Nextant 400XT

The Nextant 400XT is not a new design but a thoroughly rebuilt Beechjet 400A or Hawker 400XP. Nextant Aerospace fitted new Williams FJ44-3AP engines, Collins Pro Line 21 avionics and a new interior, and replaced life-limited parts. Mainly the airframe remains, so the Nextant 400XT cabin has the same dimensions as the Hawker 400XP.

Cabin: old cross-section, new interior

The conversion did not change the fuselage, so the Nextant 400XT cabin is 1.45 m high and adults stoop, but the floor is flat along its whole length. Four seats usually face each other in the club section, with the others behind them.

Baggage: two compartments, about 1.6 m³

Bags go into two places: a compartment at the rear of the cabin and a tail hold loaded from outside, which cannot be reached in flight. With four people a medium suitcase each fits; with seven, soft bags are the better choice. Skis and golf bags fit in limited numbers, so give their number and length.

Speed, range and airports

The two Williams FJ44-3AP engines each give about 13.6 kN of thrust and have digital engine control (FADEC). Nextant quotes about 3,700 km with four passengers and NBAA IFR reserves. Westbound, to Lisbon or Faro, the prevailing wind shortens the real range, so the operator plans the fuel for the weather on the day.

At the maximum take-off weight of 7,394 kg the runway requirement is modest:

Flying the Nextant 400XT in Europe

Nextant 400XT flights from European hubs

The table lists 30 one-way flights from all thirteen hubs, ranging from Nice - Olbia (0:58 h) to Larnaca - Geneva (3:52 h). Prices are for the whole aircraft with two pilots, without airport fees and passenger taxes; flight time is the great-circle distance plus taxi, climb and approach.

Up to two hours: where the Hawker 400XP would do the same

Two to four hours: where the new engines make the difference

• Up to about three hours, such as Munich to Malaga, the Nextant 400XT flies the table routes non-stop even with a full cabin.
• London to Marrakesh, Vienna to Lisbon and Larnaca to Geneva are non-stop with four or five passengers; with seven people, suitcases and a headwind the operator may plan a fuel stop.
• Mykonos gives private aircraft only about 40 minutes of parking in summer, so the jet waits elsewhere.
• Paris or Geneva to Tenerife, about 2,800 km and over four hours, is at the limit: possible with four passengers, but with a full cabin it needs a stop, and a midsize jet with a higher cabin is more comfortable.

The calculator shows an indicative price for this model or a light jet of the same class on your route.

What a Nextant 400XT charter costs

The rate starts at EUR 3,200 per flight hour for the whole aircraft, with two pilots and fuel. On a short leg the price is clearly above rate times flight time: Paris Le Bourget to Nice takes 1:23 h and starts at EUR 9,500, because the operator's minimum charge and the flights to and from the base weigh the same on a short trip.

Long legs are where the Nextant 400XT pays off. Zurich to Lisbon (2:43 h) starts at EUR 14,000, and Larnaca to Geneva (3:52 h), beyond the range of the Hawker 400XP with the same cabin, at EUR 17,500.

The price covers the whole aircraft, so on London Farnborough - Nice the share per person falls with each passenger, before taxes and fees:

How to fly cheaper

• On legs up to about two hours, accept a Hawker 400XP with the same cabin: the extra range does not matter there.
• Return the same day if the crew's duty time allows, to avoid the crew hotel and a second positioning.
• Give a window of dates, so the operator can link your flight with another trip or offer an Empty Leg.

Empty Legs on this type

Empty Legs on the Nextant 400XT appear, but not often, as fewer aircraft fly in Europe than of other light jets; on short legs a Hawker 400XP with the same cabin may turn up instead. Typical directions are the Riviera, the Balearics and Portugal in summer, at 30-60% below a regular charter, with a fixed date and route. The leg can be cancelled 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, and we include other light jets in the search.

Nextant 400XT or another light jet

The closest alternatives are the Hawker 400XP, the Phenom 300 and two Cessna jets.

How to request the aircraft

For a quote we need:

• route, date and departure time;
• number of passengers and the rough weight of the bags on long legs;
• skis, golf bags and pets travelling with you;
• whether a Hawker 400XP or another light jet is acceptable.

We check free aircraft with operators holding an Air Operator Certificate (AOC), add similar jets and give the price including positioning; each case depends on the operator's schedule and contract. EU citizens flying to the UK need an ETA, and within Schengen the operator still needs passport or ID details of every passenger.

Questions about the Nextant 400XT

• • How much does a Nextant 400XT flight cost?

  • From EUR 3,200 per flight hour for the whole aircraft. London Farnborough to Geneva costs from EUR 10,000 and Munich to Malaga from EUR 14,500 one way, before airport fees and passenger taxes.

• • What makes up the price?

  • Flight time with fuel, positioning, the crew's hotel on overnight trips, airport and handling fees, passenger taxes, catering and winter de-icing.

• • How can I pay less?

  • On short legs accept a Hawker 400XP at the same rate, return the same day where possible and give flexible dates.

• • Are there Empty Legs on the Nextant 400XT?

  • Sometimes, mostly in summer towards the Riviera, the Balearics and Portugal, 30-60% cheaper, with a fixed date and route; the leg can be cancelled if the aircraft is chartered in full.

• • How does the Nextant 400XT differ from the Hawker 400XP?

  • Fuselage, cabin and baggage space are the same. The Nextant has new Williams FJ44-3AP engines that burn less fuel, Pro Line 21 avionics and a new interior, so it flies about 3,700 km with four passengers against 2,469 km.

• • How many passengers fit in a Nextant 400XT?

  • Usually seven, in some aircraft six or eight. Four or five travel most comfortably on legs over two hours, as the cabin is only 1.45 m high.

• • Is there a toilet on board?

  • Yes, at the rear of the cabin, behind a door.

• • How far does the Nextant 400XT fly without a stop?

  • About 3,700 km with four passengers and about 2,800 km with every seat taken. London to Marrakesh (3:24 h) is non-stop; Paris to Tenerife works with four passengers, but not with a full cabin.

• • Can I bring my dog?

  • Usually yes, a small dog in the cabin once the operator agrees. 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.

• • Can the Nextant 400XT land at Sion, Lugano or Courchevel?

  • Sion and Lugano yes, Lugano with a lower weight on hot days, and Sion with a trained crew. The Courchevel altiport is too short, so the jet lands at Chambéry or Geneva.