The short answer
A private jet can fly from about 1,150 nautical miles in the smallest very light jet to 6,150 nautical miles in the longest-range aircraft in the fleet guides. Those are maximum figures. The distance you can fly on the day depends on how many passengers and bags are on board, the winds and the reserves required, so a flight near the limit may need a fuel stop.
Key facts
- Maximum range runs from 1,150 nm (Citation Mustang) to 6,150 nm (Global Express XRS) across the fleet guides.
- Light jets reach most of Europe from the UK, and midsize jets cover the whole of Europe non-stop.
- Heavy jets span about 3,800 to 4,750 nm, and ultra long range jets reach 4,600 to 6,150 nm.
- Real-world range is lower than maximum range: passengers, bags and winds all take a share.
- A fuel stop costs time but can allow a smaller, cheaper aircraft to do a longer flight.
How far does each class of private jet fly?
Range is the first thing to check when you match an aircraft to a route. The table sets out the maximum range of each class from the Charter-A fleet guides, next to the typical flight length each class is used for. Range is quoted in nautical miles, and one nautical mile is a little more than a statute mile.
| Class | Passengers | Typical flight | Range | Cabin height | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Very Light Jets | 4–5 | Up to about 2 hours | 1,150–1,550 nm | 4’6” to 4’11” | Citation Mustang, Citation M2, Phenom 100 |
| Light Jets | 5–9 | Up to about 3 hours | 1,300–2,010 nm | 4’9” to 4’11” | Citation CJ1, Citation CJ2, Citation CJ3 |
| Midsize Jets | 6–9 | Up to about 4–5 hours | 1,875–2,930 nm | 5’7” to 5’9” | Citation XLS+, Hawker 900XP, Citation VI |
| Super Midsize Jets | Up to 9 | Up to about 6–7 hours | 2,700–4,018 nm | 5’8” to 6’0” | Citation Sovereign+, Citation Latitude, Praetor 600 |
| Heavy Jets | 11–14 | Up to about 8–9 hours | 3,800–4,750 nm | 6’0” to 6’2” | Challenger 604, Legacy 650, Falcon 900 |
| Ultra Long Range Jets | 9–19 | 11 hours and more | 4,600–6,150 nm | 6’2” to 6’7” | Global 5000, Global 6000, Global Express XRS |
| Turboprops | 6–8 | Up to about 2–3 hours | 1,470–1,800 nm | 4’9” to 5’9” | Pilatus PC-12, King Air 200, Piaggio Avanti II |
Figures for the aircraft types in the Charter-A fleet guides. Range is the maximum for the type; non-stop range on the day depends on passengers, baggage and winds.
The last two columns matter less than the range column when you are asking whether a jet can reach a place. The classes overlap: the longest-range light jets (about 2,000 nm) fly further than the shortest-range midsize jets (1,875 nm). So the class names are a guide to size, and the type on the quote is what tells you the range.
How far can each aircraft type fly?
| Class | Range in nautical miles, by aircraft type |
|---|---|
| Very light jets | Citation Mustang 1,150 · Phenom 100 1,178 · HondaJet 1,223 (Elite S 1,437) · Citation M2 1,550 |
| Light jets | Citation CJ1 1,300 · Citation Bravo 1,530 · Citation CJ2 1,613 · Citation CJ3 1,875 · PC-24 2,000 · Phenom 300E 2,010 |
| Midsize jets | Citation VI 1,875 · Citation III 1,900 · Citation VII 1,900 · Citation XLS+ 2,100 · Learjet 60XR 2,405 · Hawker 800XP 2,500 · Hawker 900XP 2,930 |
| Super midsize jets | Latitude 2,700 · Hawker 4000 3,190 · Sovereign+ 3,200 · Challenger 3500 3,400 · Praetor 600 4,018 |
| Heavy jets | Gulfstream G350 3,800 · Legacy 650 3,900 · Challenger 604 4,000 · Gulfstream GIV-SP 4,220 · Falcon 900 4,750 |
| Ultra long range | Lineage 1000 4,600 · Global 5000 5,200 · Falcon 7X 5,950 · Global 6000 6,000 · Global Express XRS 6,150 |
| Turboprops | Piaggio Avanti II 1,470 · King Air 200 1,500 · Pilatus PC-12 1,800 |
Maximum range for each type from the Charter-A fleet guides. Variants differ: for example the Falcon 900B is listed at 3,995 nm against 4,750 for the 900LX.
Is real-world range the same as maximum range?
No. The maximum range is the distance an aircraft can fly under the conditions the manufacturer quotes for it, and on a real flight three things take a share of it. The first is load: passengers and bags are weight, and an aircraft with a full cabin and heavy luggage carries less fuel than one with a light load. The second is wind, which can add or take away a great deal of ground distance. The third is reserve fuel, which the crew carries in case of a diversion and which is not part of the distance you fly.
The practical rule is to keep a route comfortably inside the maximum range of the aircraft. A flight that uses nine-tenths of the stated range on paper has little margin in practice. The fleet guides put it the same way in every class table: range on the day depends on passengers, baggage and winds.
What does a rough check look like?
