Cessna F406 Caravan II

The Cessna F406 Caravan II is a twin turboprop from France. Reims Aviation built it together with Cessna on the basis of the piston-engined Cessna 404 Titan, but with two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-112 engines of 500 hp each. Despite the name, it has little in common with the single-engine Grand Caravan.

A long, low cabin without pressurisation

The cabin is 5.71 m long, 1.42 m wide and 1.32 m high, so you move about bent over. In the regional layout the seats stand in rows either side of the aisle, while the executive layout has six or seven seats, some of them facing each other. Patrol aircraft carry operator consoles and equipment instead of passenger seats.

Baggage and the belly pod

With six people there is room for medium suitcases; with nine, soft bags fit better. The more passengers and fuel, the less baggage the F406 can take.

• Skis and golf bags depend on the cabin layout and the pod, so give their number and length in the request
• Not every aircraft has the pod

Two engines, speed and airfields

The maximum cruise speed applies at about 4,600 m, where passengers in an unpressurised cabin need oxygen. With passengers the F406 therefore flies lower and slower, and the route table assumes about 390 km/h plus time for take-off and approach.

An old twin turboprop in European rules

EU rules require a SET-IMC approval for commercial passenger flights at night or in cloud only in single-engine turbine aircraft, so the F406 flies an evening return without it. Icing, low cloud and turbulence still affect it more than a pressurised aircraft that climbs above the weather.

• Only an operator holding an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) may fly you; with so few aircraft it may be based in another country
• At 4,468 kg the aircraft is under 5.7 t, so neither the Dutch passenger tax on departures from Amsterdam nor UK Air Passenger Duty applies

F406 routes from European hubs

Thirty-two one-way legs from all thirteen hubs, from Amsterdam - Brussels at 158 km to Frankfurt - Olbia at 1,018 km, all without a fuel stop. Prices are for the whole aircraft with crew and fuel, without airport fees and passenger taxes.

Up to two hours: sensible for a group

Two to four hours: the upper limit without a toilet

• Under about 1:15 h, as on Hamburg - Sylt or Nice - Figari, the type makes sense for a group of seven to nine
• Up to two hours, such as Milan Linate - Olbia (1:48 h) or Madrid - Lisbon (1:49 h), the trip is still reasonable without a toilet
• Paris - Nice (2:17 h), Geneva - Ibiza (2:49 h) and Zurich - Palma (3:03 h) are non-stop, but long in a low, loud cabin; a King Air 350 or a light jet suits better

The calculator gives an indicative price for the F406 and other twin turboprops on your own route.

What an F406 charter costs

The indicative rate is EUR 2,000 per flight hour for the whole aircraft with crew and fuel. On short legs the price is far above the rate multiplied by the flight time: Hamburg - Sylt takes 0:57 h and starts at EUR 6,000, because the operator adds a minimum charge and positioning from the aircraft's base, which is often a long way off with such a rare type.

On longer legs the fixed part counts for less. Vienna - Split (1:48 h) starts at EUR 7,500, Paris Le Bourget - Nice (2:17 h) at EUR 8,500 and Frankfurt - Olbia (3:07 h) at EUR 10,000. You pay for the aircraft rather than per seat, so with nine on board the share per person is low.

The quote covers the whole aircraft; shared between the passengers, Nice - Figari comes to:

How to keep the cost down

• Let us quote a King Air or a PC-12 at the same time: at this size the distance from the aircraft's base often decides the price more than the model
• Return the same day if the duty time allows, which saves the crew hotel and a second positioning
• Keep the departure time flexible by a few hours, so the operator can combine your flight with other work

Empty Legs: very rare on this type

With only a few passenger-configured F406s in Europe, Empty Legs come up very rarely, usually when the aircraft returns to base after a one-way trip. Such a leg can be 30-60% cheaper than a normal charter, but these are examples: the date and route are fixed, and the operator may cancel it for a full booking.

Send your route and a date window to empty-legs@jets.flights or through the Empty Legs page, and we include other twin turboprops in the search.

F406 or another turboprop

On the routes an F406 can fly, you normally also receive an offer for a turboprop that is easier to find in Europe.

How to ask for an F406

We need:

• route and date, ideally with a back-up date in winter
• number of people and baggage, especially skis, golf bags and pushchairs
• whether the flight is in the evening or after dark
• whether a King Air or a PC-12 is acceptable if no F406 is free

We always try to offer both options, but each case depends on the operator's availability and contract.

Questions about the Cessna F406 Caravan II

• • How much does an F406 cost from Nice to Figari?

  • From EUR 6,500 for the whole aircraft one way, with a flight time of 1:14 h according to the table. Shared by nine passengers that is about EUR 700 each. Airport fees and passenger taxes are added in the quote.

• • What makes up the price?

  • Flight time at the hourly rate, positioning from the aircraft's base, crew hotel if the aircraft waits, airport and handling fees, passenger taxes and winter de-icing.

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

  • Because of the minimum charge and positioning. Amsterdam to Brussels takes 0:54 h and starts at EUR 6,000, while London Farnborough to Geneva (2:26 h) starts at EUR 9,000, so the gap narrows with distance.

• • How can I fly more cheaply?

  • Let us compare twin turboprops based closer to you, return the same day when possible and keep the departure time flexible.

• • Are there Empty Legs on the F406?

  • Very rarely, because few aircraft fly passengers in Europe. A matching leg can be 30-60% cheaper, but the date is fixed and the operator may cancel it.

• • Is the F406 the same as a Grand Caravan?

  • No. The Grand Caravan has one engine and a high wing, the F406 has two engines, a low wing and a narrower cabin. They share only part of the name.

• • How many people can fly?

  • The type is certified for 12 passengers, but charter aircraft usually offer up to nine seats. Five to seven people travel most comfortably.

• • Is there a toilet on board?

  • There is no enclosed toilet. On legs over two hours a King Air or a PC-12 with an enclosed toilet, which we check for each aircraft, is the better choice.

• • How far can it fly without a stop?

  • The maximum range is about 2,200 km, but with a full cabin the practical leg is shorter. Frankfurt to Olbia (1,018 km, 3:07 h) is the longest in the table.

• • Can we bring the dog?

  • Yes, in the cabin once the operator has approved it, with a microchip, a valid rabies vaccination and an EU pet passport.