Learjet 25

The Learjet 25 is a stretched Learjet 24, one of the first business jets ever built. Two General Electric CJ610 turbojets drive it at up to 859 km/h, faster than many newer light jets. The cabin is 3.66 m long and 1.32 m high; the maker lists eight seats, but four people travel in comfort. Learjet built 369 aircraft, and most of those still flying are in North and Latin America.

Learjet 25 cabin: low, narrow and best for four

The cabin measures 3.66 m in length, 1.32 m in height and 1.50 m in width. Four club seats face each other in pairs, a bench runs across the rear and a side seat stands opposite the door. That makes the eight places in the maker's data, but with a full cabin passengers sit knee to knee and nobody stands upright.

Several versions fly under the name, all with the same cabin:

• the 25C has larger fuel tanks;
• the 25D and 25G have stronger CJ610-8A engines and reach 15,545 m (51,000 ft).

Baggage: soft bags only

In the Learjet 25 bags go behind the rear bench, inside the cabin, so you can reach them in flight. Space is tight: with four passengers there is room for a cabin case and a soft bag each, not for a large suitcase per person.

• Skis and golf bags: give their number and length, because length, not volume, decides whether they fit.
• Legs over two hours: with full tanks only about 364 kg remains for people and bags, so the operator weighs everything.

Speed, noise and airports

With every seat taken and reserves for an alternate airport, the Learjet 25 covers about 1,660 km. The CJ610 engines burn a lot of fuel, especially low down, so a queue before take-off or holding before landing eats into the reserve faster than in newer jets.

At maximum weight the Learjet 25 needs about 1,400 m of runway to take off and about 1,320 m to land:

• Cannes-Mandelieu (1,539 m) depends on weight and weather; if the margin is too small, the jet lands at Nice.
• London City, Lugano and Saint-Tropez La Môle are out of reach.
• The 537 m sloped Courchevel altiport is far too short and needs a special qualification; Chambéry is the usual airport for the French ski resorts.

Flying an old turbojet in Europe

The nearest free aircraft may belong to an operator outside the EU, including the UK, which cannot normally fly a passenger leg inside one EU country, such as Paris to Chambéry.

Learjet 25 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 780 km/h plus time for taxi, climb and approach. Departures from Geneva and Zurich need an aircraft with a hushkit.

Up to two hours: where the speed counts

Two hours and more: the end of the range

• Legs up to two hours, such as Amsterdam to Nice, are flown non-stop with a full cabin.
• London to Palma (2:12 h) and Vienna to Mykonos (2:16 h) suit four passengers with soft bags.
• Milan to Mykonos and London to Malaga (2:37 h) are at the limit: a small group, light bags and calm winds, otherwise the operator plans a fuel stop.

Lisbon from Munich or Vienna, the Canaries and Cyprus from Western Europe are beyond this jet: we quote the Learjet 35 or a newer light jet with more range and space for bags.

The calculator gives an indicative price for the Learjet 25 or a light jet of the same size on your route.

What a Learjet 25 charter costs

The rate starts at EUR 2,600 per flight hour for the whole aircraft, with two pilots and fuel. Short legs cost much more than the rate times the flight time: Milan Linate to Cannes takes 0:52 h and starts at EUR 8,000, because the price includes the operator's minimum charge and the aircraft's flights from and to its base.

On longer legs the fixed part weighs less: Nice to Ibiza (1:26 h) starts at EUR 9,500, London Farnborough to Malaga (2:37 h) at EUR 12,500.

The price is for the whole aircraft, so on Nice - Olbia the share per person halves when four fly instead of two:

How to pay less

• Ask us to compare with a newer light jet based closer to you: its higher hourly rate is often offset by shorter positioning.
• Return on the same day, so the crew needs no hotel and the jet flies to you only once.
• Keep the group to four and the bags soft: on legs over two hours this avoids a fuel stop.

Empty Legs on this type

Empty Legs on the Learjet 25 are very rare, because hardly any aircraft fly passenger trips in Europe. Other light jets in a similar price range offer them far more often, mostly in summer towards the Riviera, Sardinia and the Balearics. They can cost 30-60% less than a regular charter, but the date and route are fixed and the operator may cancel the leg if the aircraft gets a full charter.

Send your route and a window of dates to empty-legs@jets.flights or through the Empty Legs page.

Learjet 25 or a newer jet

Clients asking for this type usually want a small, fast jet for a leg of up to two hours. These aircraft fly the same routes and are easier to find.

How to request the jet

Tell us in the request:

• route, date and preferred departure time;
• number of passengers and how much baggage you take;
• if a newer aircraft of the same size is acceptable to you.

We check whether a free aircraft with an AOC operator exists and whether the airports on your route accept it, and we send a quote for the nearest free jet of the same size. We always try to offer both, but each case depends on the operator's schedule and contract. Within Schengen there is no passport control, yet the operator needs passport or ID details for every passenger; EU citizens flying to the UK need an ETA.

Questions about the Learjet 25

• • How much does a Learjet 25 flight cost?

  • From EUR 2,600 per flight hour for the whole aircraft. Munich to Nice starts at EUR 9,000, London Farnborough to Palma at EUR 11,500 one way, before airport fees and passenger taxes.

• • What makes up the price?

  • Flight time, positioning from the base of the Learjet 25, crew hotel on overnight trips, airport and noise fees, passenger taxes, catering and winter de-icing.

• • How can I fly cheaper?

  • Let us quote a newer light jet based nearer to you alongside the Learjet 25 and return on the same day. On short legs, positioning decides the total more than the hourly rate.

• • Are there Empty Legs on the Learjet 25?

  • Very rarely. Empty Legs on other light jets are more realistic and can be 30-60% cheaper, with a fixed date and route.

• • How many passengers can fly?

  • The maker lists up to eight places, but four travel best.

• • Is there a toilet on board?

  • Only a small unit under the side seat behind a curtain, and in some aircraft it is out of service. If an enclosed toilet matters, choose the Citation M2 or CJ3.

• • How far can it fly without a stop?

  • Up to about 2,222 km, and about 1,660 km with a full cabin. London to Malaga (2:37 h) is the limit for a small group.

• • Can it land at Geneva or Zurich?

  • Only if the aircraft has a hushkit: Switzerland does not accept Chapter 2 jets. The operator checks the noise rules of every airport before confirming.

• • Can I bring my dog?

  • A small dog can fly in the cabin once the operator agrees; give breed, weight and carrier, as space is tight. 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.