You can test a route with a sum you can do yourself: divide the distance by the cruise speed to get still-air flying time. The Global 6000 has a range of 6,000 nm and cruises at 488 knots, so it is a flight of about twelve hours at the limit, in still air. That is the scale of the longest sectors, and it matches the class guide of 11 hours and more. At the other end, a Citation Mustang has 1,150 nm of range at 340 knots, which is a little over three hours at the limit.
Treat those as arithmetic, not as a forecast. Real flight time includes the climb, the descent, the approach and the winds on the day, and they are the reason a flight plan is always drawn up for the specific trip.
Which London routes are non-stop?
From London, anything within about 900 nautical miles, such as Paris, Geneva, Nice and Ibiza, is within non-stop reach of every class, including very light jets and turboprops. Beyond that the choice narrows. The table gives approximate distances and still-air times from central London to ten popular destinations, and which aircraft fly each one without a stop.
| From London to | Distance | Light jet | Midsize or heavy jet | Flown non-stop by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paris Le Bourget | 180 nm | 45 min | 40 min | Every class, including very light jets and turboprops |
| Edinburgh | 290 nm | 1 hr 05 min | 55 min | Every class, including very light jets and turboprops |
| Geneva | 400 nm | 1 hr 25 min | 1 hr 10 min | Every class, including very light jets and turboprops |
| Nice | 555 nm | 1 hr 50 min | 1 hr 35 min | Every class, including very light jets and turboprops |
| Ibiza | 760 nm | 2 hr 25 min | 2 hr 05 min | Every class, including very light jets and turboprops |
| Rome Ciampino | 780 nm | 2 hr 30 min | 2 hr 05 min | Every class, including very light jets and turboprops |
| Málaga | 910 nm | 2 hr 50 min | 2 hr 25 min | Light jets and larger; very light jets may need a fuel stop |
| Mykonos | 1,370 nm | With a fuel stop | 3 hr 30 min | Midsize and super-midsize jets; smaller jets may add a fuel stop |
| Tenerife South | 1,590 nm | With a fuel stop | 4 hr | Midsize and super-midsize jets; smaller jets may add a fuel stop |
| Larnaca | 1,760 nm | With a fuel stop | 4 hr 25 min | Super-midsize and heavy jets; smaller jets add a fuel stop |
Approximate airborne times in still air, worked out from the great-circle distance from central London. Routing, winds and the aircraft chosen change them on the day.
Use the table as a first filter. If your destination is shown as needing a fuel stop for a light jet, there are two solutions: a larger aircraft that flies it direct, or the smaller aircraft with a stop. Both can be quoted side by side.
When does a jet need a fuel stop?
When the sector is longer than the aircraft can fly with its load, plus reserves. The fleet guides give examples at different scales. A very light jet on a longer sector may need a fuel stop, and the Citation M2 is described as adding a short fuel stop and carrying on. At the heavy end, the Legacy 650 reaches the Canaries, the Middle East or West Africa from the UK non-stop and adds a brief fuel stop on the longest Atlantic sectors, and the Falcon 900B does the same where the 900LX does not.
A stop is not a defect in the plan. It adds time, typically a short turnaround at an airport on the way, and in return it can allow a smaller aircraft with a lower hourly cost to fly a route that would otherwise need a larger one. Whether that trade pays depends on the route, so we price both when the choice is close.
- Passengers and bags: more weight on board, less fuel, less range.
- Headwinds: they reduce ground speed and lengthen the flight, so the fuel needed rises.
- Reserves: crews carry fuel beyond the planned flight, and it is not part of the distance you fly.
- Airport choice: a short runway or a restricted airport can limit what the aircraft carries at take-off.
How do winds change the answer?
Winds at cruising height are strong enough to change a flight time by a meaningful margin, and they act differently on each direction. As a general rule a flight against a headwind takes longer and uses more fuel than the same flight with a tailwind, and across the Atlantic the westbound sector is the one facing headwinds more often. So the same aircraft can find one direction easier than the other.
Ask for the flight plan estimate rather than relying on the headline range for a long sector. The operator calculates it for the date, the load and the route, and it is more reliable than any table.
Does cruising altitude matter?
The fleet guides record the highest altitude each type is certified to, called its ceiling. The very light and light jets range from 41,000 to 45,000 feet, many of the midsize types are certified to 51,000 feet, and the ultra long range jets such as the Global 6000 and Falcon 7X to 51,000 feet. A higher ceiling gives the crew a wider choice of altitude. It is not a measure of range on its own, and the turboprops, with ceilings from 30,000 to 41,000 feet, are designed for shorter sectors.
How do you choose the right range for your trip?
- Find the distance for the route, with the airports you would actually use.
- Compare it with the maximum range, and keep the margin comfortable.
- Count the passengers and luggage, because a full load shortens the range.
- Check the direction and the season, since winds change the picture.
- Ask for options with and without a fuel stop when the route is close to the limit.
For the cost side of that choice, see how much it costs to charter a private jet, and for the passenger side, how many passengers fit on a private jet.
How far does each class reach in practice?
