Considerations for Buying an Aircraft

September 26, 2022

A Guide to the Most Fuel-Efficient Private Jet Planes on the Market

Owning a Private Jet is Costly, But You Don’t Have to Max Out Your Fuel Budget

Business jets come with their own wide-ranging set of costs that include fuel and fuel surcharges. Over time, the amount of money you rack up on refueling your private jet plane can feel overwhelming.

The fuel costs associated with flying can vary greatly, but in general, the larger the jet, the more money you can plan to spend on gassing up.


AircraftExchange compiled this list of turboprops to medium jets with the best fuel economy, plus the lows and highs for each category, so that if you’re looking to own a private jet, you can make a smart decision.

Jet Fuel Consumption by Aircraft Size

When considering a long list of aircraft makes and models, the most fuel efficient light jet burns as little as 134 gallons per hour or as high as 222 gallons per hour.

There’s some crossover in the mid-size jet category, the most efficient of which burns as little as 198 gallons per hour, while the least efficient burns about 386.

In the large jet category, the most fuel efficient burns 284 gallons of fuel per hour, and the least efficient burns 540 gallons. Because we’re talking about the most fuel efficient jets on the market, we’ll skip the large jet category altogether when highlighting makes and models to look for in your journey toward owning a private jet.

Fuel-Efficient Turboprops

The most basic of aircraft, turboprops can be useful if business takes you to nearby locales that are more quickly reached in air than on a roadway - Kansas City, Missouri, to Denver, Colorado, for example. They generally don’t offer amenities like a galley kitchen and afford little in the way of luggage storage. And this category’s small lavatory is anything but luxurious. However, due to their size, they are the most fuel efficient category of aircraft, with few exceptions.


  • Tecnam P2006T
    Achieving a whopping 17.8 nautical miles per gallon, the Tecnam P2006T turboprop burns two to three times less fuel than its competition. Its two Rotax engines burn only about four gallons per hour each, which is why it’s so economical to fly. It has a range of just 853.8 miles and a cruising speed of 155 miles per hour.

  • Daher-Socata TBM 900
    This Daher-Socata single-engine turboprop achieves 4.4 nautical miles per gallon of fuel with a range of 2,053 miles and a cruising speed of 290 miles per hour, making it a more capable jet than it is fuel efficient.

  • Pilatus PC-12 NGCommonly flown by charter and jet card services, the Pilatus PC-12 achieves 3.7 nautical miles per gallon of fuel with a desirable cruise speed of about 260 knots and a range of 2,123 miles.

  • Piaggio Avanti P-180
    This Italian-made twin-engine turboprop achieves 3.3 nautical miles per gallon of fuel. A range of 1,737 miles and a cruise speed of 366 miles per hour is a healthy ratio. It’s also considerably larger than some of the other turboprops on this list, which can make for a more comfortable flight, depending on preferences.


Fuel-Efficient Light Business Jets
Private jet planes in this category offer more amenities than turboprops, namely in the way of a small galley kitchen suitable for snacks, small lavatories with more privacy, and a baggage hold, often accessed from outside the cabin.

  • Embraer Phenom 100
    This impressive light jet achieves 4.0 nautical miles per gallon of fuel, on par with some of the highest-performing turboprops. With a range of 1,356 miles and a cruising speed of 466 miles per gallon, it’s faster than a turboprop, but the range trade-off is made up for with its small galley kitchen and lavatory.

  • Cessna Citation II
    Economy-minded private jet owners will appreciate the Citation II aircraft, not only for its reasonable purchase price, but also for its 2.0 nautical miles per gallon fuel economy. With a range of 1,969 miles on average and a cruising speed of 431 miles per hour, the Cessna Citation II was one of the earliest business jets, which set the standard for modern corporate travel.

Fuel-Efficient Mid-Size Private Jet Planes
The mid-size private jet category marks the starting point of what people expect when they imagine a business jet: a reasonably well-stocked galley, a private lavatory, interior baggage storage, and moderately equipped infotainment and cabin information systems.

  • Gulfstream G200
    Achieving 1.9 nautical miles per gallon of fuel and seating eight people, the Gulfstream G200 can handily cross the Atlantic Ocean with a range of 3,915 miles and a cruise speed of 528 miles per hour. It offers two cabin zones and is considered a super mid-size jet.

  • Hawker 900XP
    A popular used private jet to buy, the Hawker 900 XP achieves a fuel economy of 1.7 nautical miles per gallon on two Honeywell engines. It comfortably seats eight with a range of 3,239 miles and a cruising speed of 493 miles per hour.

Shop for Fuel-Efficient Pre-owned Jets for Sale on AircraftExchange.com

If fuel efficiency and cost savings is important to you, then you’ll also be interested to know just how much money you could save buying a used private jet over a brand-new model.


When you’re ready to own a private jet, find the most reputable and honest aircraft listings on AircraftExchange.com, the exclusive home for listings from International Aircraft Dealers Association (IADA) Accredited Aircraft Dealers.