Light Jet Charter Miami: The South Florida Workhorse
Light jet charter Miami is the default answer to more South Florida trips than any other class. Six or seven seats, an enclosed lavatory, 1,300–2,000 nm of range and 400–450 kts of cruise for $3,200–$4,800 per flight hour is the combination that fits the way this region actually flies.
The reach explains the popularity: Miami to New York, Boston, Dallas, Houston, San Juan and most of the Caribbean non-stop; the West Coast is two legs If your trip is four to six people going somewhere between two and three hours away, you are almost certainly buying one of the three aircraft on this page.
Why light jet charter Miami is the volume class
South Florida's flying has a characteristic shape. Business runs north to New York, Boston, Atlanta and Dallas; leisure runs east and south to the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, San Juan and the Antilles. Almost all of it is two to three hours with four to six people aboard. That is precisely the mission this class was built for, which is why the based fleet here is deep and why availability holds up on dates when other classes have gone.
The cabin crosses a threshold the classes below do not. An enclosed lavatory — externally serviced on the Embraer Phenom 300E, which means the crew empties it from outside rather than through the cabin — changes what a two-hour flight feels like with a family aboard. A club four seating group means everyone has a table and nobody is sitting sideways. Bags go into a real compartment: 76 cubic feet on the Phenom, 65 on the Cessna Citation CJ3+. Standing is still not on the menu at 4 ft 8 in – 4 ft 9 in.
Performance is the quiet part. These aircraft cruise in the mid-forties — flight level 450 is normal for the CJ3+ and the Phenom 300, and the Learjet 75 Liberty certifies higher still at 51,000 ft — which puts them above almost all Florida convective weather rather than in it. Between June and September, when a line of thunderstorms builds over the peninsula every afternoon, that altitude is worth more than the speed.
- Passengers: 6–7 passengers, and unlike the smaller classes these seats stay usable with luggage on board.
- Range: 1,300–2,000 nm, which covers the Caribbean and the northeast non-stop from Miami.
- Best for: The South Florida workhorse: four to six passengers, two to three hours, everyday business travel.
- Lavatory: enclosed on all three types in this class, externally serviced on the Phenom 300.
- Runway: comfortable at every South Florida field, including Boca Raton's single 6,276 ft runway on a normal day.
Light jet specifications and Miami rate bands
The three types separate on speed and cabin rather than on range, which is within a few dozen miles across all of them. The CJ3+ is the economical one at Mach 0.72 and the lowest hourly band. The Phenom 300 is faster at Mach 0.80, wider at 65 inches and carries the most baggage, which is why it is the most-booked light jet in this market. The Learjet 75 is the quickest of the three at Mach 0.81 with the longest cabin at 19.8 ft, and it is out of production, so availability depends on which operators still fly one.
Hourly rate is only part of what you pay. Ramp fee and handling at each end, federal excise tax, segment fees, catering and — on any trip involving a night away — the daily minimum all sit on top. Crew duty is the constraint that turns a long day into an overnight: if the schedule slips at the far end and the duty day expires, the operator has to stop, and that is not negotiable at the ramp. Our private jet charter cost guide sets out each of those items with the numbers behind them.
| Aircraft | Passengers | Range | Baggage | Typical Miami hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Very light jets (class below) | 4–5 passengers | 1,100–1,400 nm | Compact | $2,600–$3,800 |
| Cessna Citation CJ3+ | 7 (6 in the club plus a belted lavatory seat) | 2040 nm | 65 cu ft | $3,400–$4,300 |
| Embraer Phenom 300E | 8 (7 in the club-plus-side-facing layout, 8 with the belted lav seat) | 2010 nm | 76 cu ft | $4,000–$5,000 |
| Learjet 75 Liberty | 8 (8 in the executive layout, 6 in the Liberty's roomier configuration) | 2040 nm | 65 cu ft | $4,200–$5,200 |
| Super light jets (class above) | 7–8 passengers | 1,900–2,300 nm | Larger | $4,200–$5,600 |
What this class reaches from South Florida
The Caribbean, non-stop and with the seats full
Nassau, Providenciales, San Juan, the Dominican Republic and most of the Leewards are comfortable non-stops. Miami to Turks and Caicos is 505 nm and 1h 35m of block time in this class. Overwater equipment applies from the moment you leave the coast — vests, a raft, a survival kit — and the eAPIS filing and CBP arrival appointment are routine for operators who fly these routes weekly. Miami to Turks and Caicos covers the ports of entry and the ramp-space problem at PLS in high season.
The northeast corridor, all year
New York, Boston, Washington and the Carolinas are within range with the seats occupied, which is the class's real advantage over the one below it. Northbound in winter the jet stream is the planning factor rather than the distance, and operators will trade a bag or a passenger against fuel on the tightest days. This corridor is also the deepest source of empty leg inventory in the country, because seasonal traffic runs one way at a time and aircraft come home light.
Where the class ends
The West Coast is two legs from Miami in a light jet and that does not change with a favourable wind. Bermuda, the southern Caribbean and northern South America are similarly beyond it. If your itinerary keeps hitting that wall, price the super light jet class, which reaches Aruba and Barbados non-stop for $-600 to $800 more an hour depending on where each band falls.
Season, empty legs and how to buy well
December through April is the peak and it changes how you should shop. Quotes sit at the top of the band, ramp space at Palm Beach International and in the islands genuinely runs out, and the tightest single weeks of the year are Art Basel in early December, Christmas through New Year, Presidents Day and Easter. Book those weeks four to eight weeks ahead if you want a specific type rather than whatever is left.
