Summary
- Private jets come in a range of sizes, from small jets like the HondaJet and Cirrus SF50 Vision Jet to large widebody jets like the Embraer Lineage 1000E.
- The Embraer Lineage 1000E is one of the largest private jets, with a length of 36 meters and a passenger capacity of 19.
- The Bombardier Global 7500/8000 and Gulfstream G650/G700 also offer a passenger capacity of 19, with the Global 7500/8000 having the longest range of up to 8,000 nautical miles.
Private jets are available these days in all sizes, from the smallest jets seating just a few people (such as the HondaJet and the single-engine Cirrus SF50 Vision Jet) to the largest commercial widebodies (there are examples of private Boeing 747s, but no one has tried with the Airbus A380).
We are looking here at the largest dedicated business jets – not private use of larger narrowbody and widebody aircraft. There are some great examples of widebodies as very large private aircraft. Both Boeing and Airbus make many aircraft available as private aircraft through the BBJ and ACJ programs. We have discussed some of the best examples here.
1 Top spot for large private jets – Embraer Lineage 1000E
As with any aircraft, there are many ways to define or measure the “largest” aircraft (such as passenger capacity, fuselage length, or wing span). The Embraer Lineage 1000E takes top place for many of these. The aircraft that follow are all among the largest – but are not in a fixed order.
The business jet is based on the Embraer E190 regional jet and was launched in 2006. It has a fuselage length of 36 meters (118 feet) and offers a typical passenger capacity of 19 (this is similar to most of the other top largest business jets).
The jet may be larger than some of the other heavy private jets around, but it does fall short on range (at around 4,600 nautical miles – much less than the over 7,000 nautical miles others can offer).
With this much space, there are plenty of opportunities for creative design. The Embraer Lineage cabin is often arranged in up to five separate sections, with a crew rest area, work or conference space, dining space, lounge areas, and a separate bedroom.
2 Bombardier Global 7500 / 8000
Bombardier launched the Global 7500 in 2018 as a larger and longer-range update to its popular Global Express / 6000 range. It is a market-leading aircraft in both size and range. For range, it is about the highest currently on offer. It offers a range of up to 7,700 nautical miles (14,260 kilometers). The Bombardier Global 8000 will take this range even further – up to 8,000 nautical miles (14,800 kilometers).
Photo: Robert Buchel/Shutterstock
In terms of size, Bombardier Global 7500 comes in slightly smaller than the Embraer Lineage, with an overall length of just under 34 meters. However, it has the same maximum passenger capacity of 19.
3 Gulfstream G650 and G700
The Gulfstream G650 / G650ER is a popular large jet. It offers the same maximum passenger capacity of 19 as the Embraer Lineage 1000E and Bombardier Global 7500 but with a slightly shorter fuselage length of 30 meters (98 feet). The long-range variant G650ER offers a range of approximately 7,500 nautical miles (13,890 km),
Gulfstream, of course, has a strong reputation and history in the private jet market. Its top-end G650 offering has been popular, with more than 500 aircraft delivered since its launch in 2009 (for comparison, Bombardier has sold less than 200 Global 7500 aircraft to date). The G650ER is a favorite among the likes of Kim Kardashian, Jeff Bezos, and Oprah Winfrey.
Photo: BlueBarronPhoto via Shutterstock.
The upcoming Gulfstream G700 takes this size even further. It is a three-meter stretch of the G650 (so coming in just shorter than the Bombardier Global 7500). Several G700 aircraft have been built (including for Qatar Executive), but certification of the type has been delayed to hopefully late 2023. Tests have gone well, though, with the aircraft breaking some speed records and is demonstrating an improved range of 7,750 nautical miles.
4 Dassault Falcon 8X
The Falcon 8X is the largest jet currently in Dassault’s lineup. It comes in slightly smaller than the competition, with a length of just over 24 meters and a maximum passenger capacity of 16. It offers a range of up to 6,450 nautical miles (11,945 kilometers).
The upcoming Dassault Falcon 10X will improve on both range and size. It will take the range up to 7,500 nautical miles. One of its standout features will be cabin size. The cabin is lengthened by three meters and also (according to Dassault) is about eight inches wider and two inches taller than the next tallest and widest business jet currently on the market.
5 Cessna Citation Longitude
The Citation Longitude is the latest and largest development in Cessna’s long-running range (Cessna is now part of Textron Aviation). It was launched in 2019 as a stretched increase on the earlier Citation Longitude model.
It has a length of just over 22 meters and offers a maximum passenger capacity of 12. The aircraft also features a full-height cabin, allowing passengers to stand upright.
The Citation Hemisphere has been planned as a follow-on variant – larger (same capacity but wider cabin) and with increased range. However, it has been delayed since 2019 due to issues with the selected Safran engines.
This has been a quick look at a few of the largest dedicated private jets on the market. There are many others that are close to this – feel free to discuss any of these further in the comments section below.