require for single-engine aircraft.

Practical points in Europe

• Avgas, not jet fuel: smaller airfields may not sell it, so the operator plans fuel for the next leg
• Nice and Geneva are slot-coordinated; book early for summer weekends and winter Saturdays
• An EU operator may fly Madrid - Palma, but UK domestic legs such as London - Edinburgh need a UK operator

Cessna 340 routes from European hubs

30 one-way legs from all thirteen hubs, none with a planned fuel stop. Prices are for the whole aircraft with pilot, before airport fees and passenger taxes; flight time is the great-circle distance plus taxi, climb and approach.

Up to two hours: where the type works best

Two to four hours: with two or three on board

From two hours on, as on Munich - Split (2:06 h), Zurich - Olbia (2:20 h) or London Farnborough - Geneva (2:23 h), the Cessna 340 suits two or three people with light bags; with four on board expect a fuel stop. Greece from Central Europe or the Canary Islands call for a turboprop.

The calculator gives an indicative price for the Cessna 340 or a similar piston twin on your route.

Cessna 340 charter prices

The rate starts at EUR 1,400 per flight hour for the whole aircraft with pilot and fuel. On short legs the full price is higher than rate times flight time: Nice - Calvi (0:57 h) costs from EUR 4,500, because positioning from the base and the operator's minimum charge come with every flight.

Further out the gap narrows: Paris Le Bourget - Geneva (1:31 h) from EUR 5,500, Madrid - Palma (1:52 h) from EUR 6,000 and London Farnborough - Geneva (2:23 h) from EUR 6,500. The price stays the same for two passengers or five.

Paris Le Bourget - Geneva for the whole aircraft and split per passenger, before taxes and fees:

Ways to keep the cost down

• Fly back the same day, so the pilot needs no hotel and the aircraft no second positioning leg
• Choose a departure near the operator's base, or a small airfield close to you with avgas
• Keep a few hours of flexibility, which also helps with weather
• For one or two people in summer, an unpressurised Baron or Seneca can be cheaper

Empty Legs

Empty Cessna 340 legs are rare, because few operators fly the type and most trips are short. When one turns up, it can be 30-60% below a normal charter; the date and route are fixed, and the operator may cancel it if the aircraft is sold for a full charter.

Cessna 340 or another small type

Clients usually compare a cheaper unpressurised piston twin, a larger Cessna and two turboprops with roomier cabins.

What we need for a quote

Send the route, date and departure time, the number of passengers and the rough weight of their bags. On this aircraft weight decides how much fuel the pilot can take and whether the leg is non-stop. We ask only AOC holders and tell you the engine version, ice protection and base of each Cessna 340 we offer.

Cessna 340: questions and answers

• • How much does a Cessna 340 flight cost?

  • From EUR 1,400 per flight hour. Geneva - Lugano costs from EUR 5,000, Madrid - Malaga from EUR 5,500 and Munich - Split from EUR 6,000 for the whole aircraft one way, before airport fees and passenger taxes.

• • What comes on top of the table price?

  • Airport and handling fees, passenger taxes, winter de-icing and, on a return after several days, the pilot's hotel or two empty legs. Milan - Rome adds EUR 100 per passenger in Italian tax. The quote lists every item.

• • Why does a one-hour flight cost more than the hourly rate?

  • Positioning and a minimum charge apply to each flight, so Vienna - Budapest (1:02 h) costs from EUR 5,000 at a rate of EUR 1,400 per hour.

• • How can I fly the Cessna 340 for less?

  • Return the same day, depart near the operator's base and stay flexible on the time. For one or two people in summer an unpressurised piston twin may cost less.

• • Are there Empty Legs on the Cessna 340?

  • Rarely. When one appears it can be 30-60% cheaper than a normal charter; send your route and dates to empty-legs@jets.flights.

• • How many passengers can it take?

  • Five at most: four in the cabin and one next to the pilot. With a full cabin and bags only a little fuel fits, so it works best for two to four passengers.

• • Is the cabin pressurised?

  • Yes. The cabin stays at about 2,400 m up to a flight altitude of about 6,100 m. This sets it apart from the Baron, the Piper Aztec or the Diamond DA42.

• • Is there a toilet on the Cessna 340?

  • No. On legs over two hours we plan a stop on the way or offer a turboprop with a toilet.

• • Can we take skis, a golf bag or a dog?

  • With two or three passengers usually yes; send the dimensions of long bags. A small dog flies in the cabin with the operator's consent.