Pilatus PC-24

There is no standard price. Each quote reflects the route and flight time, the dates you choose, how far the aircraft must reposition and the operator's rates. The PC-24's lower operating costs compared with some rivals can work in your favour, but an advisor will cost your exact trip before you commit.

Its short-field performance and certifications open up many small and remote airports. Examples include Lugano in Switzerland, La Môle near Saint-Tropez, Le Castellet near the Circuit Paul Ricard, and London City, about 10 km from central London. Others are La Perdiz, a private airfield around 250 km south of Madrid, Portimão in the Algarve, Brač (Bol) in Croatia and Spa-La Sauvenière in Belgium, close to the Spa-Francorchamps circuit.

Yes. No other business jet holds certification for unpaved strips such as snow, sand, grass or gravel, a capability that builds on what Pilatus learned from the PC-12 turboprop. Long-stroke landing gear and wing flaps that shield the engines from debris make this possible, and the result is access to about 21,000 more airports worldwide than a conventional business jet. It is also the only aircraft in its class with a cargo door as standard, large enough for loading by forklift.

No. The PC-24 holds single-pilot certification, which is granted only when the workload of flying the aircraft is manageable for one person, and its modern cockpit makes that possible. A co-pilot seat is fitted as standard, so operators can also fly it with two pilots whenever they choose.

The PC-24 costs more to buy but much less to operate, and lower operating costs often mean a lower charter price. The Learjet 75 Liberty must fly with two pilots, and it is slightly faster with a little more range. The PC-24 handles bulky or heavy luggage better thanks to its cargo door and higher payload, and for small airfields or natural strips it has almost no rival.

The PC-24 has the larger cabin, at 14.2 cubic metres against 8.8, and slightly more range, at 2,000 nm (3,704 km) against 3,509 km for the CJ4. The CJ4 is fractionally quicker in cruise, at 442 kts compared with 440 kts. On runways the PC-24 has a clear advantage: it needs about 942 m to take off, against 1,009 m for the CJ4, so it can use smaller airports.

With six passengers in an executive layout, its range with IFR reserves is 2,000 nm (3,704 km), and the ferry range with no payload is 2,123 nm (3,932 km). That allows non-stop flights such as Istanbul from London or Dallas from New York. Cruise speed is 440 kts (815 km/h), with a maximum operating speed of Mach 0.74.

Executive layouts seat six to eight, and a high-density layout can take 10 to 12. The cabin offers 14.2 cubic metres of volume and good headroom for an aircraft of this class. Behind it, a pressurised baggage compartment of 2.5 cubic metres can be reached from inside the cabin and from outside.