The class descriptions in the fleet guides translate the numbers into places. Very light jets are built for city pairs of up to around two hours, and on longer sectors a fuel stop may be needed. Light jets are described as having the range to reach most of Europe from the UK without stopping. Midsize jets, with ranges of roughly 1,900 to 2,900 nautical miles in the guides, put every European destination within non-stop reach.
Super midsize jets fly the length of Europe with fuel to spare and reach the Middle East and North Africa from the UK, and the Praetor 600 crosses the Atlantic. Heavy jets link the UK with North America, the Gulf and West Africa, with a short fuel stop on the very longest Atlantic sectors for some types. The ultra long range class flies non-stop where other aircraft need to refuel: London to Miami, Los Angeles and Dubai. The turboprops are for flights of up to about two to three hours.
Why do two variants of one aircraft have different ranges?
A type name often covers more than one version, and the versions can differ in range. The fleet guides record several such pairs: the HondaJet at 1,223 nm and the later Elite S at 1,437; the Citation CJ2 at 1,530 nm and the CJ2+ at 1,613; the Legacy 650 at 3,900 nm and the Legacy 600 at 3,400; the Falcon 900LX at 4,750 nm and the 900B at 3,995; and the King Air 200 at 1,500 nm and the B200 at 1,580.
That is why this article shows the range for the type and why your quote names the aircraft. A route that is comfortable for one variant can need a stop in another, and the difference between a 4,750 nm and a 3,995 nm aircraft can be the difference between a direct flight and one that refuels on the way. If the route is near a limit, ask which variant is being offered.
Does speed matter as much as range?
Speed decides how long the range takes to use. The fleet guides record cruise speeds from 270 knots for the King Air 200 to 488 knots for the Global and Falcon 7X aircraft, and the faster aircraft cover the same distance in less time. Light jets cruise at around 380 to 450 knots and midsize jets at 440 to 460, so on a two-hour flight the difference between them is a matter of minutes.
On a long sector the gap widens in hours rather than minutes. A turboprop at 285 knots needs about three and a half hours to cover 1,000 nautical miles in still air, a light jet at 418 knots about two and a half, and an ultra long range jet at 488 knots about two. These are cruise-only sums, but they show why a turboprop is for the shorter sectors even where its range would allow more.
What should you ask the operator about range?
You do not need to be an expert to ask good questions, and four of them cover most of what matters. Is the route flown non-stop with my passengers and bags on that date? If not, where is the stop and how long is it? Is there a larger or longer-range aircraft available, and what does it cost? And which variant of the aircraft is being offered, since variants of one type can differ by hundreds of nautical miles.
The answers come from a flight plan the operator draws up for your date, not from a table. For a short sector inside the range of every class, the question hardly arises, which is why a flight from London to Paris, Geneva or Nice is quoted on cost and cabin alone. It matters on the longer sectors, where a stop, a larger aircraft or a different departure airport can change the price and the journey time.
More questions
What is the longest range of a private jet?
In the Charter-A fleet guides, the Bombardier Global Express XRS has the longest range at 6,150 nautical miles, followed by the Global 6000 at 6,000 and the Falcon 7X at 5,950. These fly London to Miami and the US West Coast routes the class is used for.
Can a small private jet fly across the Atlantic?
Not the smallest. Very light and light jets top out around 2,000 nautical miles. Transatlantic range starts in the super midsize class, where the Praetor 600 has 4,018 nm, and in the heavy and ultra long range jets, some with a short stop on the longest sectors.
Why is real range less than the figure on the spec sheet?
Because the spec figure is a maximum under stated conditions. On your flight, passengers and bags take a share of the weight, winds add or remove distance and reserve fuel must remain. The operator works out what is possible for your date and load.
Is a fuel stop bad?
No. It adds time, usually a short turnaround, and it can let a smaller aircraft with a lower hourly cost fly a longer route. It is a trade between time and cost, and we can quote the route both ways when it is close.
How far can a turboprop fly?
The turboprops in the fleet guides range from 1,470 nautical miles (Piaggio Avanti II) to 1,500 (King Air 200) and 1,800 (Pilatus PC-12). They are designed for flights of up to about two to three hours rather than long sectors.
Can I fly from London to Dubai non-stop?
Heavy jets such as the Falcon 900LX, at 4,750 nm, and the Gulfstream GIV-SP link the UK and the Middle East in one sector. The ultra long range aircraft do it with margin. The exact aircraft depends on your party, bags and date.
Related articles
Which size of private jet do I need?
Compared by size, the rule is simple: choose the smallest aircraft that carries your party and its luggage the distance without stopping.
How many passengers can a private jet carry?
A private jet carries from four passengers in the smallest very light jets to 19 in a VIP airliner.
How much does it cost to charter a private jet?
Chartering a private jet typically costs from around £2,000 to £3,000 per flying hour for a small jet, rising to £6,000 to £8,000 per hour and more for a large or long-range jet.
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Ranges, cruise speeds and ceilings are from the Charter-A fleet guides; distances and still-air times come from the ready-made London table; the explanations of load, winds and reserves are general aviation practice. Charter-A Ltd acts as agent for the passenger; details are confirmed for each flight at booking.