The seasonal imbalance is also the opportunity. Southbound repositioning legs from Teterboro into Opa-locka and Palm Beach appear almost daily during the winter, and Sunday afternoon returns from Providenciales are a recurring source of one-way inventory. An empty leg is only useful if your dates can move — the aircraft flies when the operator needs it to, and the trip can be cancelled if the paying leg changes — but the discount against a full charter is real.
June through November is hurricane season, quieter and cheaper, with genuine schedule risk attached. The three questions worth asking any operator before you book in those months are what happens to your aircraft if a system is forecast, who pays for repositioning it, and how cancellation and rebooking work. Get the answers in writing. Then send your dates, passenger count and bag list through request a quote and we will price the light jets available on those days against the class above.
Airports, ramp fees and the South Florida departure choice
Every field in the region takes this class. Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport at 8,002 ft is the default and carries customs on site, which matters for anything international. Miami Executive Airport at 6,000 ft suits Kendall, Pinecrest and the south end of Coral Gables but has no CBP facility, so it works outbound and not for the return from the islands.
Boca Raton is the field worth understanding properly. Its single runway of roughly 6,276 ft weight-limits departures for larger jets and rules some long-range types out entirely, but a light jet leaving for New York or Nassau is comfortably inside it on a normal day. High temperature and full fuel narrow that margin, which is when the operator's runway analysis stops being a formality. If the answer comes back tight, Fort Lauderdale Executive is twenty-five minutes south with no such constraint.
Ramp fee and handling charges vary by hundreds of dollars for identical service across these fields, and on a two-hour trip that difference is visible in the total. It is worth quoting two departure airports on a trip where the drive times are similar. On a light jet the FBO choice is a real lever; on a heavy jet it disappears into the noise.
Light jet models flown from Miami
Cessna Citation CJ3+ — specifications, cabin and rates. 6 in the club plus a belted lavatory seat, 2040 nm, 416 knots and $3,400–$4,300 per hour. The efficiency choice, and the one that most often comes in cheapest on a Nassau or Key West day trip while still carrying an enclosed lavatory.
Embraer Phenom 300E — specifications, cabin and rates. 7 in the club-plus-side-facing layout, 8 with the belted lav seat, 2010 nm at Mach 0.80, 76 cubic feet of baggage and $4,000–$5,000 per hour. The most-flown light jet in this market, with the widest cabin in the class and connectivity fitted on a good share of the fleet.
Learjet 75 Liberty — the fastest and longest-cabin option at Mach 0.81 and 19.8 ft, $4,200–$5,200 per hour, certified to 51,000 ft. Out of production since Bombardier ended the Learjet line, so availability is operator-specific and worth asking about early rather than assuming.
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Frequently asked questions
What does a light jet cost per hour from Miami?
The typical market range is $3,200–$4,800 per flight hour before federal excise tax, segment fees, ramp and handling charges. A one-way to Turks and Caicos commonly falls in the $8,500–$12,000 band. Actual quotes vary with the date, the specific aircraft and availability, and peak weeks between December and April sit at the top of every range on this page.
Which light jet should I ask for?
For a Bahamas or Keys day trip, the Cessna Citation CJ3+ is usually the value answer. For four to six people with real luggage going to the Caribbean or the northeast, the Embraer Phenom 300E is the most-booked type here for good reason — more baggage, a wider cabin and 48 knots more speed. Ask for both and compare the total, not the hourly rate.
Can a light jet fly non-stop to the Caribbean?
Yes, to most of it. Nassau, Providenciales, San Juan, the Dominican Republic and the northern Leewards are all comfortable non-stops from South Florida with the seats full. Aruba, Barbados and the southern Caribbean are beyond reliable light jet range and belong to the super light and midsize classes. Overwater equipment and eAPIS filing apply to all of it regardless of aircraft size.
Is there a real lavatory on board?
Yes. All three types in this class carry an enclosed lavatory, and the Embraer Phenom 300E is externally serviced, meaning the crew empties it from outside the aircraft rather than through the cabin. On the CJ3+ the lavatory seat is belted and counts as a passenger seat, which is how 7 people fit into a cabin laid out around a club four.
Are empty legs worth waiting for?
Sometimes. The Miami-to-New York corridor produces more one-way discount inventory than any other on this site, and southbound repositioning legs into Opa-locka and Palm Beach are common in winter. The catch is that an empty leg exists to serve the operator's schedule: dates are fixed, the aircraft can change, and the trip can be cancelled if the paying leg moves. Useful if you are flexible, not if you are not.
When should I book a super light or midsize jet?
When there are more than six passengers, when the destination is Aruba, Barbados or the West Coast, or when someone on board wants to stand up. Super light jets start around $4,200 per hour and midsize around $5,200, against $4,800 at the top of this class. For most South Florida trips that money buys cabin rather than capability you will use.
Related pages
- Very light jetsThe class below: four seats and $2,600–$3,800 an hour for shorter legs.
- Super light jets7–8 passengers and 1,900–2,300 nm, reaching Aruba and Barbados non-stop.
- Miami to Turks and CaicosBlock times, price bands and the ports of entry on the busiest Caribbean pairing.
- Empty leg flights from MiamiHow repositioning inventory works in South Florida and when it is worth waiting for.
Further reading from the blog
Sources and further reading
- Embraer Phenom 300 — Embraer's Phenom 300 product page, the source for cabin dimensions, baggage volume and performance
- Cessna Citation CJ3 — Textron Aviation's Citation CJ3 page, the authoritative specification reference for the type
- National Business Aviation Association — Industry body publishing operational guidance, duty-time resources and international procedures for charter
Get a quote for your flight
Send us the route, the date and the number of passengers. You will get real options with all-in pricing, the operator's certificate and safety rating, and the aircraft's actual tail number — not a stock photo and a starting-from price.