A head-to-head look at two of the most-chartered aircraft in the light jet class.
HAWKER BEECHCRAFT
The Hawker 400XP (originally Beechjet 400A) offers one of the widest, squarest cabins in the light-jet segment — seven seats in a true double-club arrangement and a flat floor. A staple of the US Part 135 light-jet fleet.
FULL HAWKER 400XP PAGE →BOMBARDIER
The Learjet 45XR was Bombardier's clean-sheet light jet — eight seats, double-club layout and the cruise speed and altitude of a midsize. Still one of the most-flown light jets in the US Part 135 fleet.
FULL BOMBARDIER LEARJET 45XR PAGE →SPECIFICATIONS
| METRIC | Hawker 400XP | Learjet 45XR |
|---|---|---|
| Passengers | 7 | 8 |
| Range | 1,500 nm | 2,000 nm |
| Cruise speed | Mach 0.78 | Mach 0.81 |
| Cabin height | 4'9" | 4'11" |
| Cabin width | 4'11" | 5'1" |
| Baggage | 53 cu ft | 50 cu ft |
| Runway | 3,950 ft | 4,350 ft |
CHARTER PRICING
| Los Angeles → Las Vegas | from $7,400 |
| Paris → Nice | from €8,900 |
| Las Vegas → Aspen | from $13,800 |
| Paris → Ibiza | from €12,400 |
All-inclusive indicative one-way pricing. Confirmed quote in 10 minutes.
EXPERT VERDICT
The Hawker 400XP pulls ahead on airport access; the Learjet 45XR 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
Learjet 45XR
2,000 nm of range — the better choice for transcontinental and intercontinental missions.
Cabin comfort
Learjet 45XR
Taller and/or wider cabin (4'11" × 5'1") — better for long flights and stand-up movement.
Group capacity
Learjet 45XR
Seats up to 8 — the right pick when the manifest grows.
Airport access
Hawker 400XP
Shorter 3,950 ft balanced-field requirement — opens up restricted alpine, island and city-adjacent airfields.
Speed & block time
Learjet 45XR
Cruise of Mach 0.81 — 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 Hawker 400XP and Learjet 45XR: the deciding reasons in this matchup, plus the buyer archetypes each aircraft serves best.
HAWKER BEECHCRAFT
BEST FOR
Short-field departures
3,950 ft balanced field unlocks airports the Learjet 45XR 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.
BOMBARDIER
BEST FOR
Longer non-stop reach
When the mission is on the edge of the Hawker 400XP's envelope, the 2,000 nm legs of the Learjet 45XR keep reserves intact.
Larger party charters
Up to 8 seats vs 7 on the Hawker 400XP — 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
HAWKER BEECHCRAFT
PROS
CONS
BOMBARDIER
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 Hawker 400XP's sweet spot.
SEE FULL AIRCRAFT →SCENARIO 02
Shorter runway requirement (3,950 ft) opens up the airfield.
SEE FULL AIRCRAFT →SCENARIO 03
Curated example: Teterboro → Boston sits in the Hawker 400XP'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 | Learjet 45XR | Both reach it, but the longer-legged option keeps more fuel reserves for weather and routing changes. |
| Geneva → Ibiza | 560 nm | Learjet 45XR | Both reach it, but the longer-legged option keeps more fuel reserves for weather and routing changes. |
| Teterboro → Miami | 950 nm | Learjet 45XR | Both reach it, but the longer-legged option keeps more fuel reserves for weather and routing changes. |
| London → Athens | 1,500 nm | Learjet 45XR | Only one reaches non-stop — the other would need a fuel stop (1500 nm > 1,500 nm). |
Distances are great-circle approximations; actual fuel planning accounts for winds, weather and reserves.
FAQ
The Hawker 400XP has a published range of 1,500 nm; the Bombardier Learjet 45XR 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 0.78 for the Hawker 400XP and Mach 0.81 for the Bombardier Learjet 45XR. On a Los Angeles → Las Vegas-style mission the faster aircraft typically saves 10–25 minutes block time.
The Hawker 400XP seats 7; the Bombardier Learjet 45XR seats 8. Charter prices below assume a typical executive layout — high-density configurations are available on request.
Indicative one-way pricing on a benchmark mission: Hawker 400XP from from $7,400, Bombardier Learjet 45XR from from $13,800. Confirmed quote in 10 minutes — pricing varies with empty-leg availability, season and routing.
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.
MORE COMPARISONS
HAWKER 400XP × LEARJET 45XR CLUSTER
CHARTER EITHER AIRCRAFT
WHERE THESE AIRCRAFT FLY
EDITORIAL GUIDES
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