Very Light Jets

What makes a jet a very light jet

The term describes small twin-engine jets, most of them certified for a single pilot, with a maximum take-off weight under 5.7 t. In practice that means four seats facing each other in pairs, sometimes a fifth on the side, a short cabin without a galley and no room for a flight attendant. The pilots hand out the drinks and snacks loaded before departure.

Weight is what limits the class. With two pilots, four passengers and their bags, most of these jets reach their maximum take-off weight before the tanks are full. Manufacturers quote ranges of 2,100-2,900 km, but operators plan the longest legs at roughly 1,300-2,000 km, depending on the type and the load.

Models in the class

The table shows the very light jets in our catalogue, with passengers, range quoted by the manufacturer, cruise speed, cabin height, baggage volume and the starting hourly rate for the whole aircraft with crew.

None of the Citation Mustang, CJ1, Citation I, Citation 501 and Eclipse 500 is built any more, but the first two still fly with many European operators. For rare types the quote always includes a second, easier-to-find jet of the same size, and it names the version and year of each aircraft.

Cabin, toilet and baggage

Inside a very light jet, the types differ more than the table suggests. Toilet and hold decide whether a two-hour leg with four adults works well.

For four passengers, plan the luggage like this:

• one cabin-size case and one soft bag per person in a Mustang, Phenom 100 or HondaJet
• soft bags rather than hard cases in a CJ1 or M2, where the holds are smaller
• skis and golf bags only after the operator has checked their length, since the shape of the hold matters more than its volume
• medicine, documents and chargers in the cabin, as most holds cannot be reached in flight

A small dog usually travels in the cabin when the operator agrees before booking. Within the EU it needs a microchip, a rabies vaccination and an EU pet passport.

Typical trips and airports in Europe

A very light jet works best on legs of one to two and a half hours with two to four people. Typical trips from the hubs on this page:

Short take-off runs open smaller airports, though each one has its own rules:

• Cannes-Mandelieu (1,539 m) is within reach of every type in the class, a short drive from Cannes.
• Sion (2,000 m) and Samedan, about 1,700 m above sea level, need a crew trained for the mountain approach. Samedan allows instrument approaches only in daylight, and heat cuts the take-off weight.
• London City and Lugano have steep approaches that need a separate approval for aircraft and crew, so for London we usually plan Farnborough, Luton or Biggin Hill.
• Saint-Tropez La Môle (1,071 m) takes small jets only under seasonal limits set for each aircraft, and the 537 m sloped altiport at Courchevel is closed to all of them.

Further trips need care. Lisbon, Malaga or Athens from central Europe are at the edge of what most of the class can fly with four people, and only the HondaJet reaches them in the table without a stop. The Canary Islands, Cyprus from western Europe and the Gulf need a fuel stop or a larger jet.

Prices and flight times from European hubs

All prices are one way for the whole aircraft with crew and fuel, before airport fees and passenger taxes. Flight time includes taxi, climb and approach. Every route is planned without a fuel stop.

On a one-hour hop the hourly rate is only part of the bill. London - Paris in a Citation Mustang takes 1:08 h at EUR 2,500 per hour, yet the trip starts at EUR 7,500. The rest covers positioning the aircraft, the operator's minimum charge, crew costs and handling. From two hours upwards the flight time takes over: London - Nice in a HondaJet costs from EUR 11,000, and Munich - Lisbon (3:20 h) from EUR 14,500.

The price of a very light jet does not depend on the number of people on board, so four passengers pay the same as one. On the same route the types differ by little: London - Paris costs from EUR 7,500 in a Mustang and Paris - Geneva from EUR 8,500 in an M2, with almost the same flight time.

Business jet price per flight hour

Heavy Jets from EUR 8,300 / hour

Light Jets from EUR 3,200 / hour

Ultra Long Range Jets from EUR 12,000 / hour

Super Midsize Jets from EUR 6,300 / hour

Very Light Jets from EUR 2,500 / hour

Long Range Jets from EUR 9,800 / hour

Midsize Jets from EUR 4,500 / hour

Turboprops from EUR 2,000 / hour

What goes into the final quote:

• flight time multiplied by the hourly rate of the type
• positioning, when the nearest free aircraft is based in another city
• crew hotel and allowances on a return after several days, or two empty legs instead
• landing, parking and handling fees, highest at Nice, Geneva, Le Bourget and the London airports in season
• passenger taxes in France, Italy, Germany and Austria; neither UK Air Passenger Duty nor the Dutch passenger tax applies to aircraft under 5.7 t, which covers the whole class
• catering ordered in advance and de-icing in winter

How to pay less

• Return the same day where the crew's duty time allows: no hotel and no second positioning.
• Keep the departure time flexible, so an aircraft finishing a trip nearby can take yours.
• For a return after two or three days, compare two one-way quotes with one where the jet waits.
• Ask for several types at once: the Mustang, CJ1, M2, Phenom 100 and HondaJet have similar rates, and a wider choice means shorter positioning.
• Accept an older version of the same type, such as a CJ1 instead of an M2, when the route is within its range.

