Aircraft direct operating costs
Here are DOC estimates for popular business aircraft.
By Owen Davies
Contributing Writer
Okay, you sit in the front seats of business aircraft. You know about operating costs. And yet, at this point they are probably embedded in route-planning software, and there is a fair chance some of the details have grown fuzzy over the years.
Today, we’re looking at the numbers. Let’s begin with the basics. Fixed operating costs are easy – the cash register dings even when you are on the ground. Think about interest on loans, hangar rental, and aircraft insurance priced according to the calendar. Add pilot salaries, training, and insurance; electricity for the ground operation; and depreciation.
Direct operating costs (DOCs) get more complicated. Fuel and lubricant expenses are obvious enough. So are routine maintenance, inspections, and scheduled replacement parts. Unscheduled repairs are direct operating costs, too. So are engine overhauls, landing fees, handling, and catering.
Turboprops require propeller overhauls. Most helicopters have the expenses of any turbine aircraft, and gearboxes and rotors add substantial costs. The main and tail rotor assemblies require frequent, specialized inspection, and blade lives are limited. Rotors, drive shafts, and gearboxes often require inspection every 50
to 100 hours. Rotors need replacement. Parts are pricey, and a shortage of trained helicopter mechanics inflates labor costs. Lubricants and fluids usually cost more than jet consumables and must be replaced much more often.
Optional programs can change these costs. Power-by-the-hour plans usually cover routine engine maintenance, unscheduled events, and overhauls in one hit. Professional management services collapse almost everything into a single price. Either could be more or less expensive than DIY management, but they add predictability to the operator’s costs. The figures we’ll study herein assume the aircraft is not under such contracts. With that, let’s look at the data for specific aircraft.
Very light jets
They carry 4 to 6 pax over distances of 1100 to 1400 nm. Low operating costs and short-field operation are perfect for fast, efficient travel to local airports. Here are some examples:
The 6-pax Citation M2 Gen2 cruises at 404 kts max with 1550-nm max range. Fuel burn of 112 gph at cruise costs $631. Adding $510 for maintenance plus $200 for unscheduled events, $750 for engine overhaul, and $150 in miscellaneous costs (MC) brings DOC/hr to about $2241.
HA-420 HondaJet variants carry 4 or 5 pax at 422 kts, with ranges of 1223 to 1547 nm. Fuel burn averages around 107 gph, or $602 per hour.
With $517 for maintenance plus $200 for unscheduled events, $700 for overhaul, and $120 in miscellaneous costs, hourly DOCs are about $2139.
The 4- to 5-pax Embraer Phenom 100EV reaches 1178 nm at 406-kt cruise. Fuel use averages 113 gph costing $636. Maintenance runs $592 plus $150 for unscheduled events, overhaul reserve $800 and miscellaneous costs $100. They add up to $2278 per hour DOC.
Light jets
They typically carry 6 to 9 pax 1500 to 2000 nm. Speed and cost efficiency make light jets popular as corporate shuttles.
The 8- to 9-pax Cessna Citation CJ4 Gen2 cruises at 451 kts with 2165 nm max range.
At 200 gph, fuel costs $1126 per hour. Add $548 maintenance plus $400 for unscheduled events, $1300 overhaul, and $300 miscellaneous costs for $3674 hourly DOCs.
Carrying 6 to 8 pax, the Embraer Phenom 300E runs 2010 nm at 533 kts. Fuel burn of 175 gph comes to $1042.
Add $596 for maintenance plus $270 for unscheduled events, $650 for engine overhaul, and $100 in miscellaneous costs, and hourly DOCs total $2658.
The 6- to 7-pax HondaJet Elite II cruises at up to 422 kts with a range of 1547 nm. At 90 gph, fuel cost is $507.
Inspection and maintenance run $124 per hour plus $200 for unscheduled events, with $241 going to engine overhaul and $50 to other costs. Hourly DOCs comes to $1122.
Midsize jets
Designed to carry 6 to 9 pax across the US, they have also found homes in Europe and the Middle East.
