The first category that crosses the Atlantic without thinking about it. Ten to sixteen people, a cabin divided into zones, cabin crew and somewhere to sleep that is not a reclined seat.
At a glance
Category guidance. Figures are typical for the class rather than promises about a particular aircraft, and every quote names the actual aeroplane.
What it is for
On a two hour flight the aircraft is transport. On an eight hour flight it is where you are going to spend most of the day, and everything about a heavy jet is designed around that. Two or three zones mean some of the party can work at a table while others sleep, a real galley means hot food when people want it, and cabin crew mean somebody is looking after the cabin rather than the pilots leaving the flight deck to do it.
It is the usual answer for a board travelling to New York, a family relocating for a season, or a group where the flight itself is the working day. Aircraft are arranged with licensed commercial operators.
Examples
| Aircraft | Typical seats | Typical range | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bombardier Challenger 605 and 650 | 10 to 12 | About 4,000 nm | An exceptionally wide cabin for the class, and very common on European fleets |
| Gulfstream G450 | 12 to 14 | About 4,350 nm | London to New York non-stop in both directions in most conditions |
| Dassault Falcon 900LX | 12 to 14 | About 4,750 nm | Three engines and unusually good behaviour at shorter and restricted airports |
| Embraer Legacy 650 | 12 to 13 | About 3,900 nm | A very large baggage hold and good value, with the shortest legs of this group |
| Bombardier Global 5000 | 12 to 13 | About 5,200 nm | Approaching ultra-long-range capability, with a Global cabin |
Published range figures assume still air and a light load. A full cabin and a winter headwind both reduce them, which is why we check the actual trip on the actual date rather than quoting the brochure. For the longer range aircraft one step up, see our guides to the Dassault Falcon 8X, the Bombardier Global 6000 and the Gulfstream G650.
Range on the map
Drawn from Farnborough as true circles on the globe. The solid ring is the top of the class's typical range and the dashed ring is what most of its aircraft can plan on. Change the departure to see the reach from anywhere.
Heavy jets from Farnborough Airport (FAB). The solid ring is the top of the class's published range, 5,200 nautical miles; the dashed ring is 85% of the bottom of it, 3,315 nautical miles, which most aircraft in the class can plan on non-stop. Winds, payload and reserves reduce real range, so every trip is checked on the day.
Reach from London
| Destination | Roughly | Realistic for the class? |
|---|---|---|
| New York | About 3,000 nm | Yes, both ways for the longer-legged aircraft. The shortest-legged may need a fuel stop westbound in winter |
| Dubai | About 2,950 nm | Yes, comfortably, for the whole class |
| Miami | About 3,850 nm | Yes for most, and marginal westbound in winter for the shortest-legged |
| Los Angeles | About 4,750 nm | Only the longest-legged, and usually with a stop westbound |
| Hong Kong or Singapore | 5,200 to 5,900 nm | No. That is ultra-long-range territory |
Great circle distances, rounded, for planning only. What an aircraft will actually do on the day depends on the wind, the load and the runway at each end.
Said honestly
Where they go
Go a size down
Inside Europe and for most Gulf trips, a heavy jet is more aeroplane than the journey needs.
Go a size up
Beyond about ten hours, the aircraft has to be built for it.
The other categories
5 to 7 passengers
Two to three hours, and the smallest airfields.
7 to 9 passengers
Four to five hours, with a proper hold.
8 to 10 passengers
Stand-up cabins and six or seven hours in the air.
12 to 16 passengers
London to Asia non-stop, with beds.
Trip calculator
Type the two ends of the trip, and the number travelling if you know it. You will see the distance, a realistic time in the air, and which classes and aircraft can fly it without a stop, with this class marked.
Distances are great circle, the shortest line over the earth. Non-stop is judged against 85% of each aircraft's published still-air range, which leaves a sensible margin for reserves, wind and load. Times are a planning range for the time in the air, not a schedule. Aircraft are arranged with licensed commercial operators, and every quote is checked against the actual aircraft, the load and the forecast for your date.
Request a quote
For a long sector the date matters as much as the route, because the wind decides whether it is non-stop. Send us both, with the number of passengers, and we will tell you plainly. Nothing is booked or charged online.
Prefer to talk? +44 2030 048300 or WhatsApp, at any hour.
Questions people ask
In both directions, yes, on the longer-legged aircraft in the class. On the shortest-legged, a westbound winter crossing may need a technical stop of about an hour. We tell you which it is when we quote, not afterwards.
On most heavy jets a divan converts to a bed, and the seats in the club recline flat or nearly so. Proper separate beds start in the ultra-long-range class.
Many heavy jets can, subject to the aircraft, the load and the conditions. It is checked for your specific trip rather than assumed, and the answer sometimes changes with the amount of fuel on board.
That is beyond the business jet ladder. An airliner is chartered instead, and the cabin can be configured for the group. See group charter.
It depends on the route, the dates and where a suitable aircraft is, and positioning matters more at this size than any other. See what charter costs.
One contact, wherever you are
