Embraer Phenom 300 Charter: Cost, Specs and Range

Embraer has now sold more Phenom 300s than any other light jet for fourteen years running. That is not a marketing streak, it is what happens when an aircraft is the right answer to a very common question: how do four or five people get somewhere three hours away without spending heavy jet money?

Key takeaways

• Expect roughly $3,500 to $5,000 per flight hour, at the upper end of the light jet range because of the speed and cabin
• Range is 2,010 nautical miles with five occupants and full reserves, which covers London to Athens or New York to Denver without stopping
• Six to seven passengers fit; four to five travel comfortably once luggage is on board
• The baggage hold is unusually large for the class, which is why it survives ski and golf trips that defeat smaller jets
• A new version, the 300EV, was announced in July 2026, but first deliveries are 2028, so it is not something you can charter yet

What it costs to charter a Phenom 300

This is what most people arrive looking for, so here it is before anything else.

Hourly rates

A Phenom 300 typically quotes at $3,500 to $5,000 per flight hour. That places it at the upper end of the light jet bracket, which runs $2,500 to $5,000 in our private jet hourly rates guide. It sits high in the range for good reasons: it is faster than most of its class, and the cabin is larger.

Treat any hourly figure, including that one, as a starting point rather than a quote.

• The aircraft matters: a 2012 Phenom 300 and a recent 300E do not price the same
• The operator matters: two operators with identical aircraft quote differently based on where they are based and how busy they are
• The date matters: the same trip costs more in the first week of July than the second week of November

What actually moves the number

The hourly rate is rarely the biggest variable. Positioning usually is.

• Repositioning: if the nearest suitable aircraft is two hours away, you are paying for those two hours before your trip starts
• One-way versus return: a return trip that keeps the aircraft with you often costs less per hour than two separate one-ways
• Peak dates and events: demand pricing is real and it is sharp around major events
• Fees on top of the rate: landing, handling, catering, crew costs and taxes

Our guide to what it costs to charter a private jet breaks all of that down properly, so we will not repeat it here.

Want the real number rather than a range? Search your route on Lineaum and see what comes back for your dates.

Specifications that actually matter

Every page about this aircraft gives you a table. Few explain what any of it means for your trip, which is the part worth reading.

Manufacturer figures, Embraer, February 2026.

Range, in trips rather than numbers

The 2,010nm figure deserves a closer look, because of how it is measured. It is quoted with five occupants on board and full NBAA IFR reserves, not empty and not in ideal conditions. That is a conservative way to state a range, and it means the number is more usable than most published figures.

In practice that comfortably covers:

• London to Athens, Istanbul or Marrakesh without a fuel stop
• New York to Denver, Aspen or Dallas, or down to Nassau and Bermuda
• Los Angeles to Chicago, which is about as far as the aircraft should be asked to go on a regular basis
• Dubai to Mumbai, or almost any European city pair you can name

What it does not do is cross the Atlantic. Anyone telling you otherwise is describing a different aircraft.

Speed, stated precisely

High-speed cruise is 464 knots, and maximum speed is Mach 0.80. Embraer describes it as the fastest light jet in production, which is their claim rather than an independent finding, though the numbers support it.

Be careful with speed figures for this aircraft generally. Several widely republished sources give 453 knots, and one converts a figure to “538 mph” without saying what it is measuring. Cruise speed, high-speed cruise and maximum speed are three different things, and mixing them is how most spec pages go wrong.

Cabin and baggage

The cabin runs about 17 feet 2 inches long, 5 feet 1 inch wide and 4 feet 11 inches high, giving roughly 425 cubic feet. You will not stand up in it. For flights of two to three hours, most passengers do not mind.

Two things genuinely stand out:

• Baggage: Embraer calls it one of the largest compartments in the category, with around 74 cubic feet externally. This is the practical reason the aircraft handles ski trips and golf trips that force smaller jets to leave bags behind
• Cabin altitude: a maximum of 6,600 feet at the 45,000 foot ceiling, falling to around 5,600 feet at 41,000 feet. Both figures get quoted as though they were the same thing, and they are not. Lower cabin altitude is the difference between arriving fresh and arriving tired, and it matters more than most brochures suggest

Who it suits, and who it does not

The useful part of any aircraft guide is knowing when to book something else.

