Aircraft category
Turboprop: Charter Cost, Range, and Best Uses
At a glance
Seating, speed, range, and cost
Typical passengers
4 to 8
Cruise speed
~280 kt
Planning range
~1000 nm
Hourly cost range
$1,600 to $3,200
Use
What this aircraft is used for
Turboprops are efficient short haul aircraft that excel on regional trips and can use shorter runways and smaller fields that jets cannot.
Most cabins seat about four to eight passengers comfortably, with room for reasonable baggage on shorter trips.
Best uses
Best route types
- Short regional hops under about two hours
- Trips into small or remote airports with shorter runways
- Cost sensitive flights where jet speed is not essential
Tradeoffs
Limitations to keep in mind
- Slower cruise than jets, so flights take longer on the same route
- Lower cabins and less soundproofing than jet categories
- Limited range for long or overwater trips
Alternatives
Similar aircraft and categories
Common questions
Are turboprops safe and modern?
Modern turboprops are well regarded and widely used in charter. They use turbine engines like jets and many have current avionics and comfortable cabins.
When is a turboprop the right choice?
On short regional trips, into smaller airports, or when you want the lowest hourly cost and do not need jet speed.
How fast is a turboprop compared with a jet?
Cruise speeds are lower, so a turboprop takes longer than a jet on the same route. On short hops the difference is small.
Routes this aircraft commonly flies
- New York to NantucketPlanning charter cost range, aircraft fit, and routing notes for New York to Nantucket.
- New York to The HamptonsPlanning charter cost range, aircraft fit, and routing notes for New York to The Hamptons.
- Los Angeles to Las VegasPlanning charter cost range, aircraft fit, and routing notes for Los Angeles to Las Vegas.
Estimate a trip on this aircraft
- Charter CostEstimate the cost range of a private charter from flight time, aircraft category, trip type, and trip details.
- Aircraft Hourly RateSee planning hourly rate ranges by aircraft category and estimate a flight cost from hours, with a reference table across all categories.
- Split CostSee per person and per group cost when a group shares a single private charter, including host subsidies.
- AircraftCompare aircraft categories by passengers, speed, range, and planning hourly cost.
Last reviewed June 2026. Estimates use planning assumptions that we revisit periodically.