Aircraft Gulfstream G450, 2016

A 2016 aircraft, s/n 4349. 2,001 flight hours over 923 cycles — about 200 hours a year, well below the market average of 350–450. Cabin — 14 seats. Average sector — 2.2 h: typical short business legs. There is no flight attendant or hot meal service. The baggage compartment is accessible in flight. Send us a request — we'll prepare options, calculate running costs and analyse the best fit for your task.

The average pre-owned price for the model is $9.5M. Running costs at 300–400 h/year — about $3.04M/year, or $7,598 per flight hour. The price of a specific aircraft depends on year, hours flown and engine-programme status. Send us a request — we'll prepare options, calculate running costs and analyse the best fit for your task.

America's Gulfstream is a byword for the flagship business jet: half the world's long-range fleet carries the letter G. The current range: the super-midsize G280, the new G400/G500/G600, and the summit — G650ER, G700 and G800 with up to 14,800 km of range. Signature traits: an M0.90 cruise, oval windows three times the usual area and a cabin altitude equivalent to 900 m. Send us a request — we'll prepare options, calculate running costs and analyse the best fit for your task.

Gulfstream fleet dispatch reliability holds at 99.8% — behind it is business aviation's largest in-house service organisation: 4,000+ specialists, $2B of parts inventory and a 24-hour support centre able to send a mobile team anywhere in the world. The Rolls-Royce Pearl engines on the G700/G800 are serviced under the hourly-rate CorporateCare programme. Send us a request — we'll prepare options, calculate running costs and analyse the best fit for your task.

An industry benchmark: a five-year-old G650ER sells for $42–52M against a $70M+ list, and in short-supply years pre-owned aircraft sold above new ones given the queue. 2010s G550s steadily hold $14–18M. Liquidity comes from global demand: a third of buyers are in the US, a third in the Middle East and Asia, so a seller does not depend on one region. Send us a request — we'll prepare options, calculate running costs and analyse the best fit for your task.

For 3–5-hour routes and regional flights, the G280: 6,660 km, 10 seats, the most economical in the family. The G500/G600 cover 9,600–12,000 km — London or Geneva to Singapore nonstop. The G650ER and G700 are intercontinental classics: 13,900–14,350 km, a 19-seat cabin with a bedroom and shower; the G800 adds range to 14,800 km. Send us a request — we'll prepare options, calculate running costs and analyse the best fit for your task.

A class for those who need a maximum cabin without long-range prices: 8–10-hour flights like London–Dubai, Paris–Delhi, Dubai–Singapore. Three cabin zones allow a meeting, a meal and sleep at once. Typical tasks — carrying delegations, family travel in large groups, and government and corporate flights with 10–14 passengers. Send us a request — we'll prepare options, calculate running costs and analyse the best fit for your task.

Capacity is 10–16 seats: the Legacy 600/650 take 13–14 passengers, the Challenger 850 up to 14–16. Range: Challenger 850 5,200 km, Legacy 600 6,000 km, Legacy 650 7,200 km, Gulfstream G450 8,060 km, the tri-jet Falcon 900LX 8,800 km. The Legacy's holds of up to 6.8 m³ are the most capacious in the segment short of long-range jets. Send us a request — we'll prepare options, calculate running costs and analyse the best fit for your task.

To the large class it adds a third cabin zone and up to 16 seats — but a notable part of the segment (Legacy, Challenger 850) is built on regional airliners, so the aircraft are heavier and climb more slowly. The long-range class (Global, Gulfstream G550+) gives 9,600–14,800 km and fresh airframes, but costs twice as much to buy. Here you get the maximum cabin for sensible money. Send us a request — we'll prepare options, calculate running costs and analyse the best fit for your task.

The best 'cabin-metres-per-dollar' on the market: Legacy 600 $8–12M, Challenger 850 $9–13M, Legacy 650 $12–16M, Gulfstream G450 $12–16M, Falcon 900LX $23–30M. Airliner-based aircraft (Legacy, 850) are cheaper per seat but dearer in airframe maintenance. It is critical to check corrosion-programme status and landing-gear life. Send us a request — we'll prepare options, calculate running costs and analyse the best fit for your task.

The standard path takes 6–10 weeks. Step 1: a letter of intent (LOI) with price and terms — 3–5 days. Step 2: a 5–10% deposit into escrow and signing of the purchase agreement. Step 3: a pre-purchase inspection — 1–3 weeks. Step 4: rectification of findings and price adjustment. Step 5: closing — simultaneous transfer of funds, title and risk, technical acceptance and ferry of the aircraft.

A pre-purchase inspection (PPI) is an independent check at a certified centre: airframe, engines, corrosion, records and compliance with airworthiness directives. It takes from 3 days on a turboprop to 2–3 weeks on a heavy jet and costs $15–100K — paid by the buyer. By market practice the seller pays to rectify airworthiness-affecting defects. A seller refusing a PPI is grounds to walk away.