Bombardier Challenger 300 Charter

Bombardier launched the Challenger 300 in 2004 as a clean-sheet design intended to define the super-midsize category — a stand-up, flat-floor cabin with genuine transcontinental range and jet-airliner-derived reliability. It succeeded. Over 450 examples were built between 2004 and 2014, when the 350 replaced it, and by end of production the Challenger 300 had become the single best-selling super-midsize aircraft in history — a title the 350 has since extended.

The 300 and 350 share the same fuselage, wing, engines and flight deck architecture; the 350 upgraded winglets, engines (thrust) and cabin. The 300 is now the mature, high-value pre-owned super-midsize option: airframes are priced attractively, operators know the type intimately, and charter clients get 80–90 per cent of a 350 for meaningfully less per hour.

For charter, the Challenger 300 is the price-conscious super-midsize option — the aircraft you charter when the mission demands super-midsize capability but budget does not stretch to a 350, 3500 or Longitude.

Cabin dimensions are identical to the Challenger 350: 25 feet 2 inches long, 7 feet 2 inches wide, 6 feet 1 inch tall, flat floor throughout. Standard layout is a double-club eight-seat configuration with aft three-place divan on some deliveries. Seats are full leather, reclining, tracking — the same underlying seat structure as the 350, though usually without the Nuage-style contemporary trim that arrived with the 3500.

Cabin management on original-build aircraft is dated (Rockwell Venue or Airshow). Refurbished 300s frequently receive updated cabin displays, LED lighting and modern trim, closing much of the gap to the 350. Ka-band Wi-Fi is a common retrofit but not universal.

Baggage volume is 106 cubic feet, identical to the 350. Lavatory is fully enclosed with vanity. Galley is forward-right with hot and cold storage.

Twin Honeywell AS907 (HTF7000) engines deliver 6,826 pounds of thrust each — slightly less than the 350's uprated HTF7350. Maximum operating Mach is 0.83; long-range cruise Mach 0.80. Certified ceiling is FL450. NBAA IFR range with eight passengers is 3,065 nautical miles — enough for New York to Los Angeles, London to Dubai, or Dubai to Bangkok with reserves.

Balanced field length at MTOW is 4,810 ft, essentially identical to the 350. Landing distance is 2,600 ft. Steep-approach and short-field performance is competitive with modern peers.

Charter hourly rates run $7,200–$8,500 in North America; €7,800–€9,000 in Europe — meaningfully below the 350 and 3500. Empty-leg availability is broad because the fleet is large and diverse. Indicative pricing: New York to LA from $34,000; London to Dubai from £45,000; Aspen to New York from $24,000.

Against the 350 the 300 gives up 100 nm of range and modern cabin trim at 15–20 per cent lower cost. Against the Longitude the 300 gives up 400 nm of range and modern cabin management at 15 per cent lower cost. Against the Praetor 500 the 300 offers similar range and older avionics at comparable cost.

The 300 is the value option in the super-midsize class. Refurbished airframes narrow the gap to modern peers substantively; unrefurbished aircraft feel their age.

Charter the Challenger 300 when the mission demands super-midsize capability — flat floor, stand-up cabin, 3,000 nm range, eight passengers — and budget is the primary constraint. Refurbished 300s deliver most of a 350's cabin experience at a lower price point that empty-leg pricing frequently makes exceptional.

Step up to a 350 or 3500 when cabin newness and voice-controlled comfort matter, or up to a Longitude for materially longer range. For rational value on super-midsize charter, the 300 remains one of the market's most compelling propositions.