Embraer Embraer Phenom 300E — Light Jet charter aircraftEclipse Aerospace Eclipse 550 — Light Jet charter aircraft

Phenom 300E vs Eclipse 550

A Embraer vs Eclipse Aerospace showdown in the light jet class. The Embraer Phenom 300E carries 8 passengers with 2,010 nm of range; the Eclipse 550 carries 4 with 1,125 nm. Cabin dimensions land at 4'11" × 5'2" versus 4'2" × 4'8", and runway numbers read 3,209 ft against 2,342 ft. Indicative charter pricing on a representative sector: from £5,600 on the Phenom 300E, from $4,400 on the Eclipse 550.

Manufacturer hubs:Embraer charter →
Embraer Phenom 300E

EMBRAER

Embraer Phenom 300E

The Embraer Phenom 300E has been the world's most-delivered light jet for over a decade. Designed in collaboration with BMW Designworks, it offers the largest cabin, longest range and fastest cruise speed in its class — a genuine alternative to entry-level midsize aircraft at light-jet rates.

FULL EMBRAER PHENOM 300E PAGE →
Eclipse 550

ECLIPSE AEROSPACE

Eclipse 550

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 →

SPECIFICATIONS

Side-by-side specifications

METRICPhenom 300EEclipse 550
Passengers84
Range2,010 nm1,125 nm
Cruise speedMach 0.80Mach 0.64
Cabin height4'11"4'2"
Cabin width5'2"4'8"
Baggage84 cu ft16 cu ft
Runway3,209 ft2,342 ft

Embraer Phenom 300E — strengths

  • Fastest light jet in production — Mach 0.80
  • Most-delivered business jet of the past decade
  • Single-pilot certified for direct charter savings

Eclipse 550 — strengths

  • Lowest fuel burn of any charter jet
  • Sub-2,400 ft take-off distance
  • Autothrottles standard

CHARTER PRICING

Indicative pricing

EMBRAER PHENOM 300E
London → Genevafrom £5,600
Munich → Olbiafrom €6,400
Teterboro → Aspenfrom $15,600
ECLIPSE 550
Chicago → Detroitfrom $4,400
Dallas → Austinfrom $3,900

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

EXPERT VERDICT

The Phenom 300E is the stronger all-rounder, but the Eclipse 550 still wins on the metrics that matter to specific buyers.

The Phenom 300E pulls ahead on range / non-stop reach, cabin comfort, group capacity and speed & block time; the Eclipse 550 answers with airport access. 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

Phenom 300E

2,010 nm of range — the better choice for transcontinental and intercontinental missions.

Cabin comfort

Phenom 300E

Taller and/or wider cabin (4'11" × 5'2") — better for long flights and stand-up movement.

Group capacity

Phenom 300E

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

Phenom 300E

Cruise of Mach 0.80 — shaves meaningful minutes off every long leg.

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

REQUEST A CHARTER QUOTE

Charter the Phenom 300E or the Eclipse 550.

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

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

A tailored summary for the Phenom 300E and Eclipse 550: the deciding reasons in this matchup, plus the buyer archetypes each aircraft serves best.

EMBRAER

Top reasons to choose the Phenom 300E

  • Reaches 2,010 nm non-stop — 79% more range than the Eclipse 550, opening city pairs that would otherwise need a tech stop.
  • Cruises at Mach 0.80, trimming block time on every leg vs the Eclipse 550 (Mach 0.64).
  • Bigger cabin envelope (4'11" tall × 5'2" wide) than the Eclipse 550 — meaningful difference on flights over three hours.
  • Seats up to 8 passengers vs 4 on the Eclipse 550 — better for full-group charters and family travel.
  • 84 cu ft of baggage volume — fits ski, golf and extended-stay luggage that crowds the Eclipse 550.

BEST FOR

  • Longer non-stop reach

    When the mission is on the edge of the Eclipse 550's envelope, the 2,010 nm legs of the Phenom 300E 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.

ECLIPSE AEROSPACE

Top reasons to choose the Eclipse 550

  • Lands in 2,342 ft balanced field — accesses short, restricted and city-adjacent airports the Phenom 300E cannot.
  • Lowest fuel burn of any charter jet
  • Sub-2,400 ft take-off distance
  • Autothrottles standard

BEST FOR

  • Short-field departures

    2,342 ft balanced field unlocks airports the Phenom 300E 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.