Seating 8 or 9 pax, the Cessna Citation XLS Gen2 cruises at 440 kts. However, a range of 1490 nm is low for the category.
Hourly fuel cost averages $1439 for 239 gal. Hourly maintenance of $837 plus $375 for unscheduled events, $1900 for overhaul, and $150 for miscellaneous costs, bring hourly DOCs to $4701.
The 10-pax Dassault Falcon 2000LXS cruises at 459 kts. Range tops out at 4000 nm. Expenses of $1576 for 280 gal of fuel, $1493 in maintenance plus $450 for the unexpected, $2000 overhaul reserve, and up to $200 for miscellaneous costs, come to $4991 hourly DOCs.
With 8 pax, the Embraer Praetor 500 cruises at 466 kts with a max range of 3340 nm. At 285 gph, fuel comes to $1605.
Add $949 for maintenance plus $360 unscheduled maintenance reserve, $750 overhaul reserve, and $90 in miscellaneous costs, and total DOCs come to $3287.
Super-midsize jets
Super-midsize jets have been the hot market in executive transport for some 15 years. They typically fly 8 to 12 pax 3200 to 4000 nm.
Bombardier Challenger 3500 carries 8 or 9 pax 3300 nm at 470 kts. Fuel consumption of 290 gph comes to $1633.
With $1380 maintenance plus $375 for unscheduled work, $3200 in overhaul, reserve, and $750 in miscellaneous costs, DOCs are $6958 per hour.
The 8- to 12-pax Cessna Citation Longitude cruises up to 3500 nm at 476 kts. At 280 gph, it burns $1577 in fuel.
Add $1120 for maintenance and $250 for random events, $3300 for engine overhaul, and $670 in miscellaneous costs for an hourly DOC of $6547.
Carrying 8 to 12 pax, the Embraer Praetor 600 covers 4018 nm at 466 kts. Fuel cost at 260 gph is $1464. Costs of $956 for maintenance plus $350 for unscheduled events, $3100 for engine overhaul, and $675 in miscellaneous costs bring hourly DOCs to $6189.
Large/heavy jets
Seating 10 to 16 pax, they cruise around 500 kts and range 4000 to 6000 nm.
Bombardier Challenger 650 seats 10 to 12 pax and cruises at 533 kts with a max range of 4000 nm. At 316 gph, fuel costs $1779.
Some $1400 in maintenance plus $400 for unscheduled events, $440 for engine overhaul, and $750 in miscellaneous costs push DOCs to $4789 per hour.
Dassault Falcon 7X carries 12 to 16 pax at 488 kts cruise to a max range of 5950 nm. At 385 gph, fuel comes to $2168.
Add $1973 for maintenance plus $500 for unscheduled events, an engine overhaul reserve of $600, and $700 for miscellaneous costs. They amount to $5941 in hourly DOCs.
Embraer Legacy 650 cruises at 447 kts carrying up to 13 pax some 3900 nm. Fuel consumption is around 362 gph and comes to $2038. Other costs include $1709 for maintenance plus $300 for unscheduled events, $500 engine overhaul reserve, and $700 for miscellaneous costs, giving an hourly DOC of $5247.
Ultra-long-range jets
With ranges of 7500 to 7800 nm, ULRs carry 12 to 19 pax at around 510-kt cruise.
The 14- to 19-pax Bombardier Global 7500 cruises at 567 kts with 7700 nm max range. Fuel costs $1802 for 486 gph. Add $800 for routine maintenance, $300 for unexpected work, $1447 engine overhaul reserve, and $725 for miscellaneous costs. Hourly DOCs comes to $5074.
Dassault Falcon 7X carries 12 to 16 pax up to 5950 nm with 488-kt cruise.
Fuel burn of 320 gph costs $2167. Another $1973 for maintenance plus $600 for unscheduled events, $1527 overhaul reserve, and $700 in miscellaneous costs brings hourly DOCs to $6967.
Carrying up to 19 pax, the Gulfstream G700 cruises at 590 kts with a max range of 7750 nm. A 509-gph fuel burn runs $2866 per hour.
