5 Cheapest Private Jets You Can Get New Today
Private jets are the pinnacle of luxurious travel. When you fly private, you skip the long TSA lines, see less crowded terminals, and can fly whenever and wherever you want. Smaller private jets could even let you fly directly to smaller fields closer to your destination, saving you the extra travel time from the regional or main airport to the place you're visiting.
And the good news is that you don't even have to spend $100 million to add a brand-new private plane to your hangar. Some go for less than $10 million and can be easily flown by the owner-pilot, making them an even more fun experience, especially if you're into planes.
So, if you have a few million dollars burning a hole in your pocket and want the luxury of flying out anytime and anywhere you want, check out our list of the most affordable private jets you can get factory-fresh today.
Eclipse 550
The Eclipse 550 is one of the cheapest private jets on the market, with a base price of $2.9 million. This very light jet seats four to five passengers and is certified for single-pilot operation, meaning an owner can fly it solo.
Despite its low price, the Eclipse 550 has all the essentials you could need in a private jet. It has two Avio Integrated Flight Management Systems for redundancy and autopilot control with autothrottles. It is also certified for flight into known icing conditions. Nevertheless, you can still de-ice before taking off in the winter.
The Eclipse 550 is powered by two Pratt & Whitney PW610F turbofans, capable of up to 900 lbs. of take-off thrust and pushing the 550 to about 375 knots maximum cruise speed. Its service ceiling is 41,000 feet, meaning you can fly over most weather conditions, and it has a 1,125 nautical mile range –- more than enough to fly from New York City to Miami on a single full tank. And with a 614-pound payload with full fuel and a pilot, you can easily take a few friends along on a flight.
[ Featured Image by TheSkunk via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY-SA 4.0 ]
Cirrus Vision SF50
If you want to prioritize safety in your private jet purchase, you won't go wrong with the Cirrus Vision SF50. This jet starts at $3 million but has two innovative safety features. The first one is the CAPS (Cirrus Airframe Parachute System), which deploys a parachute should your Cirrus private jet lose lift or reach a stall.
The SF50 also has a Safe Return emergency autoland system, which allows passengers to press a button to command the plane to land at the nearest suitable field in an emergency. This is crucial in case the pilot gets incapacitated or loses situational awareness.
The Williams International FJ33-5A turbofan powers the Cirrus Vision Jet is powered by, and it delivers around 1,846 lbs. of thrust. The jet can carry as many as seven passengers, including a pilot. It has a 311-knot maximum cruise speed and a maximum range of 1,275 nautical miles — enough to fly from Los Angeles to Houston. It also has a maximum ceiling of 31,000 feet, meaning it can nearly hit the altitude where most commercial airliners fly.
[ Featured Image by Bidgee via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY-SA 3.0 AU ]
Embraer Phenom 100EX
The Phenom 100EX is the older brother of the Phenom 300E, one of the most popular private jets available. The 100EX can seat a maximum of eight people, including the pilot, although its standard configuration is only for four or five passengers. Like the other planes on this list, the model is certified for single-pilot operation, so owners can comfortably fly the plane solo.
Furthermore, Embraer claims that the Phenom 100EX offers the largest baggage capacity in its class, with a 1,775-lb. maximum payload. Even with four 200-lb passengers onboard the jet, over 900 lbs. of cargo can go too.
The 100EX starts at $4.995 million and is equipped with two Pratt & Whitney PW617F1-E engines that put out 1,730 lbs. of thrust. This pushes the plane to 406 knots at high-speed cruise and allows it to hit a 41,000-foot maximum operating altitude. It also has a 1,178-nautical mile range — more than enough for a direct flight from Miami to Dallas.
HondaJet
The HondaJet stands out among the crowd as it's the only very light private jet with its engines over the wing — a direct result of Honda's research with the MH02 experimental jet. The HondaJet comes in three flavors: the base-model HondaJet, the higher-performance Elite II, and the extended Echelon.
The base-model HondaJet starts at $5.8 million but has an outstanding 422-knot maximum cruise speed and a 43,000-foot maximum cruise altitude. It also has a 1,223-nautical mile range, allowing users to fly from New York to Los Angeles, so long as they stop once to refuel somewhere around Wichita, Kansas.
This small private jet can seat up to five passengers plus one pilot. But because of its unique over-wing engine design, the HondaJet is one of the most comfortable and spacious private jets on the market. It also deploys the Garmin G3000 avionics systems, which makes it easier for pilots to fly the HondaJet.
Cessna Citation M2 Gen2
The Cessna Citation is the oldest, most accomplished private jet on this list, having delivered its first model in 1972. Nevertheless, the latest Cessna Citation M2 Gen2 features modern Garmin G3000 avionics with a fully digital autopilot system and standard autothrottles. It comes standard with a Garmin GWX 8000 weather radar, making it an easy jet for pilot-owners to fly.
The Citation M2 Gen2 starts at $6.2 million and uses two Williams International FJ44-1AP-21 turbofans that deliver 1,965 lbs. of thrust. The Citation M2 Gen2 has a 404-knot maximum cruise speed and a maximum operating altitude of 41,000 feet. It also has a 1,550-nautical mile range — enough to fly anywhere in the mainland U.S. if you're based in Kansas.
Given the Citation is made by Cessna, one of the best private jet manufacturers in the world, it's also the priciest cheap private jet. Nevertheless, if you want great service and peace of mind, you can't go wrong with a Cessna.
These private jets will let you get off the ground without costing you hundreds of millions. While they're still more expensive than the average plane ticket, the freedom to fly whenever and wherever makes these jets worth the cost. Plus, they're mostly single-pilot certified so you can fly them yourself. There's no need to keep a corporate pilot on the payroll.