Falcon 8X Charter from Chicago
A Falcon 8X charter gives you 6,450 nm of range — enough for Chicago to Tokyo or Chicago to Dubai in one leg — from an aircraft that will still get into a runway most ultra long range jets have to decline. Dassault stretched the 7X fuselage to 42.7 ft and kept the three-engine layout and the digital flight controls that make the type unusually flexible about where it lands.
It is the least expensive of the three long range jets at $13,500–$17,500 per flight hour and the lightest, at a maximum takeoff weight around 73,000 lb. That last number is why it never has a Teterboro problem.
The case for a Falcon 8X charter
Dassault's argument for three engines is redundancy over water and better field performance at heavy weights, and both hold up in charter use. A trijet climbs out of a short, hot or high runway at a weight a comparable twin cannot, and it keeps ETOPS-style routing flexibility on oceanic legs. The cost is a third engine to maintain, which is why the 8X's hourly rate is not lower still.
The second argument is the interior. Dassault offers more than thirty cabin layouts from new, so the charter fleet is genuinely varied — some airframes are configured as three-zone corporate cabins for 14 working passengers, others as owner aircraft with a large stateroom and a shower and only twelve seats. Two 8X trip sheets can describe very different airplanes, so read them rather than assuming.
The third is efficiency. The 8X burns meaningfully less fuel per hour than a G650ER on the same sector, which shows up in the quote on a long trip and in the daily minimums on a multi-day itinerary. The full class picture sits on the long range jet page.
Dassault Falcon 8X specifications
The 8X entered service in 2016 as the stretched, longer-legged development of the Falcon 7X. It shares the 7X's 92-inch cross-section and adds cabin length and range. Confirm which of the two is on offer, because the 7X carries roughly 450 nm less and that matters on a Pacific sector.
| Specification | Figure |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Dassault Aviation |
| Class | Long Range Jet Charter |
| Typical passengers | 14 — 12–16 with more than 30 cabin layouts offered from new |
| Range, 4 passengers, IFR reserves | 6,450 nm |
| Normal cruise speed | 488 kts (Mach 0.85) |
| Certified ceiling | 51,000 ft |
| Cabin height | 74 in — stand-up cabin |
| Cabin width | 92 in |
| Cabin length | 42.7 ft |
| Baggage volume | 140 cu ft |
| Lavatory | Enclosed, externally serviced |
| Cabin connectivity | Ka-band, FalconConnect packages |
| First delivery of this variant | 2016 |
| Typical market hourly rate | $13,500–$17,500 per flight hour |
Thirty cabin layouts, berths and crew rest
Layout options
12–16 with more than 30 cabin layouts offered from new, which is unusual in this class and worth using. The three common charter fits are a three-lounge corporate cabin, a two-lounge plus large aft stateroom arrangement, and a two-lounge plus a shower-equipped rear lavatory with a smaller sleeping area. All carry a forward galley and an enclosed, externally serviced lavatory.
The cabin is 92 inches wide and 74 inches tall — narrower than a Global or a G650ER by 6 inches. Dassault compensates with a low cabin altitude and a quiet cabin; the 8X is among the quietest business jets in service, which on a thirteen-hour sector is not a marketing point but a sleep one.
Sleeping four to six
Four to six sleep well depending on the layout. An 8X configured with a rear stateroom berths two properly behind a divider, with the mid-cabin divan and berthed club seats adding two to four more positions. On a shower-equipped airframe, arriving into a European morning after a night flight is a genuinely different experience — but only a minority of the charter fleet has one, so specify it early.
Baggage is the constraint to check against the sleeping plan: 140 cu ft is 55 cu ft less than a Global or a G650ER. For fourteen people on a two-week trip that is the number that bites, not the seat count.
Rest for the relief pilot
Most 8X charter airframes carry a forward crew rest area with a berthable seat, and some have a dedicated bunk. On an augmented sector the relief pilot rests there rather than in the passenger cabin. Because the type is often flown with a cabin attendant on long legs, ask how many crew are quoted and where the second cabin crew member rests if the trip is a full-cabin overnight.
Rate, daily minimums and fuel policy
Typical market range is $13,500–$17,500 per flight hour — the floor of the long-range band and about $3,000 below a G650ER at the bottom. On long international itineraries ask for the daily minimum hours, international crew expenses and the fuel policy alongside the rate; those move the total more than the headline number. Background sits in the cost guide and on the hourly rates page.
| Trip | Approximate flight hours | Typical market range |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago to London, one way non-stop | 7.0 | $94,500–$122,500 |
| Chicago to Paris, one way non-stop | 7.4 | $100,000–$129,500 |
| Chicago to Honolulu, one way non-stop | 8.1 | $109,500–$142,000 |
| Chicago to Tokyo, one way non-stop | 12.9 | $174,000–$226,000 |
Chicago non-stops and the awkward airports at the far end
Chicago to London at roughly 3,430 nm and Chicago to Paris at roughly 3,720 nm are unremarkable non-stops in both directions for an aircraft with 6,450 nm, including westbound in January. Chicago to Honolulu at around 3,600 nm is a non-stop either way with the cabin full.
Chicago to Tokyo at roughly 5,450 nm is a comfortable non-stop westbound in the 8X, with enough margin that a strong Pacific jet does not put an Anchorage stop back on the table the way it can for a shorter-legged type. Chicago to Dubai at roughly 6,300 nm is achievable non-stop in favourable conditions but should be planned with the operator rather than assumed; Chicago to Hong Kong at roughly 6,550 nm is past the practical limit with a real payload.