It is an excellent choice for

• Four to five passengers with luggage, which is the sweet spot rather than the maximum
• Sectors of one to three hours, where a stand-up cabin is a luxury rather than a necessity
• Smaller airports, thanks to short-field performance. It also holds EASA steep-approach certification to 5.5 degrees, which is what London City requires
• Anyone comparing a light jet against a turboprop, where the extra speed and cabin usually justify the difference

Choose something larger if

• You need to work or sleep properly. Three hours in a seated cabin is fine; six is not
• You are flying transatlantic. This is not that aircraft. See our heavy jet charter guide
• You have seven or more passengers with real luggage. The certified count and the comfortable count are not the same number
• You want a full-height cabin and a separate lavatory area rather than a compact one

The single-pilot question

The Phenom 300 is certified for single-pilot operation, which comes up often and is widely misunderstood. In practice, most charter operators fly it with two pilots regardless, because their own operating rules or their insurers require it.

So the certification tells you something about the aircraft’s systems and workload design. It does not tell you how many pilots will be on your flight. If it matters to you, ask the operator.

The new Phenom 300EV, and why it does not change your booking yet

Embraer announced the Phenom 300EV on 14 July 2026. It is worth knowing about, and it is worth knowing why it is not relevant to a charter next month.

Embraer, July 2026.

The headline addition is Garmin Emergency Autoland, which can land the aircraft automatically if the pilot becomes incapacitated. The 300EV is the largest business jet to offer it. There is also a modest range and payload improvement, class-exclusive Autobrake, and satellite connectivity fitted from the factory.

None of it affects a charter you book this year. First deliveries are planned for 2028, so every Phenom 300 in charter service today is a 300 or a 300E. If a broker quotes you a “300EV” before 2028, ask them to check.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to charter a Phenom 300?

Expect roughly $3,500 to $5,000 per flight hour, at the upper end of the light jet bracket. The final quote depends heavily on where the aircraft has to come from, your dates, and the specific aircraft and operator. Positioning is usually a bigger variable than the hourly rate itself.

What is the range of an Embraer Phenom 300?

The Phenom 300E has a range of 2,010 nautical miles with five occupants and full NBAA IFR reserves. That covers London to Athens, or New York to Denver, without stopping. It is not a transatlantic aircraft.

How many passengers does a Phenom 300 seat?

Configurations vary, with a certified maximum of up to ten or eleven occupants depending on layout. For a real trip with luggage, four to five passengers travel comfortably and six to seven is workable. Always give your actual passenger and bag count when requesting a quote.

How fast is the Phenom 300?

High-speed cruise is 464 knots and maximum speed is Mach 0.80. Embraer describes it as the fastest light jet in production. Be wary of pages quoting 453 knots or converting to miles per hour without saying which measure they mean.

Is the Phenom 300 a very light jet or a light jet?

It is a light jet. Some specification sites incorrectly list it as a very light jet, but both Embraer and GAMA classify it in the light jet category, and it holds the GAMA light jet delivery record.

What is the difference between the Phenom 300, the 300E and the 300EV?

The 300E is the current in-service version, with 2,010nm range and an updated cabin and avionics. The 300EV was announced in July 2026 and adds Garmin Emergency Autoland, Autobrake and slightly more range, but first deliveries are planned for 2028. Anything you charter today is a 300 or a 300E.

Price your trip on a Phenom 300

An hourly range is useful for budgeting and useless for deciding. The only number that matters is the one for your route, your dates and your passenger count.

• Search across 30,000+ aircraft from 10,500+ operators in 190 countries
• See light jets that can genuinely fly your route, filtered by runway, range and passenger count
• Compare against a turboprop or a midsize jet before you commit to a category
• No membership or subscription required to run a search

Search your route on Lineaum and see what a Phenom 300 actually costs for the trip you have in mind.

Related reading

• Private Jet Hourly Rates in 2026: where the light jet bracket sits against every other category
• How Much Does It Cost to Charter a Private Jet?: what drives the final number
• Heavy Jet Charter Guide: the aircraft to book when the Phenom is too small