Bombardier Bombardier Challenger 604 — Heavy Jet charter aircraftDassault Dassault Falcon 50EX — Heavy Jet charter aircraft

Challenger 604 vs Falcon 50EX

A Bombardier vs Dassault showdown in the heavy jet class. The Bombardier Challenger 604 carries 9–12 passengers with 4,000 nm of range; the Dassault Falcon 50EX carries 9 with 3,200 nm. Cabin dimensions land at 6'1" × 8'2" versus 5'9" × 6'1", and runway numbers read 5,840 ft against 4,600 ft. Indicative charter pricing on a representative sector: from CHF 56,000 on the Challenger 604, from $32,800 on the Falcon 50EX.

Bombardier Challenger 604

BOMBARDIER

Bombardier Challenger 604

The Bombardier Challenger 604 introduced the wide-body Challenger that became the segment standard — 4,000 nm range, three living zones and the widest cabin floor of any traditional heavy jet.

FULL BOMBARDIER CHALLENGER 604 PAGE →
Dassault Falcon 50EX

DASSAULT

Dassault Falcon 50EX

The Dassault Falcon 50EX is the only three-engine business jet in regular charter service — exceptional short-runway performance, 3,200 nm range and the unmistakable Falcon ride quality.

FULL DASSAULT FALCON 50EX PAGE →

SPECIFICATIONS

Side-by-side specifications

METRICChallenger 604Falcon 50EX
Passengers9–129
Range4,000 nm3,200 nm
Cruise speedMach 0.80Mach 0.80
Cabin height6'1"5'9"
Cabin width8'2"6'1"
Baggage115 cu ft115 cu ft
Runway5,840 ft4,600 ft

Bombardier Challenger 604 — strengths

  • Widest floor in heavy jet class
  • Proven transatlantic capability
  • Strong used-market availability

Dassault Falcon 50EX — strengths

  • Three-engine redundancy
  • Short-runway capable heavy jet
  • Trademark Falcon cabin quietness

CHARTER PRICING

Indicative pricing

BOMBARDIER CHALLENGER 604
Geneva → New Yorkfrom CHF 56,000
Miami → São Paulofrom $54,000
DASSAULT FALCON 50EX
Miami → Aspenfrom $32,800
Paris → Athensfrom €28,400

All-inclusive indicative one-way pricing. Confirmed quote in 10 minutes.

EXPERT VERDICT

The Challenger 604 is the stronger all-rounder, but the Falcon 50EX still wins on the metrics that matter to specific buyers.

The Challenger 604 pulls ahead on range / non-stop reach, cabin comfort and group capacity; the Falcon 50EX answers with airport access. Both sit in the heavy jet class, so charter pricing is broadly aligned — let the use case (range, group size, airport pair) drive the final call.

Range / non-stop reach

Challenger 604

4,000 nm of range — the better choice for transcontinental and intercontinental missions.

Cabin comfort

Challenger 604

Taller and/or wider cabin (6'1" × 8'2") — better for long flights and stand-up movement.

Group capacity

Challenger 604

Seats up to 12 — the right pick when the manifest grows.

Airport access

Falcon 50EX

Shorter 4,600 ft balanced-field requirement — opens up restricted alpine, island and city-adjacent airfields.

Speed & block time

Even

Matched specifications.

Verdict based on published manufacturer specifications, charter market data and Limitless Sky brokerage experience.

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Top reasons to choose — and who each aircraft is best for

A tailored summary for the Challenger 604 and Falcon 50EX: the deciding reasons in this matchup, plus the buyer archetypes each aircraft serves best.

BOMBARDIER

Top reasons to choose the Challenger 604

  • Reaches 4,000 nm non-stop — 25% more range than the Falcon 50EX, opening city pairs that would otherwise need a tech stop.
  • Bigger cabin envelope (6'1" tall × 8'2" wide) than the Falcon 50EX — meaningful difference on flights over three hours.
  • Seats up to 12 passengers vs 9 on the Falcon 50EX — better for full-group charters and family travel.
  • Widest floor in heavy jet class
  • Proven transatlantic capability

BEST FOR

  • Longer non-stop reach

    When the mission is on the edge of the Falcon 50EX's envelope, the 4,000 nm legs of the Challenger 604 keep reserves intact.

  • Larger party charters

    Up to 12 seats vs 9 on the Falcon 50EX — the natural pick when the manifest grows last-minute.

  • Intercontinental sleep flights

    Lie-flat berths for overnight Europe–US, Europe–Gulf and Asia legs.

  • 10–14 passenger groups

    Real space for a full delegation plus support staff.

DASSAULT

Top reasons to choose the Falcon 50EX

  • Lands in 4,600 ft balanced field — accesses short, restricted and city-adjacent airports the Challenger 604 cannot.
  • Three-engine redundancy
  • Short-runway capable heavy jet
  • Trademark Falcon cabin quietness

BEST FOR

  • Short-field departures

    4,600 ft balanced field unlocks airports the Challenger 604 cannot use, putting passengers closer to the door.

  • Intercontinental sleep flights

    Lie-flat berths for overnight Europe–US, Europe–Gulf and Asia legs.