Costs of $1659 for maintenance plus $750 for unscheduled events, $1751 for engine overhaul, and $725 in miscellaneous costs lift hourly DOCs to $7751.
Bizliners
Think Airbus and Boeing. With VIP interiors, airliner conversions carry 20 to 50 pax in intercontinental comfort. Double the costs below for the widebodies.
The Airbus ACJ319 typically carries 8 to 19 pax. It cruises around 460 kts with a best range of 6360 nm. Burning 640 gph, fuel consumption costs $3603. A
dd $5369 per hour for maintenance plus $1500 for unexpected events, $540 for engine overhaul, and $775 in miscellaneous costs. Total hourly DOCs come to $11,787.
The Boeing BBJ 737-700 usually carries 19 to 25 pax in executive layout. It cruises around 460 kts with a max range of 6150 nm.
At 700 gph, fuel costs $3941. Maintenance runs $2600 per hour plus $1000 for unscheduled events. The $540 engine overhaul reserve and $775 in miscellaneous costs bring the total to $8856 per hour.
Turboprops
For regional and mid-range travel, these are the most cost-efficient corporate aircraft available.
The 6-pax Daher TBM 960 cruises at 330 kts, ranging out to 1730 nm. At 57 gph, fuel costs $321. Adding $143 for routine maintenance and $75 for unscheduled events, $180 for engine overhaul, and $75 for miscellaneous costs brings hourly DOCs to $794.
The 8-pax Pilatus PC-12 NGX cruises at 290 kts up to 1845 nm. At 62 gph, it drinks $349 in fuel. Add $314 for maintenance and $75 for the unexpected, $200 for engine overhaul, $6 for prop overhaul, and $80 in miscellaneous costs. Hourly DOCs come to $1024.
The King Air 350i twin transports up to 11 pax at 312 kts cruise to a max range of 1800 nm. At 125 gph, fuel costs $704. Add $366 for maintenance plus $150 for unexpected events, $450 engine overhaul reserve, $40 for prop overhaul, and $110 in miscellaneous costs, and hourly DOCs reach $1820.
The Piper M600/SLS carries 5 or 6 pax up to 1484 nm at 274-kt cruise. At 46 gph, fuel costs $259. Added expenses include $70 for maintenance plus $30 in reserve for unscheduled events, $175 for engine overhaul, $3 for prop overhaul, and $60 in miscellaneous costs. Hourly DOCs total $597.
Helicopters
For convenience, we will ignore weight categories here and present some common models in alphabetical order. Note that fuel use and maintenance costs can vary widely depending on the helicopter’s mission.
The Airbus H145 light twin carries 6 to 8 pax up to 351 nm at 130-kt cruise. At 85 gph, it burns $479 in fuel. Maintenance runs $300 per hour, plus $100 for unscheduled events. Set aside $280 for engine overhaul, $85 for gearbox overhauls, and $65 to replace the rotor blades. Miscellaneous costs add $100 per hour. DOCs come out to $1409 per hour.
The 7-pax Bell 429 cruises at 150 kts for roughly 400 nm. Add $428 for fuel at 76 gph, $275 in routine maintenance and $85 per hour for random repairs, $330 for overhauls and rotor replacement, and $90 in miscellaneous costs. Hourly DOCs total $1208.
Seating 16 pax, the Leonardo AW189 offers 155 kts max cruise and max range of 651 nm. Fuel burn of 130 gph comes to $732. Maintenance runs about $400 plus $125 for unscheduled events. Another $640 set aside for overhauls and rotor replacement and $150 for miscellaneous costs bring hourly DOCs to $2047.
The Sikorsky S-76D carries 12 pax some 400 nm at 155-kt cruise. Fuel consumption is 88 gph, costing $495. Add $320 in maintenance and $120 for unscheduled events, $357 for overhauls and blade replacement, and $125 in miscellaneous costs for total DOC of $1417 per hour.
Owen Davies is a veteran freelance writer specializing in technology. He has been a futurist at Forecasting International and TechCast Global.