how much does it cost to charter a private jet?
The cost of chartering a private jet his based on a number of factors, of which the main are:
Size of Aircraft
Distance of Flight
One Way or Return
Airport Landing & Handling Fees
Empty Legs
Size of Aircraft
The size of the aircraft is key when choosing the correct private jet for your trip! It wouldn't make sense to charter a jet for two people from London to Paris on a 16 seat 'Ultra Long Range' 'Global Express', the cost would be disproportionately large. It might be surprising to find that this happens more often than might be expected, purely due to a lack of understanding.
A more appropriate private jet for this kind of short range trip could be a ultra light Citation Mustang. Fast, inexpensive in comparison, and with plenty of luggage space to bring back all your continental purchases.
Distance of Flight
There are circumstances where the number of passengers becomes irrelevant when deciding on the size of the aircraft required for a journey. For example, if the requirement is for two people to charter from London to New York, a larger private jet is required purely due to the fuel needs.
The use of a larger jet will also generally result in a reduced flight time. Generally a private jet is charged at an hourly rate, so the longer an aircraft is airborne, the more it will cost.
One Way vs. Return
It might seem logical to assume that a one way private jet flight would cost less than a return, however there are factors that mean this is not the case. Generally it will only cost slightly more, or perhaps even the same to return on the same aircraft.
This lack of difference in price is due to the jet still needs to return, even if the passengers are not, so the cost of this return leg will need to be recouped from the single outbound journey.
Landing and Handling Fees
Landing and handling fees are commonplace at every airport in the world. Each airport will charge a fee for the landing and handling of the aircraft. These costs will vary based on the weight of the aircraft and where in the world you are landing.
Airports like London Farnborough are fairly costly to land at, but more than make up for the cost with its proximity to central London, and dedication exclusively to private aircraft.
The other factor to consider is the parking cost associated with the airport in question. Parking a private aircraft can be a very expensive ordeal. Parking can be so expensive in fact that it can often be more economical to fly the aircraft back to its home base in order to avoid these parking charges, these are referred to as 'empty' legs.
Empty Legs
Empty legs present a significant money saving opportunity, as operators will offer these legs to paying customers at a substantially reduced rate. The downsides to this are apparent: the route is set (however operators can usually be persuaded to make minor detours if desired), and the date and time of the flights are not adaptable, so you would need to align your schedule with the movements of the aircraft.
Another situation where an aircraft will have an empty leg, would be when passengers are wanting to be collected from anywhere other than its home base. This will also be offered out at a reduced rate.
Whatever your reason for flying , we would love to help you organise your trip. After all, life is about adventure so why stay grounded?
Get in touch with one of our private jet charter experts today and let us tailor a schedule to suit you +44(0) 203 880 9005
