How much does a private jet cost? What drives the price
Charter prices are usually calculated per block hour – the time from taxiing out to parking at the destination. Route and aircraft class therefore matter most: a light jet costs far less per hour than a heavy jet, but on long routes it needs fuel stops that add time and fees.
On top of flight hours come airport, handling and landing fees for every leg and, on a return trip, the crew’s overnight costs at the destination. The calculator uses these hourly rates as a range:
- Pilatus PC-12: approx. €1,900–2,800 per block hour
- Turboprop (e.g. King Air 350): approx. €2,200–3,200
- Light jet (e.g. Citation CJ3+, Phenom 300E): approx. €3,200–4,500
- Midsize jet (e.g. Citation XLS+): approx. €4,500–6,000
- Super midsize jet (e.g. Challenger 350): approx. €6,000–8,000
- Heavy jet (e.g. Falcon 900LX): approx. €8,000–11,000
- Ultra long range jet (e.g. Gulfstream G650): approx. €11,000–15,000
One way or return?
A private jet usually starts and ends its day at its home base. If you only book the outbound flight, the aircraft has to fly back empty afterwards – and you pay for all or part of that positioning flight. That is why a one-way flight often costs well over half the price of a return trip.
If you stay a few days, the crew waits at the destination and overnight costs apply. For longer stays the aircraft often returns to base in between, so the calculator caps the billed nights.
Cost per person: private jet vs. business class
With a private jet you pay for the whole aircraft – the more seats you fill, the lower the price per person. With business class the total rises with every additional traveller. For families, teams or groups of friends a private jet can therefore come closer to an airline ticket than expected.
The calculator compares both and shows from how many passengers the private jet is cheaper on your route. If you know your business class fare, enter it – otherwise we use a rough estimate. The time saved on the ground is not included; our travel time comparison shows it.
Empty legs: the cheaper way to fly private
Empty legs are exactly the positioning flights that one-way charters create: the jet has to fly anyway, so the operator sells it at a reduced price. The catch: route and date are fixed and can change at short notice.
Below the calculator you can see the prices at which empty legs in the selected class are typically offered on PrivJet – based on empty legs touching Europe over the past 18 months, always for the whole aircraft.
How we calculate
- Block time: as in the flight time calculator – great-circle distance plus 5% for airways, the class’s cruise speed, 15 minutes of climb and descent and 20 minutes of taxi per leg, 45 minutes per fuel stop.
- Hourly rates per class as a range (see above), multiplied by block time.
- Flat fees per leg: PC-12 €400, turboprop €500, light jet €700, midsize €1,000, super midsize €1,300, heavy €2,000, ultra long range €3,000. Every fuel stop counts as an additional leg.
- One way: flight cost multiplied by 1.4 (lower bound) to 2.0 (upper bound) for the positioning flight back to base, plus fees. Positioning thus accounts for roughly 41% of the price.
- Return: two legs with fees plus €1,100 per crew night, capped at 4 nights.
- Cost per person: total price divided by the number of passengers. All prices rounded to €100, excluding VAT.
- Business class without your own fare: rough estimate of €0.50 per km up to 4,000 km and €0.42 per km beyond, at least €450 per person per direction; return trips with a factor of 1.8.
- Break-even: the smallest number of passengers at which business class in total costs more than the middle of the charter range – only within the seats of the selected class.
- Empty leg prices: quartiles (25%, median, 75%) of all priced empty legs in the class touching Europe from 18 months of PrivJet data, shown from 20 priced legs.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a private jet cost per hour?
Depending on class we use roughly €1,900–2,800 per block hour for a Pilatus PC-12, €3,200–4,500 for a light jet, €4,500–6,000 for a midsize jet and up to €11,000–15,000 for an ultra long range jet. Fees per leg and, on one-way flights, the positioning flight come on top.
Why is a one-way private jet flight so expensive?
Because after your flight the jet usually returns empty to its base, and that positioning flight is priced in. The calculator applies a surcharge of 40 to 100% on the flight cost. It gets cheaper if you find a matching empty leg or the operator has a follow-on booking.
From how many passengers is a private jet cheaper than business class?
That depends heavily on route, aircraft class and your business class fare. On short European routes with a small jet at full occupancy a private jet can come close to business class; on long-haul routes it rarely does. The calculator shows the number for your route.
What is an empty leg and how much cheaper is it?
An empty leg is a positioning flight without passengers, for example on the way back to base. Operators offer these flights at reduced prices because they take place anyway. The calculator shows how prices in your class compare with a regular charter, based on our data from the past 18 months.
Are taxes and fees included in the price?
Airport, handling and landing fees are included as a flat amount per leg. Not included are VAT, de-icing, special catering requests and surcharges for peak dates or particularly expensive airports. The operator lists these items in the binding quote.
How accurate is the private jet cost calculator?
The calculator gives a range for orientation, not a quote. The actual price depends on availability, season, where the nearest free aircraft is based, the aircraft’s age and cabin, and airport fees. You receive firm prices through a charter request.