Guide
What a private jet really costs per hour in 2026
Wholesale rates by category, what the all-in number includes, and the three things that move a quote: positioning, overnights and the date.
Charter is sold by the flight hour, but the hour is not the whole story. Here is how the number on a heavy-jet quote is built, using the market rates our brokerage desk prices from today.
| Category | Seats | Range | All-in per flight hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Super-midsize Challenger 350, Citation Longitude, Praetor 600, Gulfstream G280 | 8–9 | 3,200 NM | $8,625 |
| Heavy Challenger 605/650, Falcon 2000, Gulfstream G450, Legacy 650 | 10–14 | 4,500 NM | $12,075 |
| Ultra-long-range Gulfstream G550/G650, Global 6000/7500, Falcon 7X/8X | 12–16 | 7,000 NM | $16,675 |
What is inside the hourly rate
Aircraft, two pilots (three on long international sectors), fuel, maintenance reserves, insurance and the operator's margin, plus our brokerage fee. On our quotes the hourly figure is all-in: the price you accept is the price you pay, before government taxes and the pass-throughs below.
The three things that move the price
- Positioning. The aircraft rarely lives where you are. A heavy jet based in Dallas flying you Houston to London costs an extra hour of flying before you board. We shop operators whose aircraft are already close, which is where most of the saving on a brokered quote comes from.
- Overnights and daily minimums. Keep the aircraft and crew with you for a week and the operator bills a daily minimum (typically two hours a day) plus crew hotels. On a long trip it is often cheaper to release the aircraft and bring a different one back.
- The date. Big-event weekends, the Christmas run and the Monaco week can add 15 to 30 percent because every aircraft is spoken for. Shifting a day either side frequently matters more than the aircraft type.
Taxes and fees
For retail buyers flying within the United States, federal excise tax of 7.5% plus a per-passenger segment fee applies to the air transportation price. International itineraries pay a per-passenger head tax and US customs, immigration and APHIS user fees instead. Wholesale buyers (brokers and travel companies reselling the trip) collect those from their own passenger. Our quotes show the treatment that applies to you.
Not included, and why
Catering, ground transportation, de-icing and international handling are passed through at cost because they vary by the hour and the airport. Separately stating them also keeps them out of the excise-tax base, which saves retail clients money.