| Class | Passengers | Typical reach | Cruise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turboprops | 6–8 passengers | Up to about 2–3 hours | about 270–290 knots |
| Light jets | 4–9 passengers | Up to about 3 hours | about 380–450 knots |
| Midsize jets | 6–9 passengers | Up to about 4–5 hours | about 440–460 knots |
| Super midsize jets | Up to 9 passengers | Up to about 6–7 hours | about 450–470 knots |
| Heavy jets | 11–14 passengers | Up to about 8–9 hours | about 425–460 knots |
| Ultra long range jets and VIP airliners | 9–19 passengers | 11 hours and more | about 488 knots |
Typical figures for each class. The exact aircraft is confirmed in your quotation. Helicopters are covered on the helicopter hire page.
Turboprops
Pressurised executive cabins, lower running costs and the ability to use shorter and smaller airfields than a jet. On a sector of an hour or two a turboprop is often the sensible answer, and it is the heart of air taxi flying.
| Passengers | 6–8 passengers |
|---|---|
| Typical reach | Up to about 2–3 hours |
| Cruise speed | about 270–290 knots |
| Typical examples | Pilatus PC-12 |
Turboprops such as the Pilatus PC-12 and the Beechcraft King Air cruise at around 270 to 290 knots in a pressurised cabin for six to eight passengers. On a short sector they arrive only a little after a jet would, for noticeably less money.
They can also use shorter runways and smaller regional airfields than jets can, which is exactly what a short-hop air taxi flight needs.
Best for
- Six to eight passengers on short regional hops
- Shorter runways and smaller airfields
- Melbourne to Canberra, Hobart or Adelaide; Brisbane to the Whitsundays
Typical examples and specifications: Pilatus PC-12: up to 8 passengers, cruise about 285 knots, range about 1,800 nautical miles (3,350 km).
Light jets
The workhorses of short and medium private flights: four to nine seats, jet speed and the lowest hourly cost of any jet.
| Passengers | 4–9 passengers |
|---|---|
| Typical reach | Up to about 3 hours |
| Cruise speed | about 380–450 knots |
| Typical examples | Cessna Citation CJ3 and Embraer Phenom 300E |
Light jets carry most of the shorter private flights. A club-four cabin with room for extra seats, a baggage hold that takes proper suitcases, and running costs that keep the price sensible make them the natural choice for small groups, families and business teams.
The class runs from the Citation CJ1 and CJ2 up to the Phenom 300E, which add speed and a range of around 2,000 nautical miles.
Best for
- Four to seven passengers with luggage
- Interstate flights such as Melbourne to Sydney, Brisbane or Adelaide
- Same-day returns where cost per hour matters
Typical examples and specifications: Cessna Citation CJ3: up to 8 passengers, cruise about 415 knots, range about 1,875 nautical miles (3,450 km); Embraer Phenom 300E: up to 9 passengers, cruise about 453 knots, range about 2,010 nautical miles (3,700 km).
Midsize jets
More cabin, more baggage and more range: midsize jets seat six to nine with room to stand, and put most Australian city pairs, and the Tasman, within non-stop reach.
| Passengers | 6–9 passengers |
|---|---|
| Typical reach | Up to about 4–5 hours |
| Cruise speed | about 440–460 knots |
| Typical examples | Cessna Citation XLS+ |
A midsize jet is the step up when a light jet starts to feel tight. Cabins are taller, with stand-up or near-stand-up headroom, an enclosed lavatory and space to move about; baggage holds take a full party’s cases; and ranges of roughly 1,900 to 2,900 nautical miles cover coast-to-coast flights such as Melbourne to Perth.
Speeds of 440 to 460 knots also trim meaningful minutes from longer sectors, which is why midsize jets are the usual answer for groups of six to eight flying to Cairns, the Whitsundays or New Zealand.
Best for
- Six to eight passengers with full luggage
- Longer interstate sectors and trans-Tasman flights
- Travellers who want to stand up and move about
Typical examples and specifications: Cessna Citation XLS+: up to 9 passengers, cruise about 441 knots, range about 2,100 nautical miles (3,900 km).
Super midsize jets
Stand-up, wide cabins for up to nine, with ranges from 2,700 to more than 4,000 nautical miles: coast to coast, and across to Bali, without the cost of a heavy jet.
| Passengers | Up to 9 passengers |
|---|---|
| Typical reach | Up to about 6–7 hours |
| Cruise speed | about 450–470 knots |
| Typical examples | Praetor 600 and Hawker 4000 |
Super midsize jets close the gap between the midsize and heavy classes. The cabins are wide, quiet and around six feet tall, usually with a flat floor; the baggage holds are among the largest outside the heavy fleet; and the newest types add very low cabin altitudes that leave passengers fresher after a long sector.
