What Are the Different Types of Corporate Jets? Definition, Meaning and Concept

Carrying five to 10 or more passengers, corporate jets enable travel not otherwise possible for many companies. Most people are familiar with the small but very fast corporate jet models from Learjet, Beechjet and Citation. Intermediate models of the aircraft, such as the Gulfstream and Hawker models, can accommodate six to nine passengers, and heavy corporate jets such as the larger Gulfstream models can carry up to 14 passengers on intercontinental flights in comfort. While a company plane may not be needed on a regular basis, when it is needed, no other form of transportation can replace it.

Acting much like the limousine of the skies, large corporate jets are used to fly large groups to meetings in distant locations without requiring the stringent customs and airport security required for commercial flight. In the world of big business, one minute lost on a security check line could mean the loss of a great deal or opportunity. Even large corporate jets can land at smaller airfields, eliminating the crowds at larger airports. This often allows the plane to land closer to the meeting place rather than on the edge of town at a commercial airfield.

Midsize corporate jets are primarily used for domestic flights when time is of the essence. These smaller, faster planes can take off with as little as an hour's warning, making them good for emergency travel and business that doesn't require hesitation. The mid-size aircraft has room to hold in-flight meetings and many even have provisions for in-flight meals for extended flights. An added benefit of flying corporate jets on a commercial flight is the ability to select specialty meals or snacks and the ability to more personally cater to a customer's travel needs.

Small corporate jets are the sports cars of heaven. They are very fast and aim to make short business trips very fast and comfortable. Capable of landing on short airfields, small corporate jets can land very close to the city at smaller airports that larger commercial flights cannot. Equipped with galleys for food preparation and seats that allow for in-flight meetings, these small jets allow for unexpected out-of-town trips that return the same day.