Empty Legs on a very light jet are common, since many air taxi companies fly these jets around Switzerland, northern Italy, Austria, the Riviera, Corsica and Sardinia. Such a leg can cost 40-65 % less than a normal charter.

European rules that affect the trip

When a larger aircraft is the better choice

How to book

Send us the following, and we come back with very light jet offers from operators that hold an Air Operator Certificate:

• route, date and preferred departure time, or a time window
• number of passengers and bags, with skis, golf bags and pushchairs listed separately
• pets: species, weight and carrier
• airports that need approvals, such as London City, Lugano or Samedan
• any preferred type, or a note that any jet of the class will do

The quote names the operator, the type, its version and year, positioning and taxes. For short-notice flights call +357 96407410: the office answers from 08:00 to 23:30, and requests by e-mail to private@jets.flights are accepted around the clock.

Why book a very light jet through a broker

Very light jets are spread across many small air taxi companies, often with one or two aircraft each. We compare offers from several of them for the same date, so the free jet closest to your departure airport is found quickly and positioning stays short.

With access to about 6,500 aircraft through operators, we can also add a turboprop or a light jet to the same quote when it is cheaper or better suited to your route.

Our team

Charlotte McKinney

Commercial Director

charlotte.m@jets.flights

Henry Richter

Head of Aviation Department and Data Protection Officer

henry.r@jets.flights

Emma Miller

Director of Development

emma.m@jets.flights

Liam Bishop

Senior Aviation Consultant

liam.b@jets.flights

Oliver Davis

Aviation Consultant

oliver.d@jets.flights

Anna Laurent

Aviation Consultant

anna.l@jets.flights

Questions about very light jet charter

• • How much does it cost to charter a very light jet?

  • Hourly rates start at EUR 2,500 for the whole aircraft with crew and fuel. Short legs cost more than rate times time: London - Paris starts at EUR 7,500 and London - Nice at EUR 11,000 one way, before airport fees and passenger taxes.

• • How many passengers fit in a very light jet?

  • Four in the club seats is the usual load. Many CJ1 and some M2 have a fifth side seat, and in the Mustang a fifth person can sit on the toilet seat for take-off and landing, but then there is little room for bags.

• • How far can a very light jet fly without a stop?

  • Operators plan the longest legs at about 1,300-2,000 km with four people, depending on the type. That covers the Alps, Paris, the Riviera and the Balearics from most of western and central Europe; the HondaJet flies Munich - Lisbon in the table without a stop.

• • Is there a toilet on board?

  • The Phenom 100 and HondaJet have an enclosed toilet with a door, the CJ1 and M2 have one at the rear with a curtain or door, and the Mustang has a chemical toilet in a cabinet. The Eclipse 500 has none.

• • Can a very light jet land at Courchevel, Saint-Tropez or London City?

  • Courchevel's 537 m altiport is closed to all jets. Saint-Tropez La Môle is possible only under seasonal limits for each aircraft, and London City needs an approval for aircraft and crew, so we usually plan Farnborough, Luton or Biggin Hill.

• • Which very light jet is the cheapest?

  • The Citation Mustang, Citation CJ1, Citation I, Citation 501 and Eclipse 500 start at EUR 2,500 per hour. The real price depends more on where the nearest free aircraft is based than on the type itself.

• • Do we pay UK Air Passenger Duty?

  • No. Every type in the class weighs under 5.7 t at take-off, so UK departures are exempt, and so are departures from the Netherlands. France, Italy, Germany and Austria still charge their passenger taxes.

• • How many pilots fly the aircraft?

  • Most types are certified for one pilot, but the operator decides whether one or two fly. Tell us in the request if two pilots matter to you.

• • Are Empty Legs available on very light jets?

  • Yes, fairly often, mainly between Switzerland, northern Italy, Austria, the Riviera, Corsica and Sardinia. They can cost 40-65 % less than a normal charter, but the operator fixes the date and route.

• • How quickly can a very light jet be booked?

  • Often within a few hours, when an aircraft is free near your departure airport and the crew is within duty time. Call +357 96407410 for short-notice requests.