The hourly rate, class by class
These are the bands our flight desk quotes with in November 2026, from the smallest jets to airliners fitted as private cabins, plus the twin engine helicopter for short transfers.
Very Light Jet
e.g. Citation Mustang · up to 4 seats
€2,800 to €3,600 / hour
Light Jet
e.g. Citation CJ3 · up to 7 seats
€3,600 to €4,800 / hour
Midsize Jet
e.g. Citation XLS · up to 8 seats
€4,800 to €6,200 / hour
Super Midsize Jet
e.g. Challenger 350 · up to 9 seats
€6,200 to €8,000 / hour
Heavy Jet
e.g. Falcon 900 · up to 12 seats
€8,000 to €11,000 / hour
Ultra Long Range
e.g. Gulfstream G550 · up to 14 seats
€11,000 to €15,000 / hour
VIP Airliner
e.g. ACJ319 · up to 19 seats
€15,000 to €22,000 / hour
Helicopter
e.g. AW139 · up to 8 seats
€3,500 to €5,500 / hour
What the hourly rate includes
The hourly rate pays for the aircraft, the crew, the fuel, the maintenance reserves and the insurance. On commercial charter almost every jet flies with two pilots; from the super midsize class up a cabin attendant usually comes with the aircraft.
It does not include the airport side: landing, parking, handling, passenger and security fees, which depend on the weight of the aircraft and the country. Our model adds €1,900 of airport costs per leg. Overnight crew costs, de-icing in winter and special catering are quoted on top when they apply.
Block time, not flight time
The clock runs from engine start to engine stop, so taxi and climb count. In our model every leg carries about twenty minutes of ground and climb time on top of the cruise: a light jet from Milan Linate to London Farnborough is 1h 44m of block time for 563 nautical miles.
On a one way trip the aircraft also has to reach you or fly home empty. Those positioning hours are billed too, which is why one way prices are always a little higher than the hours in the air.
One hour, two hours, three hours
The same model applied to a one way leg of one, two and three hours of block time, positioning share and airport costs included.
| Block time | Midsize jet | Heavy jet |
|---|---|---|
| 1h 00m | €8,400 to €10,300 | €12,700 to €16,800 |
| 2h 00m | €14,900 to €18,600 | €23,500 to €31,600 |
| 3h 00m | €21,300 to €27,000 | €34,300 to €46,500 |
Atljet model, November 2026. Indicative ranges; the desk confirms aircraft, operator and final price.
A heavy jet costs about 1.7 times a midsize jet per hour, but it seats up to 12 instead of 8 and crosses an ocean with one stop less. The right class is the smallest one that is comfortable for the group and the distance.
