Key takeaways
- Pricing is hourly: from €3,500/h (turboprop) to €13,800/h and up (long-range).
- The price is per whole flight, not per passenger.
- Three levers lower the bill: right-sizing, flexibility, empty legs.
- A serious quote is firm and all-in — beware bare hourly rates.
The hourly rate, category by category
A private flight is priced by the hour, depending first on aircraft category. Expect around €3,500/h for a turboprop, €4,200/h for a light jet, €5,800/h for a midsize, €9,400/h for a heavy jet, and €13,800/h and up for a transatlantic long-range jet — all-in (fuel, crew, fees, taxes).
For a concrete route: Paris–Nice on a light jet runs €8,000–10,000; Paris–Marrakech on a midsize about €22,000.
Per flight, not per passenger
Key point: a charter price is per flight, for the whole aircraft, not per person. Whether you travel alone or with eight, the rate is the same. That makes private flying especially attractive in a group, since the cost divides among all passengers — and it sets charter apart from by-the-seat shuttles.
What moves the price
Four variables explain why the same trip is not always the same price: the aircraft's empty repositioning distance, ground time, the season (peaks like the Cannes Festival or ski season push rates up), and booking lead time. Planning ahead and staying flexible on dates unlocks the best rates.
How to pay less
Three levers, without cutting safety. Right-sizing: an aircraft that fits the distance avoids wasting fuel and hours. Date flexibility, which opens off-peak slots. And above all empty legs — empty flights offered up to seventy-five percent cheaper. See also our detailed prices by category.
Ancillary fees to anticipate
Beyond the hourly rate, a few items can be added depending on the trip: crew overnights if the aircraft stays at the destination, parking fees beyond a few hours, and certain local taxes specific to high-demand airports. A serious quote states these up front rather than billing them afterward. Onboard catering, from a simple tray to full catering, and ground transfers are optional and priced separately.
Comparing charter, jet card and ownership
For occasional use, on-demand charter stays the most flexible: you pay exactly for the flights flown, with no capital tied up. A jet card locks an hourly rate on prepaid hours, worthwhile beyond about twenty-five hours a year. Fractional and full ownership only become rational at high volume — beyond two to three hundred annual hours, fixed costs included.
| Option | Commitment | Worthwhile from | Capital tied up |
|---|---|---|---|
| On-demand charter | None | Any volume | None |
| Jet card | Prepaid hours | ~25 h / yr | Block of hours |
| Fractional ownership | Share + management | ~200 h / yr | Aircraft share |
| Full ownership | Maximum | 300+ h / yr | Full purchase |
Worked examples by route
To anchor expectations, a few all-in ranges: Paris–Nice on a light jet, €8,000–10,000; Paris–Geneva on a light jet, around €9,000; Paris–London, €9,000–12,000 by category; Paris–Marrakech on a midsize, near €22,000; Paris–New York on a long-range jet, in the order of €90,000–120,000. These are for the whole aircraft, one-way, and vary with season, repositioning and availability. A firm quote is the only reliable figure for your exact date.
VAT and billing
On intra-European flights, VAT generally applies and must appear in the all-in quote: a rate that omits it is not comparable. Flights outside the EU follow distinct rules by segment. For business use, billing in the company's name and possible tax recovery are discussed with your advisor and accountant. The principle to keep: insist on a firm, tax-included price, and avoid pre-tax ads that look cheaper on paper.