Aircraft Class Comparison 2026

Compare Private Jets, Side by Side

Light vs midsize vs heavy vs ultra-long-range — range, seats, speed, cabin and real hourly cost, so you charter the right aircraft, not the most expensive one.

Compare live quotes for your route — 3 options in minutes

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Jet Class Comparison Matrix

Technical specs and real-world hourly economics across four aircraft categories. Pick the cabin that matches the mission, not the brochure.

Spec	Light Jet	Midsize / Super-Mid	Heavy	Ultra-Long-Range
Example Tails	CJ3, Phenom 300, Lear 75	G280, Challenger 350, Citation X	Gulfstream G-IV, Falcon 900	G650, Global 7500, Falcon 8X
Passengers	4–7	7–9	10–14	12–19
Non-Stop Range	1,500 – 2,100 nm	2,800 – 3,500 nm	3,800 – 4,500 nm	6,500 – 7,700 nm
Typical Cruise	400 – 450 kn	460 – 490 kn	480 – 500 kn	490 – 516 kn
Cabin Height / Standing	4.5 – 4.9 ft (crouch)	5.7 – 6.1 ft (most stand)	6.1 – 6.3 ft (full stand)	6.2 – 6.5 ft (full stand)
Best For	Day trips, 1–2 hr hops, regional	Coast-to-coast US, transatlantic with stop	Transatlantic non-stop, large groups	Transpacific, global city-pairs, VIP
From Hourly Price	$2,500 – $3,500	$4,500 – $6,500	$7,500 – $11,000	$12,000 – $18,000

Which Jet for Your Trip?

Answer three questions and we will narrow the class to the aircraft that fits the mission and budget.

How many passengers?

The number of seats determines the minimum cabin class. Never assume a light jet works for 6 people with luggage.

1–3 → Light 4–6 → Light / Mid 7–9 → Mid 10+ → Heavy / Ultra

How far is the route?

Range is the hard constraint. If you need non-stop, the math is simple: pick the class that covers the distance with reserves.

< 1,500 nm → Light 1,500–3,000 nm → Mid 3,000–4,500 nm → Heavy > 4,500 nm → Ultra

What is the cabin experience priority?

Standing headroom, lie-flat beds, a full galley, and a lavatory with a door matter on long legs. Not all jets are equal.

Budget priority → Light Balance → Mid Comfort priority → Heavy VIP suite → Ultra

Sample Routes Mapped to Class

Real city-pairs, actual aircraft recommendations, and estimated hourly costs so you can benchmark before you request a quote.

Light Jet

TEB PWM

Teterboro → Portland, ME · 214 nm · ~45 min

Cessna Citation CJ3 or Phenom 300

~ $2,800 / hr

Light Jet

VNY LAS

Van Nuys → Las Vegas · 205 nm · ~50 min

Learjet 75 or Citation CJ4

~ $3,200 / hr

Midsize

TEB LAX

Teterboro → Los Angeles · 2,150 nm · ~5 hr

Gulfstream G280 or Challenger 350

~ $5,500 / hr

Super-Mid

MIA LHR

Miami → London · 3,840 nm · ~7.5 hr

Citation X or Challenger 650

~ $6,800 / hr

Heavy

JFK GVA

New York → Geneva · 3,450 nm · ~7 hr

Gulfstream G-IV or Falcon 900LX

~ $9,500 / hr

Ultra-Long

LAX HKG

Los Angeles → Hong Kong · 7,260 nm · ~14 hr

Gulfstream G650 or Global 7500

~ $15,000 / hr

Ultra-Long

DXB AKL

Dubai → Auckland · 7,500 nm · ~15 hr

Global 7500 or Falcon 10X

~ $16,500 / hr

Heavy

LHR DXB

London → Dubai · 3,200 nm · ~6.5 hr

Gulfstream G550 or Falcon 7X

~ $10,000 / hr

Frequently Asked Questions

What charter clients ask before picking an aircraft class for the first time.

Range and cabin height. A light jet flies 1,500–2,100 nm with a cabin you crouch in. A midsize jet covers 2,800–3,500 nm with a cabin most adults can stand in. For trips over 2 hours, the midsize comfort premium is usually worth the extra hourly cost.

Usually no. Heavy jets require longer runways (5,000+ ft) and higher pavement strength. If your destination is Aspen, St. Barts, or a private ranch strip, you will likely need a light or midsize aircraft, or a two-leg itinerary with a ground transfer.

The ranges are based on 2026 US broker market averages. Actual pricing depends on positioning, demand, fuel cost, and aircraft age. We provide itemized quotes with the exact hourly rate for the specific tail number proposed — no bundled averages.

For New York to London or Miami to Geneva, a heavy jet (Gulfstream G-IV, Falcon 900) handles the 3,500–4,000 nm range comfortably. For Los Angeles to London or Singapore to San Francisco, you need an ultra-long-range jet (G650, Global 7500) to cover 6,000+ nm without a fuel stop.

Yes. When an aircraft is already positioned near your departure city or needs to deadhead to its home base after your flight, we pass the repositioning savings through as a reduced hourly rate or waived positioning fee. We flag these opportunities in your quote.

We provide the tail number, operator certificate, year of manufacture, interior photos, and safety audit summary for every option. For bookings over $50,000, we can arrange a physical walk-through at the departure FBO before departure.