  • 10–14 passenger groups

    Real space for a full delegation plus support staff.

  • Two-zone living

    Separate work, dine and rest areas on flights over six hours.

PROS & CONS

Honest assessment

BOMBARDIER

Bombardier Challenger 604

PROS

  • +Widest floor in heavy jet class
  • +Proven transatlantic capability
  • +Strong used-market availability
  • +Longer legs than the Falcon 50EX (4,000 nm vs 3,200 nm) — fewer fuel stops on intercontinental missions.
  • +Carries up to 12 passengers vs 9 on the Falcon 50EX — better for larger groups.
  • +Taller cabin (6'1") than the Falcon 50EX — easier to move around on long flights.

CONS

  • Needs more runway than the Falcon 50EX (5,840 ft vs 4,600 ft) — fewer short-field options.

DASSAULT

Dassault Falcon 50EX

PROS

  • +Three-engine redundancy
  • +Short-runway capable heavy jet
  • +Trademark Falcon cabin quietness
  • +Shorter runway requirement (4,600 ft) unlocks airfields the Challenger 604 cannot use.

CONS

  • Shorter range than the Challenger 604 (3,200 nm vs 4,000 nm) — may require a tech stop on long sectors.
  • Maximum 9-seat layout is tight if you regularly travel with more than 9 — the Challenger 604 adds 3 seats.
  • Lower ceiling than the Challenger 604 (5'9" vs 6'1") — stand-up movement is restricted.

REAL-WORLD MISSIONS

Which aircraft for which mission

Four scenarios our charter desk sees regularly — and which of these two we would actually quote.

SCENARIO 01

Ten-person corporate delegation, London to New York, sleeping westbound

OUR PICKChallenger 604

Larger cabin seats the full group (9–12).

SEE FULL AIRCRAFT →

SCENARIO 02

Multi-day Asia tour with two-stop routing and 14-passenger group

OUR PICKChallenger 604

Larger cabin seats the full group (9–12).

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SCENARIO 03

Family of eight relocating with significant baggage on a 3,500 nm leg

OUR PICKChallenger 604

Longer range (4,000 nm) wins the non-stop reach.

SEE FULL AIRCRAFT →

SCENARIO 04

Sports team charter from Europe to the Middle East with kit

OUR PICKChallenger 604

Larger cabin seats the full group (9–12).

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ROUTE RECOMMENDATIONS

Best pick per route

ROUTEDISTANCERECOMMENDEDWHY
London → New York3,000 nmChallenger 604Both reach it, but the longer-legged option keeps more fuel reserves for weather and routing changes.
Paris → Dubai2,950 nmChallenger 604Both reach it, but the longer-legged option keeps more fuel reserves for weather and routing changes.
Miami → São Paulo3,500 nmChallenger 604Only one reaches non-stop — the other would need a fuel stop (3500 nm > 3,200 nm).
Hong Kong → Sydney3,950 nmEitherBoth would require a tech stop on this routing — talk to us about positioning.

Distances are great-circle approximations; actual fuel planning accounts for winds, weather and reserves.

FAQ

Challenger 604 vs Falcon 50EX — frequently asked

Challenger 604 vs Falcon 50EX: which has the longer range?OPEN

The Bombardier Challenger 604 has a published range of 4,000 nm; the Dassault Falcon 50EX is rated at 3,200 nm. The longer-range aircraft opens up more non-stop city pairs without a tech stop.

Which is faster — Challenger 604 or Falcon 50EX?OPEN

Cruise speeds are Mach 0.80 for the Bombardier Challenger 604 and Mach 0.80 for the Dassault Falcon 50EX. On a Geneva → New York-style mission the faster aircraft typically saves 10–25 minutes block time.

How many passengers does each aircraft carry?OPEN

The Bombardier Challenger 604 seats 9–12; the Dassault Falcon 50EX seats 9. Charter prices below assume a typical executive layout — high-density configurations are available on request.

What does it cost to charter the Bombardier Challenger 604 vs the Dassault Falcon 50EX?OPEN

Indicative one-way pricing on a benchmark mission: Bombardier Challenger 604 from from CHF 56,000, Dassault Falcon 50EX from from $32,800. Confirmed quote in 10 minutes — pricing varies with empty-leg availability, season and routing.

Which aircraft is better for transatlantic or long-range missions?OPEN

Both belong to the Heavy Jet category, but range, payload and runway performance differ. See the route-recommendations table on this page for our specific pick per corridor.

How much cabin space does the Challenger 604 have vs the Falcon 50EX?OPEN

Cabin comfort is the everyday difference passengers feel most. Both the Bombardier Challenger 604 and Dassault Falcon 50EX sit in the Heavy 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.

Which aircraft is safer — Challenger 604 or Falcon 50EX?OPEN

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.

What's the total mission cost — not just the hourly rate?OPEN

Hourly pricing (from CHF 56,000 for the Challenger 604, from $32,800 for the Falcon 50EX) 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.

MORE COMPARISONS

Compare more heavy jets

CHALLENGER 604 × FALCON 50EX CLUSTER

Continue researching Challenger 604 or Falcon 50EX

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