Legacy 500 vs Challenger 350

A head-to-head look at two of the most-chartered aircraft in the midsize jet class.

EMBRAER

Embraer Legacy 500

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 →

BOMBARDIER

Bombardier Challenger 350

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 →

SPECIFICATIONS

Side-by-side specifications

METRIC	Legacy 500	Challenger 350
Passengers	8–12	9–10
Range	3,125 nm	3,200 nm
Cruise speed	Mach 0.82	Mach 0.83
Cabin height	6'0"	6'0"
Cabin width	6'10"	7'2"
Baggage	155 cu ft	106 cu ft
Runway	4,084 ft	4,835 ft

Embraer Legacy 500 — strengths

—First midsize jet with fly-by-wire
—6,000 ft cabin altitude — lowest in class
—Walk-in baggage in flight

Bombardier Challenger 350 — strengths

—Largest cabin in the super-midsize class
—True transatlantic range on northern routings
—Highest dispatch reliability in segment (99.7%)

CHARTER PRICING

Indicative pricing

EMBRAER LEGACY 500

London → Dubai	from £42,000
Miami → New York	from $24,500

BOMBARDIER CHALLENGER 350

London → Moscow	from £32,000
Teterboro → Los Angeles	from $42,000
Dubai → Maldives	from $36,000

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

EXPERT VERDICT

Different aircraft, different briefs — the Legacy 500 and the Challenger 350 suit very different charter profiles.

The Legacy 500 pulls ahead on group capacity and airport access; the Challenger 350 answers with range / non-stop reach, cabin comfort and speed & block time. Because the Legacy 500 (midsize jet) and Challenger 350 (super-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.

PROS & CONS

Honest assessment

EMBRAER

Embraer Legacy 500

PROS

+First midsize jet with fly-by-wire
+6,000 ft cabin altitude — lowest in class
+Walk-in baggage in flight
+Carries up to 12 passengers vs 10 on the Challenger 350 — better for larger groups.
+Shorter runway requirement (4,084 ft) unlocks airfields the Challenger 350 cannot use.
+Larger baggage hold (155 cu ft) — useful for ski, golf or extended luggage vs the Challenger 350.

CONS

−Marginally more expensive per block hour than the Challenger 350 on typical charter quotes — confirm with a live quote for your route.

BOMBARDIER

Bombardier Challenger 350

PROS

+Largest cabin in the super-midsize class
+True transatlantic range on northern routings
+Highest dispatch reliability in segment (99.7%)
+Wider cabin (7'2") makes a meaningful difference at the shoulders vs the Legacy 500.

CONS

−Maximum 10-seat layout is tight if you regularly travel with more than 10 — the Legacy 500 adds 2 seats.
−Needs more runway than the Legacy 500 (4,835 ft vs 4,084 ft) — fewer short-field options.
−Tighter baggage capacity than the Legacy 500 (106 cu ft vs 155 cu ft).

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

Legacy 500 vs Challenger 350 — frequently asked

Legacy 500 vs Challenger 350: which has the longer range?OPEN

The Embraer Legacy 500 has a published range of 3,125 nm; the Bombardier Challenger 350 is rated at 3,200 nm. The longer-range aircraft opens up more non-stop city pairs without a tech stop.

Which is faster — Legacy 500 or Challenger 350?OPEN

Cruise speeds are Mach 0.82 for the Embraer Legacy 500 and Mach 0.83 for the Bombardier Challenger 350. On a London → Dubai-style mission the faster aircraft typically saves 10–25 minutes block time.

How many passengers does each aircraft carry?OPEN

The Embraer Legacy 500 seats 8–12; the Bombardier Challenger 350 seats 9–10. Charter prices below assume a typical executive layout — high-density configurations are available on request.

What does it cost to charter the Embraer Legacy 500 vs the Bombardier Challenger 350?OPEN

Indicative one-way pricing on a benchmark mission: Embraer Legacy 500 from from £42,000, Bombardier Challenger 350 from from £32,000. 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 Midsize Jet category, but range, payload and runway performance differ. See the route-recommendations table on this page for our specific pick per corridor.

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