Range is the headline: aircraft in this class fly across Australia with fuel to spare and reach Asia-Pacific destinations such as Bali, and the longest-range types go further.
Best for
- Up to nine passengers on longer sectors
- Perth to the east coast with room to work
- Melbourne or Sydney to Bali
Typical examples and specifications: Praetor 600: up to 9 passengers, cruise about 466 knots, range about 4,018 nautical miles (7,450 km); Hawker 4000: up to 9 passengers, cruise about 470 knots, range about 3,190 nautical miles (5,900 km).
Heavy jets
Three cabin zones, space for eleven to fourteen passengers and intercontinental range. Heavy jets are for larger groups and for long flights where comfort matters.
| Passengers | 11–14 passengers |
|---|---|
| Typical reach | Up to about 8–9 hours |
| Cruise speed | about 425–460 knots |
| Typical examples | Bombardier Challenger 604, Dassault Falcon 900 and Gulfstream G350 |
A heavy jet gives a party separate places to work, dine and rest. Cabins are six feet or more in height and typically laid out in three zones, with a galley for proper catering and, on many aircraft, a cabin attendant. Baggage holds are measured in the hundreds of cubic feet.
With ranges from about 3,400 to 4,750 nautical miles these aircraft link Australia with Singapore and Hong Kong and, depending on the type, Japan with or without a fuel stop, at a keener price than the ultra-long-range fleet.
Best for
- Groups of ten to fourteen
- Australia to Singapore, Hong Kong or Tokyo
- Boards, delegations and extended families
Typical examples and specifications: Bombardier Challenger 604: up to 12 passengers, cruise about 425 knots, range about 4,000 nautical miles (7,400 km); Dassault Falcon 900: up to 14 passengers, cruise about 459 knots, range about 4,750 nautical miles (8,800 km); Gulfstream G350: up to 14 passengers, cruise about 459 knots, range about 3,800 nautical miles (7,050 km).
Ultra long range jets and VIP airliners
The flagships of private aviation: 5,000 to 6,000 nautical miles of range, three-zone stand-up cabins and beds made up for the overnight sector.
| Passengers | 9–19 passengers |
|---|---|
| Typical reach | 11 hours and more |
| Cruise speed | about 488 knots |
| Typical examples | Bombardier Global 6000, Global Express XRS and Embraer Lineage 1000 |
Ultra-long-range jets fly non-stop where other aircraft need to refuel: Sydney or Melbourne to Tokyo, Hong Kong or Singapore without a stop. The cabins are the largest in business aviation short of a converted airliner, with three living zones and the option of an aft stateroom.
For the largest parties, a VIP airliner such as the Embraer Lineage 1000 adds five cabin zones and a private bedroom for up to nineteen passengers.
Best for
- Long-haul and transpacific flights, non-stop
- Overnight sectors with beds made up
- Nine to nineteen passengers
Typical examples and specifications: Bombardier Global 6000: up to 15 passengers, cruise about 488 knots, range about 6,000 nautical miles (11,100 km); Global Express XRS: up to 15 passengers, cruise about 488 knots, range about 6,150 nautical miles (11,400 km); Embraer Lineage 1000: up to 19 passengers, range about 4,600 nautical miles (8,500 km).
Around the aircraft
Pictures of private jets, cabins and apron life.
Aircraft guide FAQs
Do you have your own aircraft?
We source aircraft from a wide network, so you are not limited to a fixed fleet. For each trip we choose the aircraft that best suits your route, group, luggage and budget, and confirm it in your quotation.
Can I choose the exact aircraft?
You can tell us what you prefer and we will try to match it. Availability on your dates decides what is possible, and we show you the options with their cabins and pictures when we quote.
What size aircraft do I need?
It depends on the number of passengers, the luggage and the distance. As a rule of thumb, a light jet suits four to seven passengers for up to about three hours, a midsize jet suits longer interstate and trans-Tasman flights, and heavy and ultra long range jets suit larger groups and Asia. Read light jet or midsize jet: which size do you need?
Are the figures on this page exact?
No. They are typical examples for each class, taken from the manufacturers’ and our own fleet guide sheets. The exact aircraft, its cabin layout and its range are confirmed in your quotation.