PROS & CONS

Honest assessment

EMBRAER

Embraer Phenom 300E

PROS

  • +Fastest light jet in production — Mach 0.80
  • +Most-delivered business jet of the past decade
  • +Single-pilot certified for direct charter savings
  • +Longer legs than the Eclipse 550 (2,010 nm vs 1,125 nm) — fewer fuel stops on intercontinental missions.
  • +Carries up to 8 passengers vs 4 on the Eclipse 550 — better for larger groups.
  • +Faster cruise (Mach 0.80) trims block time on every leg vs the Eclipse 550.

CONS

  • Needs more runway than the Eclipse 550 (3,209 ft vs 2,342 ft) — fewer short-field options.

ECLIPSE AEROSPACE

Eclipse 550

PROS

  • +Lowest fuel burn of any charter jet
  • +Sub-2,400 ft take-off distance
  • +Autothrottles standard
  • +Shorter runway requirement (2,342 ft) unlocks airfields the Phenom 300E cannot use.

CONS

  • Shorter range than the Phenom 300E (1,125 nm vs 2,010 nm) — may require a tech stop on long sectors.
  • Maximum 4-seat layout is tight if you regularly travel with more than 4 — the Phenom 300E adds 4 seats.
  • Slightly slower in cruise than the Phenom 300E (Mach 0.64 vs Mach 0.80).
  • Lower ceiling than the Phenom 300E (4'2" vs 4'11") — stand-up movement is restricted.
  • Tighter baggage capacity than the Phenom 300E (16 cu ft vs 84 cu ft).

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

Two-hour business hop with four executives and overnight bags

OUR PICKPhenom 300E

Curated example: London → Cannes sits in the Phenom 300E's sweet spot.

SEE FULL AIRCRAFT →

SCENARIO 02

Weekend ski trip — Geneva to Sion with full ski equipment

OUR PICKEclipse 550

Shorter runway requirement (2,342 ft) opens up the airfield.

SEE FULL AIRCRAFT →

SCENARIO 03

Day-return board meeting between secondary cities

OUR PICKPhenom 300E

Curated example: London → Cannes sits in the Phenom 300E's sweet spot.

SEE FULL AIRCRAFT →

SCENARIO 04

Family of five to a Mediterranean island for a long weekend

OUR PICKPhenom 300E

Larger cabin seats the full group (8).

SEE FULL AIRCRAFT →

ROUTE RECOMMENDATIONS

Best pick per route

ROUTEDISTANCERECOMMENDEDWHY
London → Paris190 nmPhenom 300EBoth reach it, but the longer-legged option keeps more fuel reserves for weather and routing changes.
Geneva → Ibiza560 nmPhenom 300EBoth reach it, but the longer-legged option keeps more fuel reserves for weather and routing changes.
Teterboro → Miami950 nmPhenom 300EBoth reach it, but the longer-legged option keeps more fuel reserves for weather and routing changes.
London → Athens1,500 nmPhenom 300EOnly 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

Phenom 300E vs Eclipse 550 — frequently asked

Phenom 300E vs Eclipse 550: which has the longer range?OPEN

The Embraer Phenom 300E has a published range of 2,010 nm; the Eclipse 550 is rated at 1,125 nm. The longer-range aircraft opens up more non-stop city pairs without a tech stop.

Which is faster — Phenom 300E or Eclipse 550?OPEN

Cruise speeds are Mach 0.80 for the Embraer Phenom 300E and Mach 0.64 for the Eclipse 550. On a London → Geneva-style mission the faster aircraft typically saves 10–25 minutes block time.

How many passengers does each aircraft carry?OPEN

The Embraer Phenom 300E seats 8; the Eclipse 550 seats 4. Charter prices below assume a typical executive layout — high-density configurations are available on request.

What does it cost to charter the Embraer Phenom 300E vs the Eclipse 550?OPEN

Indicative one-way pricing on a benchmark mission: Embraer Phenom 300E from from £5,600, Eclipse 550 from from $4,400. 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 Light 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 Phenom 300E have vs the Eclipse 550?OPEN

Cabin comfort is the everyday difference passengers feel most. Both the Embraer Phenom 300E and Eclipse 550 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.

Which aircraft is safer — Phenom 300E or Eclipse 550?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 £5,600 for the Phenom 300E, from $4,400 for the Eclipse 550) 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

Side-by-side, inside and out

MORE COMPARISONS

Compare more light jets

PHENOM 300E × ECLIPSE 550 CLUSTER

Continue researching Phenom 300E or Eclipse 550

Not sure which to charter?

Tell us your route and party size — we'll recommend the right aircraft and send a confirmed quote in 10 minutes.

REQUEST A QUOTE
Book HereDo you have a question?