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A heavy jet is a large, long-range private aircraft designed for intercontinental travel with spacious cabins that can seat 10 to 16 passengers in comfort. These jets typically feature stand-up cabins, multiple seating zones, full galleys, and enclosed lavatories, offering a true luxury travel experience. With ranges often exceeding 4,000 nautical miles, heavy jets are ideal for nonstop international flights, providing the space, amenities, and performance required for extended journeys.
Chartering a heavy jet generally costs between $6,000 and $12,000 per flight hour, with pricing influenced by the aircraft model, trip length, and seasonal demand. Costs may also include landing fees, international handling charges, and catering. While more expensive than smaller jets, heavy jets deliver unmatched comfort, range, and onboard amenities, making them the preferred choice for long distance and high capacity private travel.
Heavy jets excel at providing spacious cabins, high passenger capacity, and impressive range, making them ideal for most long-haul missions. Ultra long range jets build on these advantages with even greater range, often exceeding 6,000 nautical miles, allowing nonstop flights between nearly any two major cities in the world. Choosing between them depends on your mission profile: for most long distance flights with larger groups, heavy jets offer excellent value, while ultra long range jets are best for the longest nonstop routes.
Heavy jets have exceptional safety records thanks to their advanced avionics, redundant systems, and rigorous maintenance standards. Their size and design allow them to operate at higher altitudes, often above turbulent weather, resulting in smoother and more comfortable flights. When flown by experienced crews and maintained by certified operators, heavy jets are among the safest and most reliable aircraft in private aviation.
Chartering a heavy jet is ideal when you need to travel long distances, as these aircraft typically offer a range of 4,500 to 6,500 nautical miles, allowing for non-stop international flights. They are well-suited for larger groups, comfortably accommodating 10 to 18 passengers, making them perfect for business trips, corporate retreats, or family vacations.
Compact light jets, also known as very light jets (VLJs), are smaller and more cost-efficient than traditional light jets, typically seating 2 to 6 passengers. While compact light jets like the Phenom 100 and HondaJet are ideal for short trips of 2-3 hours, light jets, such as the Cessna Citation CJ3, offer more range, larger cabins, and seating for up to 6-9 passengers.
Heavy jets offer extensive range capabilities, making them ideal for international travel. They provide spacious cabins along with luxurious amenities such as fully equipped galleys and advanced entertainment systems, ensuring a comfortable experience
The main drawback of compact light jets is their limited cabin space and smaller seating capacity, which may not be ideal for larger groups or those looking for more comfort. They also have less luggage space and shorter ranges compared to larger jets, making them less suitable for longer trips or flights requiring more amenities.