Business jets

The category, explained

A business jet exists because a schedule is worth more than a seat. The economics only work when the alternative — waiting for a scheduled flight through a hub — costs the operator more than flying the aircraft does, which is why the category clusters around executives, sports teams, medical transport and heads of state.

The range runs wider than any other category on this site. At the bottom sits the Cirrus Vision Jet: one engine, 6,000 lb, a parachute for the whole aeroplane, and slow enough that a fast turboprop keeps up. At the top sit ultra-long-range aircraft that cross the Pacific non-stop with a bedroom in the back.

The design freedoms are unusual too. Without the need to board hundreds of people through jet bridges or fit an airline's maintenance cycle, manufacturers try things airliners cannot — engines mounted above the wing, V-tails, whole-airframe parachutes, and cabins pressurised to sea level.

Every business jet here

Silhouettes are sized by real wingspan — bigger aircraft draw bigger.

Ranked by length