Aircraft already at your departure airport
2 h flown · 2 h billed
No positioning. You pay for the sector you actually fly. This is why "which aircraft is near you this week" is the most valuable question a broker can answer.
The short answer
Hourly ranges by aircraft class.
Indicative European market ranges for on-demand charter, per flight hour, for the whole aircraft. These are planning figures, not quotations — the point is the shape, not the decimal.
ClassTypical seatsIndicative €/flight hourWhere it is the right tool
Turboprop6–82,200 – 3,200Short regional sectors and short runways a jet cannot use.
Light jet4–73,000 – 4,500Istanbul–Milan, Istanbul–Athens. Two to three hours, small party.
Midsize7–94,500 – 6,500Istanbul–London or Geneva with luggage that actually fits.
Super-midsize8–106,000 – 8,500Istanbul–Dubai non-stop, or a full cabin on a long European sector.
Heavy jet10–149,000 – 12,500Intercontinental, or a delegation that has to arrive together.
Ultra-long-range12–1612,000 – 16,000Istanbul–Asia or Istanbul–North America without a fuel stop.
Ranges reflect published European market indications for 2026 and vary with fuel, season and aircraft age. A quotation is issued only against a specific aircraft and a specific date.
The part that actually moves the number
You are not paying for your flight. You are paying for the aircraft's day.
This single fact explains almost every price difference people find confusing. An operator charges from the moment the aircraft leaves its base until it is back or repositioned for its next job — including the legs you are not on.
Aircraft two hours away
2 h flown · 6 h billed
Two hours in, two hours flown, two hours back. A cheaper hourly rate on this aircraft loses to a higher rate on the one already standing where you are.
This is also why the same enquiry, sent to five brokers on the same morning, comes back with five different numbers. They are not quoting the same aircraft.
What you are actually paying for, and the lines that surprise people
Eight questions that change your figure
Before you ask for a price, know what you are being asked.
- Where is the aircraft? Positioning is the biggest single variable. Flexible dates let the desk find one that is already in position.
- How long does it wait? A same-day return may keep crew and aircraft on the ground for eight hours. Sometimes two one-ways cost less than one round trip; sometimes the reverse.
- Which airport? A business aviation terminal 40 km out can be materially cheaper than the main hub — in landing, handling and slot terms — and often faster door to door.
- What time? Night curfews, peak-hour surcharges and crew duty limits all price in. A 06:00 departure and an 09:00 departure are not the same product.
- How many, and with what? Skis, golf bags, a dog, a wheelchair, a musical instrument. These move you up an aircraft class more often than passenger count does.
- Which permits? Some sectors need overflight and landing approvals from several states, each with a fee and a lead time.
- What season? Ski transfers in January and Mediterranean sectors in August are the two tightest markets in Europe. The same aircraft costs more because it has better options.
- How firm is the date? If it can move, an empty leg becomes possible — and that is a 40–75% difference, not a discount.
Included, and excluded
The lines that turn up after signature elsewhere.
Normally included
Aircraft and crew, fuel for the quoted routing, standard ground handling, landing and navigation charges, hull and liability insurance, standard catering and crew accommodation where the itinerary requires it.
Normally excluded
De-icing, extended ground waiting beyond the quoted window, airport peak-period surcharges, bespoke catering, in-flight connectivity, pet handling, ground transport, and any change you make after confirmation.
What we do about it
Both lists appear on your quotation, with your route filled in. If a cost is likely but not yet certain — winter de-icing, for instance — it is named as a possibility with an indicative figure, before you sign.
One figure, and the list of what is in it. If a line is excluded, it is written as excluded before you commit — not invoiced afterwards.
The cheaper routes
Three honest ways to pay less.
Fly an empty leg
40–75% below full charter, because the aircraft is repositioning anyway. You take the operator's route and window; nothing is confirmed until they release it in writing. See the current board →
Move your date, not your standard
A day either side often changes which aircraft is in position. Tell the desk your window rather than one time, and let it look.
Take the other airport
A business aviation terminal, an off-peak slot, or a one-way instead of a round trip. The aircraft is identical; the day around it is cheaper.
And the one we will tell you ourselves: if your dates are flexible and you are two people on a busy European route, a scheduled business-class ticket is cheaper and we will say so. We would rather keep the client than sell the flight.
Ask for the real number
Send the route. Get priced options in under two hours.
The operator named, the aircraft type, one figure and the inclusions listed. No public booking engine, no call-back promise.