The distinctive part is the far end of the trip. The 8X holds steep approach approvals on many airframes and lands short, which puts London City, alpine fields and restricted island runways in play on the same itinerary as a Pacific crossing. No other aircraft in this class does both.
| Leg | Approximate distance | Non-stop? |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago to London | 3,430 nm | Yes, both directions with wide margin |
| Chicago to Paris | 3,720 nm | Yes, both directions |
| Chicago to Honolulu | 3,600 nm | Yes, both directions |
| Chicago to Tokyo | 5,450 nm | Yes, non-stop westbound |
| Chicago to Dubai | 6,300 nm | Possible in favourable conditions — confirm with the operator |
| Chicago to Hong Kong | 6,550 nm | No with a full payload — plan a technical stop |
Falcon 8X versus the Global 6000 and the G650ER
Against the Global 6000, the 8X carries 450 nm more range and costs about $1,000 less per hour at the floor, while giving up 6 inches of cabin width and 55 cu ft of baggage. The Global is the better aircraft for a full cabin with heavy luggage; the Falcon is the better aircraft for long legs into difficult airports.
Against the Gulfstream G650ER, the 8X gives up 1,050 nm of range, 28 knots of cruise and 6 inches of width, and gains roughly $3,000 an hour at the floor plus Teterboro access plus short-field capability. Choose the Gulfstream when the requirement is Hong Kong or Sydney non-stop; choose the Falcon for almost everything else in the class.
If this is recurring international travel rather than a single trip, the corporate jet charter team can model the three types against a year of your real itineraries, including the ground time saved by short-field access. Send the dates and passenger count to the quote desk and ask for the comparison in writing.
| Figure | Dassault Falcon 8X | Bombardier Global 6000 | Gulfstream G650ER |
|---|---|---|---|
| Range | 6,450 nm | 6,000 nm | 7,500 nm |
| Cruise | 488 kts | 488 kts | 516 kts |
| Cabin width | 92 in | 98 in | 98 in |
| Cabin length | 42.7 ft | 43.3 ft | 46.8 ft |
| Baggage | 140 cu ft | 195 cu ft | 195 cu ft |
| Hourly range | $13,500–$17,500 | $14,500–$18,500 | $16,500–$22,000 |
Frequently asked questions
What international handling does a Falcon 8X trip involve?
Trip support appoints a handler at every foreign stop and files landing permits, overflight permits, slots and parking. Because the 8X can use smaller and more restricted airports, some destinations need airport-specific crew qualification and prior permission as well as the usual permits. Europe generally needs 48 to 72 hours of lead time, Asia and the Middle East considerably more. All of it is quoted as pass-through cost.
Where does an 8X clear US customs on the way home?
At a CBP port of entry. O'Hare and Midway both have full-time customs and suit the aircraft at landing weight. DuPage and Chicago Executive offer user-fee customs by arrangement within limited officer hours, and the 8X's shorter landing requirement means both are practical if the arrival time fits those hours. The operator files eAPIS in both directions, so passport data should reach the desk a day ahead.
How many pilots are needed for a non-stop to Tokyo?
Three or four. FAA Part 135 caps an unaugmented two-pilot crew at 10 hours of flight time in 24 consecutive hours within a 14-hour duty day, and a twelve to thirteen hour sector is well beyond that, so the operator augments under an approved programme and uses the forward crew rest. Factor a legal rest period at the destination into the schedule before planning the return leg.
What connectivity does the 8X carry?
Ka-band, FalconConnect packages, typically sold by the operator as a bundled data package. That gives satellite coverage on oceanic and polar routings, supporting mail, VPN, messaging, voice and video calls for several users. Confirm the plan's data allowance on the trip sheet, because a full cabin streaming across a Pacific crossing will exhaust a modest package and the overage is billed back to the trip.
Does the third engine change what the trip costs?
It changes the composition rather than the total. A third engine adds maintenance reserve per hour, but the 8X burns less fuel than a comparable twin on the same sector and its typical market range still starts at the bottom of the long range band. On short legs the difference between the three types is inside the noise of positioning and crew costs; on a thirteen-hour sector the fuel advantage is real.
Can the 8X land at airports the G650ER cannot?
Frequently, yes. The 8X's approach speeds, digital flight controls and steep approach approvals on many airframes open London City, alpine fields and short island runways that an ultra long range Gulfstream has to decline. Approvals are held by the operator and the crew, not by the type alone, so ask the desk to confirm the specific tail is authorised for the specific airport before you plan the itinerary around it.
Related pages
- Long Range Jet CharterClass overview, rate band and the step down to heavy jets.
- Global 6000 charterWider cabin and more baggage for slightly more money.
- Gulfstream G650 charterThe only type in the class that does Hong Kong non-stop.
- Hourly rates by aircraft classWhat sits inside a long range hourly rate and what is billed separately.
Further reading from the blog
Sources and further reading
- Dassault Falcon 8X — Dassault's published range, cabin and performance data for the Falcon 8X.
- NBAA international operations resources — Association guidance on permits, handling, documentation and airport-specific requirements.
- FAA air traffic publications — Official source for the procedures that govern oceanic routing and international operations.
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.