Taking a private flight is an entirely different affair compared to a commercial one. It’s also more glamorous, as it usually includes a lot of extra amenities and luxuries. However, these flights are usually taken by the extremely wealthy or famous, as only a handful of people can afford the extravagance of taking a private jet.
List of Different Business Jets
Private jets are commonly categorized by size. They also vary greatly in the number of people they can seat, the size of their interiors, and specs like range and speed.
| Classes | Typical Use | Seating Capacity | Cabin Size | Range (miles) | Speed (mph) | Avg Cost (in $) | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Very Light Jets | Short distance business trips and personal travel | 4-6 | Small | 1,000-1,500 | 380-460 | 4.4M | Cirrus Vision Jet, HondaJet, Embraer Phenom series |
| Light Jets | Short to medium distance business travel | 6-8 | Small | 1,500-2,500 | 400-500 | 9.6M | Cessna Citation M2, Learjet 70/75, Phenom 300 |
| Mid-size Jets | Medium distance business travel | 8-10 | Medium | 2,500-3,500 | 420-530 | 15.7M | Hawker 800/900 series, Citation Latitude, Gulfstream G150 |
| Super Mid-size Jets | Medium to long distance business travel | 8-12 | Medium to Large, with space for more amenities and comfort | 3,000-4,000 | 490-590 | 22.2M | Bombardier Challenger 300/350, Citation Sovereign, Gulfstream G280 |
| Large Jets | Long distance business travel, luxury charter | 10-16 | Large, with additional luxury features | 3,500-6,000 | 500-600 | 33.8M | Bombardier Global series, Gulfstream G500/G600, Dassault Falcon 2000 series |
| Long Range Jets | Ultra-long distance travel, intercontinental | 12-16 | Large, capable of providing comfort to passengers for long flights | 5,000-7,500 | 530-700 | 61.2M | Gulfstream G650/G700, Bombardier Global Express, Dassault Falcon 7X/8X |
| VIP Airliners | Luxury charter, corporate travel, government use | 16+ | Large, capable of carrying a lot of personnel – both corporate and government | 4,000-7,500 | 500-600 | Over 100M | Boeing Business Jet (BBJ), Airbus Corporate Jet (ACJ), Bombardier Global 7500 VIP |
The World’s Most Luxurious (and Expensive) Private Jets
While private jets are always luxurious to an extent, the people who own these jets can take them to another level.
| The Jet and Who Owns Them | Special Amenities | Price (Approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Airbus A380 (Prince Alwaleed bin Talal) | A concert hall, a Turkish bath, and stables for camels and horses | $502 million |
| Airbus A340-300 (Alisher Usmanov) | Most of the jet’s amenities are not privy to the public, but there are rumors of a nightclub onboard | $400 million |
| Boeing 747-8 VIP (Joseph Lau) | Enough space for a conference room, a bar, a gym, and several guest rooms | $367 million |
| Boeing 747-430 (The Sultan of Brunei) | Solid gold plated interiors, including the washbasins and toilets | $323 million |
| Boeing 767-33A ER (Roman Abramovich) | Dining area with the capacity to accommodate around 30 people, as well as a movie theater and walk-in closets | $170 million |
Celebrities and Their Private Jets
Considering the glamorous lives these people lead, it isn’t surprising that quite a few have private jets. Here are some of the more…extravagant ones.
| Celebrity | Private Jets Owned | How Much They Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Elvis Presley | -Convair 880 -Lockheed JetStar | -$250,000 (about $1.2 million today) – $899,702.85 (about $4.7 million today) |
| Taylor Swift | Dassault Falcon 7X | $54 million |
| Drake | Boeing 767-200ER | $185 million |
| Rick Ross | Gulfstream G550 | $28 million |
| Jeff Bezos | Gulfstream G650ER | $70 million |
| Elon Musk | -Gulfstream G650ER -Dassault Falcon 900B -Gulfstream G550 | -$70 million -$26 million -$28 million |
| Michael Jordan | Gulfstream G550 | $61.5 million |
FAQs
With over 2000 planes sold and counting, the Cessna CitationJet series – a Light Jet of the Citation family of business jets – remains the most popular private jet among those who can afford them.
2. How badly are private jets polluting the environment?
Private jets are notorious for their substantial environmental footprint. A single flight for a few individuals emits ten times more CO2 per person than a typical commercial flight carrying between 20 and 800 passengers. These flights also release a staggering 50 times more emissions than the average train ride.