Aircraft
Bombardier Challenger 350: Specs, Range, and Cost
Full Bombardier Challenger 350 specs
The Bombardier Challenger 350 is the best-selling super-midsize business jet of the last decade, with more than 350 built between 2014 and 2022. It pairs a full six-foot stand-up cabin with 3,200 nautical miles of range, and it is the workhorse type across NetJets, Flexjet, and most large charter fleets.
This page covers the published specifications, the cabin, what it costs to charter or own, and a straight answer on the transatlantic question that comes up on every Challenger 350 search.
What the Challenger 350 is
The Bombardier Challenger 350 is a super-midsize jet built by Bombardier as the 2014 update to the Challenger 300. It carries two Honeywell HTF7350 turbofans rated at 7,323 pounds of thrust each, canted winglets, and an upgraded cabin over the 300.
The lineage runs in a straight line and matters when you are reading listings:
- Challenger 300 (2004–2014) — the original, 3,065 nm range.
- Challenger 350 (2014–2022) — winglets, more thrust, 3,200 nm range.
- Challenger 3500 (2022–present) — the current model, 3,400 nm range, autothrottle, redesigned cabin.
Production of the 350 ended in 2022 when the Challenger 3500 replaced it on the line. If a broker quotes you a “Challenger 350,” confirm whether the tail is a 300, 350, or 3500, because range and cabin fit differ meaningfully across the three.
Challenger 350 range and speed
Bombardier publishes 3,200 nautical miles of range for the Challenger 350 and a top speed of Mach 0.83, with typical cruise at Mach 0.80. Takeoff distance at sea level in standard conditions is 4,835 feet.
The range figure carries a specific footnote, and it is the footnote that answers most reader questions. The 3,200 nm number assumes eight passengers, two crew, NBAA IFR reserves, ISA conditions, and cruise at Mach 0.80. Load the cabin heavier, fly faster, or add alternate-airport fuel and the number comes down.
In practice that covers:
- Any US transcontinental pairing, in both directions, year round.
- New York or Boston to most of Western Europe eastbound, with a caveat covered below.
- Miami to most of northern South America.
- London to the Middle East, or Dubai to most of Western Europe.
Does the Challenger 350 actually cross the Atlantic?
Eastbound yes, westbound usually not. Here is the arithmetic instead of the marketing answer.
New York to London is about 3,000 nautical miles of great-circle distance, which sits inside the published 3,200 nm range. That is why so many pages answer “yes.” The problem is that great-circle distance is not the distance the aircraft flies through the air.
Eastbound. The North Atlantic jetstream typically pushes eastbound flights along at 50 to 100 knots of tailwind. At a Mach 0.80 true airspeed of roughly 460 knots, a 70-knot tailwind gives a groundspeed near 530 knots. The aircraft only has to cover about 2,600 nm of still-air distance to make the 3,000 nm trip. Comfortably inside the envelope.
Westbound. Reverse it. The same 70-knot wind is now a headwind, dropping groundspeed to roughly 390 knots. The still-air distance the aircraft must cover to travel 3,000 nm over the ground becomes about 3,000 × (460 ÷ 390), or roughly 3,540 nm. That is well past the 3,200 nm book range before you have added reserves or an alternate.
The practical result is a technical fuel stop westbound at Gander, Goose Bay, or Keflavik, adding 45 to 75 minutes to the trip. Operators plan this routinely and it is not a problem; it is simply not the “nonstop transatlantic jet” that many listings imply. If nonstop in both directions is the requirement, that is a long-range aircraft mission, not a super-midsize one. Our private jet to Europe guide covers how operators actually route these trips.
Cabin: the reason it dominates fractional fleets
The Challenger 350 cabin is 6 feet 0 inches tall, 7 feet 2 inches wide, and 25 feet 2 inches long, seating up to 10 passengers. That combination of full stand-up height with a genuinely wide floor is what separates it from the rest of the super-midsize class.
Two features do disproportionate work in fractional service:
- In-flight baggage access. The 106 cubic-foot baggage compartment is heated and pressurized, and the aft belted lavatory provides in-flight access under operator procedures. Very few aircraft in this class offer that.
- Flat floor and true double club. Eight seats in double-club with an aft divan is a genuine eight-person working cabin, not a nominal seat count.
Compare the cabin width directly against the class:
| Challenger 350 | Citation X | Hawker 800XP | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cabin height | 6 ft 0 in | 5 ft 8 in | ~5 ft 9 in |
| Cabin width | 7 ft 2 in | 5 ft 6 in | ~6 ft 0 in |
| Cabin length | 25 ft 2 in | 23 ft 11 in | ~21 ft 4 in |
| In-flight baggage | Yes | No | No |
| Verdict | Roomiest by a wide margin | Fastest | Cheapest per seat |
At 7 feet 2 inches, the Challenger 350 cabin is 20 inches wider than a Citation X. On a four-hour leg with six passengers, that is the difference between a working cabin and a tolerated one, and it explains why fractional programs standardize on this type.
