Private jet categories: which aircraft for which flight
The category of an aircraft sets its range, its speed and its cabin. The table uses one reference aircraft per category, with the figures published by its manufacturer, as the search does.
Categories at a glance
| Category | Reference aircraft | Average cruise speed | Range | Longest nonstop route in our pages |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turboprop | Beechcraft King Air 350 | 540 km/h | 3,340 km | Abidjan - Libreville (1,570 km) |
| Light Jet | Cessna Citation CJ3 | 700 km/h | 3,780 km | Casablanca - Cairo (3,680 km) |
| Midsize | Hawker 800 | 760 km/h | 4,820 km | Abidjan - Nairobi (4,600 km) |
| Super Midsize | Bombardier Challenger 350 | 810 km/h | 5,930 km | Abidjan - Johannesburg (4,920 km) |
| Heavy | Dassault Falcon 900 | 850 km/h | 8,800 km | Abidjan - Johannesburg (4,920 km) |
| Ultra Long Range | Bombardier Global 6000 | 890 km/h | 11,110 km | Abidjan - Johannesburg (4,920 km) |
Figures published by the manufacturer of the reference aircraft, rounded to 10 km/h and 10 km. Payload, weather and routing change the actual range. Our pages show turboprops on routes of up to 1,600 km.
Range decides the stops
Beyond its range, an aircraft makes a technical stop to refuel; the search adds 15 minutes per stop to the flight time. A larger category often flies the same route nonstop.
Check the runway
Each route page gives the longest runway of the departure and arrival airports. The broker checks in the quote that the aircraft can use them.
YOM and YOR
Every aircraft in the search shows its year of manufacture (YOM) and its year of refurbishment (YOR), when it has one.
Questions
Which category for a short regional flight?
On short routes, a turboprop or a light jet usually flies nonstop. Each route page shows the estimated flight time and the stops for every category.