A Eclipse Aerospace vs Pilatus showdown in the light jet class. The Eclipse 550 carries 4 passengers with 1,125 nm of range; the Pilatus PC-24 carries 8 with 2,000 nm. Cabin dimensions land at 4'2" × 4'8" versus 5'1" × 5'6", and runway numbers read 2,342 ft against 2,930 ft. Both sit in the same pricing class: an estimated €2,000–€2,700 per flight hour.
ECLIPSE AEROSPACE
The Eclipse 550 is the definitive very light jet — a four-seat, twin-Pratt & Whitney PW610F powered aircraft with autothrottles, Avio IFMS avionics and by far the lowest fuel burn of any jet in charter service (roughly 59 US gal/hr). A niche but genuinely useful tool for short regional missions on tight budgets.
FULL ECLIPSE 550 PAGE →PILATUS
The Pilatus PC-24 is the only business jet in the world certified for short, unimproved and gravel runways. With a flat cabin floor, large cargo door and class-leading flexibility, it accesses 21,000 airports — far more than any rival.
FULL PILATUS PC-24 PAGE →SPECIFICATIONS
| METRIC | Eclipse 550 | PC-24 |
|---|---|---|
| Passengers | 4 | 8 |
| Range | 1,125 nm | 2,000 nm |
| Cruise speed | Mach 0.64 | Mach 0.74 |
| Cabin height | 4'2" | 5'1" |
| Cabin width | 4'8" | 5'6" |
| Baggage | 16 cu ft | 90 cu ft |
| Runway | 2,342 ft | 2,930 ft |
CHARTER PRICING
| Chicago → Detroit | Estimate on request |
| Dallas → Austin | Estimate on request |
| Geneva → St Moritz | €2,800–€3,700 |
| Denver → Telluride | Estimate on request |
One-way estimates from our pricing engine (standard season), estimated, confirmed quote within 1–2 hours.
EXPERT VERDICT
The Eclipse 550 pulls ahead on airport access; the PC-24 answers with range / non-stop reach, cabin comfort, group capacity and speed & block time. Both sit in the light 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
PC-24
2,000 nm of range — the better choice for transcontinental and intercontinental missions.
Cabin comfort
PC-24
Taller and/or wider cabin (5'1" × 5'6") — better for long flights and stand-up movement.
Group capacity
PC-24
Seats up to 8 — the right pick when the manifest grows.
Airport access
Eclipse 550
Shorter 2,342 ft balanced-field requirement — opens up restricted alpine, island and city-adjacent airfields.
Speed & block time
PC-24
Cruise of Mach 0.74 — 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 estimated prices on both aircraft straight away and confirmed options within 1–2 hours, so you can compare like-for-like on your exact mission.
CHOOSE WITH CONFIDENCE
A tailored summary for the Eclipse 550 and PC-24: the deciding reasons in this matchup, plus the buyer archetypes each aircraft serves best.
ECLIPSE AEROSPACE
BEST FOR
Short-field departures
2,342 ft balanced field unlocks airports the PC-24 cannot use, putting passengers closer to the door.
Two-hour business hops
Lowest jet-class operating cost for 1–2 hour European or US regional legs.
Short-runway escapes
Unlocks airfields like London City alternatives, Lugano and Aspen.
4–6 passenger weekends
Right-sized for a couple plus friends or a small family weekend break.
PILATUS
BEST FOR
Longer non-stop reach
When the mission is on the edge of the Eclipse 550's envelope, the 2,000 nm legs of the PC-24 keep reserves intact.
Larger party charters
Up to 8 seats vs 4 on the Eclipse 550 — the natural pick when the manifest grows last-minute.
Two-hour business hops
Lowest jet-class operating cost for 1–2 hour European or US regional legs.
Short-runway escapes
Unlocks airfields like London City alternatives, Lugano and Aspen.
PROS & CONS
ECLIPSE AEROSPACE
PROS
CONS
PILATUS
PROS
CONS
REAL-WORLD MISSIONS
Four scenarios our charter desk sees regularly — and which of these two we would actually quote.
SCENARIO 01
Curated example: Teterboro → Boston sits in the Eclipse 550's sweet spot.
SEE FULL AIRCRAFT →SCENARIO 02
Shorter runway requirement (2,342 ft) opens up the airfield.
SEE FULL AIRCRAFT →SCENARIO 03
Curated example: Teterboro → Boston sits in the Eclipse 550's sweet spot.
SEE FULL AIRCRAFT →SCENARIO 04
Larger cabin seats the full group (8).
SEE FULL AIRCRAFT →ROUTE RECOMMENDATIONS
| ROUTE | DISTANCE | RECOMMENDED | WHY |
|---|---|---|---|
| London → Paris | 190 nm | PC-24 | Both reach it, but the longer-legged option keeps more fuel reserves for weather and routing changes. |
| Geneva → Ibiza | 560 nm | PC-24 | Both reach it, but the longer-legged option keeps more fuel reserves for weather and routing changes. |
| Teterboro → Miami | 950 nm | PC-24 | Both reach it, but the longer-legged option keeps more fuel reserves for weather and routing changes. |
| London → Athens | 1,500 nm | PC-24 | Only one reaches non-stop — the other would need a fuel stop (1500 nm > 1,125 nm). |
Distances are great-circle approximations; actual fuel planning accounts for winds, weather and reserves.
FAQ
The Eclipse 550 has a published range of 1,125 nm; the Pilatus PC-24 is rated at 2,000 nm. The longer-range aircraft opens up more non-stop city pairs without a tech stop.
Cruise speeds are Mach 0.64 for the Eclipse 550 and Mach 0.74 for the Pilatus PC-24. The difference in block time grows with trip length; on a Teterboro → Boston trip it is usually minutes rather than hours.
The Eclipse 550 seats 4; the Pilatus PC-24 seats 8. Charter prices below assume a typical executive layout — high-density configurations are available on request.
From our pricing engine's class rates: the Eclipse 550 at an estimated €2,000–€2,700 per flight hour, and the Pilatus PC-24 at an estimated €2,000–€2,700 per flight hour. These are estimates; the confirmed quote within 1–2 hours depends on positioning, season and airport fees.
The Eclipse 550 cabin is 4'2" high and 4'8" wide; the Pilatus PC-24 is 5'1" high and 5'6" wide. Baggage: 16 cu ft vs 90 cu ft.
For trips within the Eclipse 550's published 1,125 nm, either aircraft can fly non-stop and the choice comes down to cabin (4'2" vs 5'1" cabin height), seats (4 vs 8) and price. Beyond that, the Pilatus PC-24 (2,000 nm) flies non-stop where the Eclipse 550 may need a fuel stop. Real-world range drops with passengers, bags, winds and winter reserves, so we confirm it per trip.
Both belong to the Light 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 Eclipse 550 and Pilatus PC-24 sit in the Light 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.
The hourly class rate 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
ECLIPSE 550 × PC-24 CLUSTER
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EDITORIAL GUIDES
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POPULAR COMPARISONS
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