Gulfstream G400

Gulfstream used the name G400 for the last aircraft of the GIV-SP line. The fuselage, the Rolls-Royce Tay engines and the weights stayed the same, but the cockpit received Honeywell SPZ-8400 avionics and a head-up display as standard. Only 36 were built before the G450 took over production.

For passengers a G400 and a GIV-SP feel the same, so the choice comes down to the interior and the connectivity of the specific aircraft.

Cabin: standing headroom, galley and toilet

Six large oval windows line each side. The usual layout has four club seats forward, then a table with four seats or a divan along the side, and at the back another pair of seats or a second divan. The seats swivel and recline, and the divan converts into a bed.

• The galley by the entrance serves hot meals.
• The toilet at the rear has a door and a washbasin, with the hold behind it.
• Two pilots fly the jet; a flight attendant depends on the operator, who confirms it at booking.
• Connectivity varies: some aircraft have satellite or ground-based internet, others only a phone.

Baggage: 4.79 m³, but weight counts

The hold of about 4.79 m³ sits behind the toilet in the heated pressurised part of the fuselage. Eight passengers can each bring a large suitcase, and a smaller group also has room for skis, golf bags or a pushchair. With 13 or 14 on board, plan a medium suitcase and a bag per person.

On legs up to four hours, such as Geneva to Marrakesh or Paris to Larnaca, the jet takes less fuel and the weight limit stops mattering.

Engines, range and runways

Two Rolls-Royce Tay 611-8 engines give 61.6 kN each, and economical cruise is about 850 km/h. The 7,593 km range (4,100 nautical miles) shrinks by a few hundred kilometres with winter headwinds, detours around closed airspace and a distant alternate airport.

Airports in practice:

• Farnborough, Le Bourget, Geneva and the other hubs in the table have runways long enough for full tanks.
• Cannes-Mandelieu: the jet is under the 35 t limit, but the runway is 1,539 m, so for longer onward legs we land at Nice.
• Sion (2,000 m) with a trained crew; Samedan, 1,707 m above sea level, only with a clearly lower take-off weight.
• Lugano (1,414 m) is too short, and the 537 m sloped Courchevel altiport needs a special qualification and a much smaller aircraft.
• London: Farnborough, Luton or Biggin Hill, not London City.

Practical points for Europe

Sample G400 flights from European hubs

Each row is a one-way price for the whole aircraft with crew, before airport fees and passenger taxes. Flight time is the great-circle distance plus taxi, climb and approach.

Up to 2 hours: Riviera, Alps, islands and London

2 to 4 hours: Balearics, Aegean, Morocco and the Middle East

Over 4 hours: the Canaries, Cyprus, Arabia and the Gulf

• The jet flies every route in the table non-stop; the longest is London Farnborough to Dubai at 7:00 h.
• For Dubai, Doha or Tenerife with more than five people and full baggage, the operator checks the weight before confirming a non-stop flight.
• London to New York, about 5,530 km, works non-stop only for a small group with favourable winds; otherwise the operator plans a stop in Ireland or Iceland.
• On legs under two hours, such as Munich to Nice (1:14 h), a super-midsize jet is cheaper for up to six people.

The calculator shows an indicative price for the G400 or another large jet of the same class on your route.

What a Gulfstream G400 charter costs

The rate starts at EUR 8,300 per flight hour for the whole aircraft with crew and fuel, whether two or twelve people fly. Munich to Nice takes 1:14 h and starts at EUR 20,000, well above the rate times the flight time, because the operator's minimum charge and the empty flights from and back to base are included.

On longer legs the hourly rate dominates: Geneva to Marrakesh (2:53 h) starts at EUR 34,000, Zurich to Tenerife (4:06 h) at EUR 44,000 and Milan Linate to Dubai (6:00 h) at EUR 56,000.

Split across the passengers, Geneva - Marrakesh comes to:

How to fly for less

• Ask for a GIV-SP as well: the same aircraft with older avionics, and a specific offer can be cheaper.
• Return the same day when duty limits allow, to avoid crew hotel costs and a second positioning.
• Keep your times flexible, so the operator can fit your trip around its other flights.
• For up to six people on short legs, a super-midsize jet costs less in total.

Empty Legs on this type

Empty legs on a G400 are rare, as only a few aircraft fly. Legs on GIV-SPs and G450s turn up more often, mostly between London, Geneva, the Riviera and the Gulf after one-way trips, and in spring and autumn when aircraft reposition between seasons. A leg can cost 30-60% less than a normal charter, but the date and route are fixed, and the operator may cancel it if the aircraft gets a full charter.

Send your route and date window to empty-legs@jets.flights or through the Empty Legs page, and we watch all GIV-family aircraft for you.

G400, GIV-SP, G450 or Challenger 605

A client asking for a G400 in practice chooses between its sister versions and large jets from other makers at a similar hourly rate.

How to request the aircraft

Tell us:

• route, date and departure time;
• number of passengers and if anyone needs to sleep;
• skis, golf bags and pets, with breed and weight;
• if internet or a flight attendant is a must.

We look for a free G400 with operators holding an Air Operator Certificate and add GIV-SPs and G450s nearby. We always try to find the cabin you want, but each case depends on the aircraft and the operator's contract. Within Schengen there is no passport control, yet the operator needs passport or ID details of every passenger; EU citizens flying to the UK need an ETA.

Questions about the Gulfstream G400

• • How much does a G400 flight cost?

  • From EUR 8,300 per flight hour. Vienna to Palma starts at EUR 28,000, Hamburg to Tel Aviv at EUR 44,000 and Paris Le Bourget to Doha at EUR 59,000, for the whole aircraft one way. Airport fees and passenger taxes are added.

• • What makes up the price?

  • Flight hours, positioning from the jet's base, crew costs on multi-day trips, airport and handling fees, passenger taxes, catering, a flight attendant if listed separately and winter de-icing.

• • How can I fly for less?

  • Let us quote a GIV-SP or G450 parked nearer to you, return the same day if duty limits allow and keep your times flexible.

• • Are there Empty Legs on the G400?

  • Seldom on the G400 itself, more often on the GIV-SP and G450. A matching leg can be 30-60% cheaper, with a fixed date and route.

• • Is this the same aircraft as the new Gulfstream G400?

  • No. This G400 belongs to the GIV family and flies with Rolls-Royce Tay engines. The new one has a different fuselage, Pratt & Whitney PW812GA engines and fly-by-wire controls. Every offer names the type and year of the aircraft.

• • How many people does it carry?

  • Usually 10 to 14, depending on the layout; the certificate allows 19. On a night flight plan a smaller group, as there are fewer sleeping places than seats.

• • Is there a proper toilet?

  • Yes, an enclosed toilet with a washbasin at the rear of the cabin.

• • How far does it fly without refuelling?

  • Gulfstream quoted 7,593 km with eight passengers: enough for Dubai, Doha, Tel Aviv and the Canaries from the main European hubs. New York usually needs a stop.

• • Can I bring my dog?

  • Usually yes, in the cabin, 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, and the UK accepts pets only via approved routes and airports.