What a Challenger 350 costs
New. The 2022 factory list price was about $26.7 million before options, and the type is now out of production. The Challenger 3500 replaced it at a similar price point.
Pre-owned. Values track engine and airframe program enrollment closely, as with any turbofan aircraft. The 350 fleet is young enough that most examples remain on manufacturer-backed programs, which is one reason resale has held up better than older super-midsize types.
Charter. Market rates run roughly $5,000 to $6,500 per flight hour in the United States. These are broker market estimates rather than manufacturer figures. That places the Challenger 350 at the top of the super-midsize bracket and below entry-level heavy jets.
Fractional and card. This is the more common way people access the type. Both NetJets and Flexjet operate large Challenger 350 fleets, and the aircraft anchors the super-midsize tier in most programs. See our fractional jet ownership breakdown for how shares price against charter, and the NetJets review for how the largest operator handles the type.
The trade the hourly rate hides
Compare the Challenger 350 against the Citation X on a long leg and the rate difference bites harder than it looks, because charter is billed by flight hour and the Challenger is slower.
On a 2,140 nm transcontinental leg, a Citation X blocks roughly 4.37 hours against roughly 4.98 hours for the Challenger 350. At $4,700 and $5,600 per hour respectively, that is about $20,500 against about $27,900. The Challenger costs roughly 36 percent more for a trip that also takes 37 minutes longer.
That is the actual decision, and it is not close on cost. You are paying about $7,400 on a single transcontinental leg for 20 inches of cabin width and in-flight bag access. For a family of two, that is hard to justify. For six executives working the whole flight, it usually is not. State the trade in those terms and the choice becomes straightforward, which is more useful than calling either aircraft “better.”
Who the Challenger 350 is for
Book a Challenger 350 when you are moving six to nine people on legs of two to five hours and cabin comfort is the point of flying privately. It is the most comfortable aircraft you can charter before heavy-jet pricing starts, and the in-flight baggage access genuinely matters on ski and golf trips.
Skip it when you are flying two or three people, when the leg is short enough that the cabin barely gets used, or when arrival time outweighs comfort. Skip it also if you need reliable nonstop transatlantic capability in both directions.
If the type fits your trips but spot charter pricing does not, this is the aircraft class where jet cards are most competitive, precisely because fleet density is high.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the Challenger 350 fly from the US to Europe nonstop?
Eastbound usually yes, westbound usually no. New York to London is about 3,000 nautical miles against a published 3,200 nm range, and jetstream tailwinds make the eastbound leg comfortable. Westbound headwinds of 50 to 100 knots push the effective still-air distance past 3,500 nm, so operators plan a technical fuel stop at Gander, Goose Bay, or Keflavik.
What is the range of a Bombardier Challenger 350?
Bombardier publishes 3,200 nautical miles. That figure assumes eight passengers, two crew, NBAA IFR reserves, ISA conditions, and cruise at Mach 0.80. Heavier loads, faster cruise, or alternate-airport fuel reduce it.
Is the Challenger 350 still in production?
No. Production ended in 2022 after more than 350 aircraft, and the Challenger 3500 replaced it on the line. The 3500 carries a longer 3,400 nm range, an autothrottle system, and a redesigned cabin at a similar price point.
How much does it cost to charter a Challenger 350?
Market rates run roughly $5,000 to $6,500 per flight hour in the United States. On a transcontinental leg that works out to roughly $28,000 before taxes, repositioning, and landing fees, which is about 36 percent more than the same trip in a Citation X.
Is the Challenger 350 a fractional ownership aircraft?
Yes, and it is one of the most common types in fractional programs. NetJets and Flexjet both operate large Challenger 350 fleets because the aircraft's cabin size and range fit the widest band of typical owner trips. That fleet density also makes it one of the easier types to access on short notice through a card or share.
What is the difference between the Challenger 300, 350, and 3500?
They are three generations of the same airframe. The Challenger 300 (2004–2014) flies 3,065 nm; the 350 (2014–2022) added winglets and more thrust for 3,200 nm; the 3500 (2022–present) reaches 3,400 nm and adds autothrottle and a redesigned interior. Cabin dimensions are essentially identical across all three.
The bottom line
The Bombardier Challenger 350 is the most comfortable aircraft in super-midsize charter, and the 7-foot-2 cabin with in-flight baggage access is why fractional operators built their fleets around it. On cabin, nothing in the class comes close.
It is also the slowest and priciest way to fly that class per trip. On a transcontinental leg it costs roughly $7,400 more than a Citation X and arrives 37 minutes later. Whether that is worth it depends entirely on how many people are on board and what they are doing during the flight. And the 3,200 nm range means Europe eastbound, with a fuel stop coming home.
Browse the full aircraft guide to compare it against every other class, or start with what private jet charter costs if you are pricing a specific trip.
We update this guide as aircraft, program, and route pricing changes. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll check it.