As an individual or organisation in the UK that’s interested in acquiring the services of a private jet, you may be wondering what the costs of chartering different types of private jets are. Learn more about the price of a private jet charter here.
What Does It Cost to Charter a Private Jet in the UK?
From skipping airport queues to elevated onboard luxury, there are a variety of benefits to flying by private jet instead of scheduled airliners. But, how much does a private jet cost? And how much is it to charter a private jet?
While we unpack private jet prices, private jet hire and why it makes more sense to fly via a private jet charter in this article, if you want an accurate charter cost, contact one of our experts today for a no-obligation quote.
The cost of flying by private jet – key takeaways
- If you fly regularly and want to buy a private jet, a private jet can cost anywhere from £1 million to more than £60 million depending on a variety of factors.
- If you buy a private jet, you’ll also have to pay ongoing costs such as maintenance, hangar rentals and crew salaries.
- A private jet charter can cost anywhere from £6,000 to more than £60,000. Keep reading to learn more about what impacts the cost of private jet hire as well as some pricing examples.
- Chartering a private jet means you only pay for the flight - or flights - you take. A broker can organise the entire charter from start to finish and find you the most cost-effective option on your behalf
What does it cost to buy a private jet?
The short answer to the question: “how much is a private jet?” is that it’s a costly business, with prices typically increasing along with the size (or class) of the aircraft. For example:
- The cost of a light jet like the Embraer Phenom 100 costs anywhere between £1.2 million and £2.3 million (depending on its age and mileage).
- A super-light jet like the Bombardier Learjet 75 costs anywhere between £5.4 million and £11.2 million. While the popular Embraer Phenom 300 costs anywhere between £6 million and £7.25 million.
- A mid-size jet like the Cessna Citation XLS+ can cost about £6.1 million for a 2008 model, up to around £11.8 million for a 2021 edition.
- The modern super mid-size Bombardier Challenger 350 costs between £17 million and £19 million.
- The Gulfstream G650 ultra-long-range heavy jet comes with a price tag of between £32 million and £52 million.
But that’s not all you need to take into account when you’re buying a private jet. In addition to the initial cost, maintenance costs can range from thousands to millions of pounds every year.
How a private jet charter price is calculated
Many factors affect the price of a private jet rental. Typically, the factors that influence the price of a private jet charter include:
- Aircraft type and size
- Aircraft availability
- Journey distance
- Refuelling costs
- Airport landing and handling fees
- Crew salaries
- Passenger taxes
- Repositioning costs
- Number of passengers
- Amount of luggage
Other contributing costs could include crew overnight expenses, hangar fees, cleaning costs, WiFi charges and catering. However, the most important of these is typically the size (or class) of the aircraft, which is where using a private jet broker can be beneficial. They will source a variety of aircraft that match your unique requirements, securing the best charter rates on your behalf. Once you choose your aircraft, they will organise the entire charter from start to finish, so all you need to do is turn up for your flight.
What does it cost to hire a light or super light private jet in the UK?
Entry-level very light jets, light jets, and super light jets typically provide the cheapest private jet flights in the UK. These aircraft accommodate a limited number of passengers and are well-suited for shorter trips. Popular choices include the Cessna Citation Mustang, the Citation CJ1, CJ2 and CJ3, the Bombardier Learjet 35 and the Embraer Phenom 300.
For a flight from London Farnborough Airport to Manchester, prices start from about £6,500* in a five-seat Citation CJ1, which can complete the journey in about 40 minutes. For a slightly larger plane that can accommodate up to seven passengers, the price increases to around £11,000 in the Cessna Citation Bravo. By way of another example, the journey from Liverpool to Dublin can be completed in under 40 minutes in a seven-seater charter such as the Bombardier Learjet 40 for around £12,500.
If you’re travelling to a popular destination in Europe, the Embraer Phenom 300 is one of the most sought-after private jets to charter. A flight on this seven-seat super light jet from London Farnborough to Ibiza would cost around £15,000.
What does it cost to hire a mid-sized or super mid-sized private jet in the UK?
Given that flying routes within the UK are generally quite short, you only really need to hire a more spacious aircraft when you want to accommodate a larger number of passengers. Some mid-sized jets such as the Citation XLS+ and Dassault Falcon 50 have space for up to nine people.
A flight from London Farnborough to Edinburgh in a Hawker Beechcraft 850XP, Citation Excel or XLS will cost around £19,000. These aircraft accommodate up to eight passengers and can complete the journey in under an hour.
If you’re travelling eastward, a trip from London Farnborough to Nice onboard a Hawker 800XP, for example, can cost around £17,000 depending on several variables. A longer trip, such as London Farnborough to Istanbul onboard a modern Bombardier Challenger 350 would cost around £25,000.
What does it cost to charter a heavy or ultra-long-range heavy private jet in the UK?
If you’re travelling with an even larger group of passengers, a heavy jet is ideal. The Dassault Falcon 900EX and Bombardier Global 5000, for example, both have 13 seats (depending on configuration) and luxurious interiors, ensuring your party arrives at its final destination in style.
Heavy jet charters from London Farnborough to Glasgow can cost anything from £25,000. A 13-seat Bombardier Global 5000 or 6000 can complete the journey in a little over an hour at a price of about £30,000, while prices start from £28,500 for a 12-seat Bombardier Challenger 650 or an Embraer Legacy 600 or 650.
A longer flight onboard this class of jet will likely be more expensive. For example, a flight onboard a Bombardier Challenger 605 flying from London Farnborough to Dubai can cost more than £60,000.
What is an empty-leg private jet charter?
An “empty-leg” charter is often the cheapest way to fly by private jet. An empty leg is when a private jet is booked for a one-way trip and is scheduled to return home or travel to another destination without any passengers, allowing seats to be booked at up to 75% off a standard private jet charter price.
If you are looking for a more affordable private jet alternative and have a flexible schedule that will allow you to take advantage of an empty-leg flight, you can learn more about our empty leg flights here.
Charter a plane with Air Charter Service
While owning a private jet means that you can use it when you want and it can often be used for decades before reaching the end of its lifespan, there are many reasons that make it a much pricier option. For most people who’d like to have access to a private plane, chartering a private jet remains the more cost-effective, flexible and easier option, especially when you choose to charter a plane with Air Charter Service.
We have been in operation for over 30 years, growing a global network of offices and partners that allows us to source the best private aircraft to suit your travel requirements. Contact us for a personalised quote and arrange your private jet charter today.
* All prices are based on operators' pricing profiles as well as their past quoting behaviour. Prices are exclusive of sales taxes. Prices quoted in this article are an estimate based on a variety of factors. Please contact our charter experts for a fixed price.