A Bombardier vs Embraer showdown in the super-midsize jet class. The Bombardier Challenger 350 carries 9–10 passengers with 3,200 nm of range; the Embraer Legacy 500 carries 8–12 with 3,125 nm. Cabin dimensions land at 6'0" × 7'2" versus 6'0" × 6'10", and runway numbers read 4,835 ft against 4,084 ft. Indicative charter pricing on a representative sector: from £19,200 on the Challenger 350, from £25,200 on the Legacy 500.
BOMBARDIER
The Bombardier Challenger 350 is the most-delivered super-midsize jet in history — and the aircraft most professional charter buyers benchmark against. With a flat-floor stand-up cabin, transcontinental range and full transatlantic capability on select routes, it bridges the gap between midsize comfort and heavy-jet capability.
FULL BOMBARDIER CHALLENGER 350 PAGE →EMBRAER
The Embraer Legacy 500 was the first midsize jet with full fly-by-wire flight controls, delivering ride quality previously reserved for the largest business jets. A genuine six-foot cabin, 6,000-foot cabin altitude and 3,125 nm range make it exceptional for transatlantic and Middle-East missions.
FULL EMBRAER LEGACY 500 PAGE →SPECIFICATIONS
| METRIC | Challenger 350 | Legacy 500 |
|---|---|---|
| Passengers | 9–10 | 8–12 |
| Range | 3,200 nm | 3,125 nm |
| Cruise speed | Mach 0.83 | Mach 0.82 |
| Cabin height | 6'0" | 6'0" |
| Cabin width | 7'2" | 6'10" |
| Baggage | 106 cu ft | 155 cu ft |
| Runway | 4,835 ft | 4,084 ft |
CHARTER PRICING
| London → Moscow | from £19,200 |
| Teterboro → Los Angeles | from $25,200 |
| Dubai → Maldives | from $21,600 |
| London → Dubai | from £25,200 |
| Miami → New York | from $14,700 |
All-inclusive indicative one-way pricing. Confirmed quote in 10 minutes.
EXPERT VERDICT
The Challenger 350 pulls ahead on range / non-stop reach, cabin comfort and speed & block time; the Legacy 500 answers with group capacity and airport access. Because the Challenger 350 (super-midsize jet) and Legacy 500 (midsize jet) sit in different segments, charter pricing diverges noticeably — match the aircraft to the mission, not the budget.
Range / non-stop reach
Challenger 350
3,200 nm of range — the better choice for transcontinental and intercontinental missions.
Cabin comfort
Challenger 350
Taller and/or wider cabin (6'0" × 7'2") — better for long flights and stand-up movement.
Group capacity
Legacy 500
Seats up to 12 — the right pick when the manifest grows.
Airport access
Legacy 500
Shorter 4,084 ft balanced-field requirement — opens up restricted alpine, island and city-adjacent airfields.
Speed & block time
Challenger 350
Cruise of Mach 0.83 — shaves meaningful minutes off every long leg.
Verdict based on published manufacturer specifications, charter market data and Limitless Sky brokerage experience.
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Tell us your route — our desk returns a confirmed quote on both aircraft within 10 minutes, so you can compare like-for-like on your exact mission.
CHOOSE WITH CONFIDENCE
A tailored summary for the Challenger 350 and Legacy 500: the deciding reasons in this matchup, plus the buyer archetypes each aircraft serves best.
BOMBARDIER
BEST FOR
Transatlantic with reserves
Comfortably crosses the Atlantic with conservative reserves and full pax.
Day-return long missions
Speed and range to fly Europe-Gulf and back within a single duty cycle.
Mediterranean tours
Range to hop multiple islands and capitals without repositioning.
Executive teams of 8
Stand-up cabin and conference seating for board-level travel.
EMBRAER
BEST FOR
Larger party charters
Up to 12 seats vs 10 on the Challenger 350 — the natural pick when the manifest grows last-minute.
Short-field departures
4,084 ft balanced field unlocks airports the Challenger 350 cannot use, putting passengers closer to the door.
Stand-up cross-Europe travel
Flat-floor cabin for 3–4 hour legs with full bar and lavatory.
8-seat board offsites
Comfortable double-club layout for executive teams.
PROS & CONS
BOMBARDIER
PROS
CONS
EMBRAER
PROS
CONS
REAL-WORLD MISSIONS
Four scenarios our charter desk sees regularly — and which of these two we would actually quote.
SCENARIO 01
Longer range (3,200 nm) wins the non-stop reach.
SEE FULL AIRCRAFT →SCENARIO 02
Longer range (3,200 nm) wins the non-stop reach.
SEE FULL AIRCRAFT →SCENARIO 03
Curated example: London → Dubai sits in the Challenger 350's sweet spot.
SEE FULL AIRCRAFT →SCENARIO 04
Curated example: Dubai → Maldives sits in the Legacy 500's sweet spot.
SEE FULL AIRCRAFT →ROUTE RECOMMENDATIONS
| ROUTE | DISTANCE | RECOMMENDED | WHY |
|---|---|---|---|
| London → Dubai | 2,950 nm | Either | Both aircraft fly this comfortably non-stop — choose on cabin and price. |
| Teterboro → Los Angeles | 2,150 nm | Either | Both aircraft fly this comfortably non-stop — choose on cabin and price. |
| London → New York | 3,000 nm | Challenger 350 | Only one reaches non-stop — the other would need a fuel stop (3000 nm > 3,125 nm). |
| Geneva → Riyadh | 2,450 nm | Either | Both aircraft fly this comfortably non-stop — choose on cabin and price. |
Distances are great-circle approximations; actual fuel planning accounts for winds, weather and reserves.
FAQ
The Bombardier Challenger 350 has a published range of 3,200 nm; the Embraer Legacy 500 is rated at 3,125 nm. The longer-range aircraft opens up more non-stop city pairs without a tech stop.
Cruise speeds are Mach 0.83 for the Bombardier Challenger 350 and Mach 0.82 for the Embraer Legacy 500. On a London → Moscow-style mission the faster aircraft typically saves 10–25 minutes block time.
The Bombardier Challenger 350 seats 9–10; the Embraer Legacy 500 seats 8–12. Charter prices below assume a typical executive layout — high-density configurations are available on request.
Indicative one-way pricing on a benchmark mission: Bombardier Challenger 350 from from £19,200, Embraer Legacy 500 from from £25,200. Confirmed quote in 10 minutes — pricing varies with empty-leg availability, season and routing.
Both belong to the Super-Midsize Jet category, but range, payload and runway performance differ. See the route-recommendations table on this page for our specific pick per corridor.
Cabin comfort is the everyday difference passengers feel most. Both the Bombardier Challenger 350 and Embraer Legacy 500 sit in the Super-Midsize Jet class, so cabin height, width and layout differ subtly — on flights over 3 hours those details matter more than raw range. Ask us for a side-by-side floorplan.
Both aircraft in this comparison are operated under ARG/US, Wyvern or IS-BAO safety programmes when chartered through Limitless Sky. Safety is driven by operator, crew currency and maintenance regime — not the airframe. We only book operators meeting our verified due-diligence checklist.
Hourly pricing (from £19,200 for the Challenger 350, from £25,200 for the Legacy 500) is only one input. Total mission cost includes positioning legs, overnight fees, landing/handling, catering, de-icing and FET where applicable. Our confirmed quote itemises every line so there are no surprises.
PHOTOGRAPHY
MORE COMPARISONS
CHALLENGER 350 × LEGACY 500 CLUSTER
CHARTER EITHER AIRCRAFT
WHERE THESE AIRCRAFT FLY
EDITORIAL GUIDES
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