This page is the hourly rate itself: what each category and each airframe bills per hour, and why the hours you are billed for are not the hours you are in the air. If you want to know what a whole trip costs — what a quote includes, which fees appear and how the total is assembled — read the private jet cost guide.
Hourly rates by category
On-demand charter in the US and Canada runs from about $2,000 an hour on a turboprop to $18,000 on a heavy jet. The rate covers aircraft, crew, fuel and standard handling. It does not cover de-icing, overnight crew expenses, international permits or peak-date surcharges — see the full exclusions.
| Category | Hourly rate | Cruise speed | Seats | Typical aircraft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turboprop | $2,000–$3,500 | 310 mph | 6–8 | Pilatus PC-12, King Air 350 |
| Light Jet | $3,500–$5,500 | 440 mph | 6–8 | Phenom 300, Citation CJ3+ |
| Midsize Jet | $5,500–$8,000 | 500 mph | 7–9 | Citation Latitude, Learjet 60XR |
| Super-Midsize | $8,000–$10,000 | 530 mph | 8–10 | Challenger 350, Citation X |
| Heavy Jet | $10,000–$18,000 | 560 mph | 10–16 | Gulfstream G650, Global 7500 |
Hourly rates by aircraft model
Category ranges hide real differences between airframes. Sixteen of the most chartered aircraft in North America, with their current hourly brackets:
| Aircraft | Category | Seats | Cost per hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pilatus PC-12 | Turboprop | 8 | $2,000–$2,800 |
| King Air 350 | Turboprop | 9 | $2,400–$3,200 |
| Citation CJ3+ | Light | 7 | $3,500–$4,800 |
| Phenom 300E | Light | 8 | $3,800–$5,200 |
| Learjet 75 | Light | 8 | $4,200–$5,500 |
| Citation XLS+ | Midsize | 9 | $5,200–$6,800 |
| Learjet 60XR | Midsize | 7 | $5,500–$7,000 |
| Citation Latitude | Midsize | 9 | $6,000–$7,800 |
| Challenger 350 | Super-mid | 10 | $8,000–$9,800 |
| Citation X | Super-mid | 9 | $8,000–$10,000 |
| Gulfstream G280 | Super-mid | 10 | $8,500–$10,000 |
| Falcon 2000LXS | Heavy | 10 | $9,500–$12,000 |
| Challenger 605 | Heavy | 12 | $10,500–$13,500 |
| Gulfstream G550 | Heavy | 14 | $12,000–$15,000 |
| Gulfstream G650 | Heavy | 16 | $14,000–$17,500 |
| Global 7500 | Ultra-long-range | 16 | $15,000–$18,000 |
Flight hours vs billed hours
The rate applies to billable time, which is a little more than time in the air. Three rules cover almost every quote:
- Leg minimums: each flight is billed at a minimum of one hour, even if wheels-up to wheels-down is 40 minutes.
- Daily minimums: committing an aircraft for a day usually carries about two hours of minimum billing, which is why a same-day round trip often costs little more than two one-hour legs.
- Taxi allowance: most operators add a fixed 6–12 minutes per leg for taxi time rather than billing the clock.
Worked example: New York to Miami is about 2 hours 40 minutes in a midsize jet at $5,500–8,000/hour. That's $14,850–$21,600before extras — matching the $16,000–24,000 you'll see in real quotes. Ourcalculator runs this arithmetic for any of 75+ airports.
How to lower your effective hourly cost
- Step down a category when the trip allows it — the single biggest saving. A light jet does almost everything a midsize does on legs under two hours.
- Fly older airframes. Same speed, same safety oversight, 15–30% lower rate.
- Catch an empty leg and the hourly-rate framework stops applying — repositioning flights sell at flat discounts the operator sets flight by flight.
- Avoid peak days, when the same aircraft carries a 30–100% demand premium.
For the complete picture — fees, jet cards vs on-demand, and factor-by-factor pricing — read the full private jet cost guide.
Cost-per-hour FAQ
How much does it cost to rent a private jet per hour?
Between $2,000 and $18,000 per flight hour on our US and Canadian rate bands: turboprops $2,000–$3,500, light jets $3,500–$5,500, midsize jets $5,500–$8,000, super-midsizes $8,000–$10,000, heavy jets $10,000–$18,000. Those figures cover aircraft, crew, fuel and standard handling.
What is included in the hourly rate?
Aircraft and crew for the flight time shown; Fuel at prevailing prices; Standard landing and handling fees at business-aviation airports. Not included: de-icing, which is charged per application in winter; overnight crew expenses on multi-day trips; aircraft-on-ground and extended-wait charges; international handling, customs, overflight and permit fees. US federal excise tax on domestic air transportation is 7.5% and some operators quote it inclusively while others add it — always ask for an itemised, all-in quote.
Is there a minimum number of hours?
Yes, and it is the single most misunderstood part of charter pricing. Operators bill a minimum per flight and a minimum per day the aircraft is committed to you. Our model applies a flat 2-hour minimum per leg, which is why a 40-minute hop does not cost half of an 80-minute one. Ask any operator what their minimum is before comparing hourly rates — a lower rate with a higher minimum can cost more.
Why is the hourly range so wide within one category?
Aircraft age and cabin refurbishment, operator cost base, fuel prices and demand on your specific dates. A 2010 light jet mid-week sits at the bottom of the range; a 2023 aircraft on a holiday weekend sits at the top.