Top 5: The Private Jets That Can Take Off From The Shortest Runways

With private jets operating from smaller remote airports, such as Engadin/Samedan Airport (SMV), the closest airport to Davos, Switzerland, which has a runway length of 1,800 meters (5,905 feet), some customers might need a business aircraft that can take off from very short runways. For example, the Gulfstream G650ER has a listed takeoff distance of 1,920 m (6,299 ft), given standard operating conditions, and as a result, the type may not be able to land at certain smaller airports.

Still, the G650ER is one of the largest currently actively produced business aircraft, so its popularity isn’t hindered just because it needs more runway. Smaller aircraft, however, like the Cessna Citation CJ4, can land at airports with short runways. Thus, which private jets can take off from some of the world’s shortest runways?

5

HondaJet Elite II

Advertised takeoff distance: 3,669 ft (1,128 m)

Manufactured by the same company that has brought the world the iconic Accord, Civic, and NSX automobiles, the HondaJet Elite II continues the same HondaJet family that started with the HA-420. Both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) have certified the HondaJet Elite II, which only made its public debut at the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (EBACE) in Geneva, Switzerland in May 2023.

Honda Aircraft Company, the United States (US)-based entity that manufactures planes, announced the Elite II in October 2022, promising “a whole new level of performance that redefines what it means to be a very light jet.” According to the manufacturer, the HondaJet Elite II is powered by two General Electric (GE) Honda HF120 engines, enabling the jet to reach up to 1,547 nautical miles (2,865 kilometers).

Under standard conditions, its takeoff performance is 3,699 ft (1,128 m), while its landing distance with four occupants is 2,717 ft (829 meters). HondaJet noted that a typical configuration involves the carriage of one crew member and six passengers or two crew members and five passengers.

4

Cessna Citation CJ4

Advertised takeoff distance: 3,410 ft (1,039 m)

Cessna’s Citation CJ4 is the latest version of the Cessna CitationJet, an aircraft that first took to the skies in April 1991. According to the manufacturer’s brochure about the type, it combines “a comfortable, state-of-the-art cabin with generous range, speed and payload,” adding that it is the “ultimate single-pilot jet.” The brochure also outlined other specifications of the aircraft, namely that it has a 50 ft 10 in (15.49 m) wingspan, is 53 ft 4 in (16.26 m) long, and 15 ft 5 in (4.69 m) tall with an MTOW of 17,110 pounds (7,761 kilograms). The maximum number of people that it can carry is 11.

Speaking about the Citation CJ4’s takeoff capabilities, the jet’s advertised takeoff distance is 3,410 ft (1,039 m), with a rate of climb of 3,854 feet per minute (1,175 meters per minute). Its maximum range is 2,165 NM (4,010 km). Two Williams International FJ44-4A engines power the aircraft.

3

Embraer Phenom 300E

Advertised takeoff distance: 3,209 ft (978 m)

Embraer’s Phenom 300E was developed from the Phenom 100, the smaller variant of the aircraft. Interestingly, one of the main differences between the two jets is that the Phenom 300E can fly much faster at Mach 0.90, while the smaller Phenom 100 can fly at speeds up to Mach 0.70. Nevertheless, speed is not everything in a private jet, as cabin comfort also plays a large part in the sales pitch for an aircraft that is not available to everyone due to its price tag.

Embraer has highlighted that while creating the Phenom 300E, it took on customers’ challenges and developed innovative solutions to outperform those problems. “Our goal was to bring forth innovative solutions that would redefine the standard for both performance and comfort, and offer advanced technologies, from the flight deck to the cabin, that previously were found only on much larger, more expensive jets,” Embraer said in the brochure about the Phenom 300E.

Nevertheless, its takeoff performance is also impressive since the aircraft, which can fly up to 2,010 NM (3,723 kilometers), can take off from a runway whose length is 3,209 ft (978 m), just a few feet or meters longer than the smaller Phenom 100.

2

Embraer Phenom 100EX

Advertised takeoff distance: 3,190 ft (972 m)

Meanwhile, the smaller Phenom 100EX is the latest iteration of the aircraft within the Phenom 100 family, with Embraer unveiling the 100EX variant only in October 2023. The aircraft debuted publicly at the National Business Aviation Association Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) event in Las Vegas, Nevada, US. Unveiling the jet, Embraer noted that the Phenom 100 series has been trusted by many customers globally, including military and commercial aviation flight schools, including the Royal Air Force (RAF), Emirates, and Etihad Airways.

“Now, the new Phenom 100EX delivers superior cabin comfort, operational versatility and safety enhanced pilot-centric avionics to offer the ultimate flying experience.”

Embraer has already indicated the aircraft’s takeoff performance numbers, including its takeoff distance of 3,190 ft (972 m) and an unfactored landing distance of 2,430 ft (741 m). In terms of the range it can fly, the jet’s advertised flying distance is 1,178 NM (2,182 kilometers), with a maximum speed of Mach 0.70. Its high-speed cruise is 406 knots (752 kilometers per hour).

1

Cirrus Vision Jet SF50

Advertised takeoff distance: 2,036 ft (620 m)

One of the most unique private jets currently on the market, which has only one engine and a parachute system, among several other features, the Cirrus Vision Jet SF50 also has one of the shortest takeoff distances of any type. The manufacturer has pointed out that the jet’s takeoff distance is 2,036 ft (620 m), with the climb rate being 1,609 ft/min (490.4 m/min). Its landing ground roll is 1,628 ft (496 m).

Despite its small size, Cirrus has emphasized that the Vision Jet SF50 was “designed around the largest cabin in its class, the carbon fiber fuselage creates spaciousness, with unexpected head and shoulder room and panoramic windows for an immersive experience.”