The top of the ladder. Twelve to sixteen people, twelve to fifteen hours in the air, a cabin divided into rooms with proper beds, and the range to reach Hong Kong, Singapore or Los Angeles without stopping.
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
At thirteen or fourteen hours, the question is no longer how comfortable the seat is but whether you arrive able to work. These aircraft are designed around that: a genuine bed rather than a flat seat, and enough separation that one group can hold a meeting while another sleeps.
They are chartered for the trips where the alternative is a first-class cabin and a connection: London to Hong Kong for two days, a delegation to Singapore, a family to the west coast of the United States. Aircraft are arranged with licensed commercial operators.
Examples
| Aircraft | Typical seats | Typical range | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gulfstream G650ER | 13 to 16 | About 7,500 nm | Fast and very long-legged. London to almost anywhere in Asia non-stop |
| Bombardier Global 7500 | 13 to 17 | About 7,700 nm | The longest published range of the class, with four separate living zones |
| Gulfstream G550 | 14 to 16 | About 6,750 nm | An older design, widely available, and still enough for most long trips |
| Bombardier Global 6000 | 12 to 13 | About 6,000 nm | The established long-range workhorse, with a wide and quiet cabin |
| Dassault Falcon 8X | 12 to 14 | About 6,450 nm | Three engines, a notably quiet cabin, and better than the others at restricted airports |
Published range figures assume still air and a light load. A full cabin, a strong headwind or a hot and high departure airport all reduce them, sometimes by several hundred miles.
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.
Ultra-long-range jets from Farnborough Airport (FAB). The solid ring is the top of the class's published range, 7,700 nautical miles; the dashed ring is 85% of the bottom of it, 5,100 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 | Typical time in the air |
|---|---|---|
| Dubai | About 2,950 nm | 6 and a half to 7 hours. Within reach of every aircraft in the class |
| New York | About 3,000 nm | 7 to 8 hours westbound, under 7 coming home |
| Los Angeles | About 4,750 nm | 10 and a half to 11 and a half hours westbound |
| Hong Kong or Tokyo | About 5,200 nm | 11 and a half to 12 and a half hours |
| Singapore | About 5,900 nm | 13 to 14 hours |
| Sydney | About 9,200 nm | Beyond any business jet non-stop. One technical stop, and around twenty hours in total |
Great circle distances, rounded, with realistic flight times for planning. Winds, payload and the route actually available on the day all change them, and we confirm the real figures for your trip.
Said honestly
Where they go
Go a size down
Across the Atlantic and to the Gulf, the extra range is range you are paying for and not using.
A different answer
Beyond about sixteen passengers the business jet ladder ends and airliners begin.
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.
10 to 16 passengers
Transatlantic, with cabin crew and separate cabin zones.
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
On a very long sector the date, the passenger count and the luggage all change what is possible, so send us all three. We will tell you honestly whether it goes non-stop. Nothing is booked or charged online.
Prefer to talk? +44 2030 048300 or WhatsApp, at any hour.
Questions people ask
Yes, on the longest-legged aircraft in the class, at around thirteen to fourteen hours in the air. With a full cabin and an unhelpful wind it becomes marginal, so we check it against your actual passenger count and date rather than the brochure figure.
Yes. The rear cabin on these aircraft makes up as a proper bed, not a reclined seat, and the largest have a shower as well. It is the main reason people charter this class rather than a heavy jet.
More than for a European trip. There are fewer of these aircraft, permits for some destinations take working days rather than hours, and crewing a very long sector has to be planned. Tell us as soon as the dates exist.
Yes, and sometimes a planned stop is the better answer: it can allow a fuller cabin, more luggage or a more direct routing. We will show you both options and what each costs.
It depends on the route, the date and, more than in any other class, where a suitable aircraft happens to be. See what charter costs for how a quote is built.
One contact, wherever you are
