KPBI to KSDL 1,696 nm WNW 292 degrees true
Private JetCharter Palm Beachto Scottsdale
1,696 nautical miles direct. About 4h 02m nonstop in a super midsize jet. Operators bid on this leg without knowing who is flying it.
The leg
Palm Beach to Scottsdale
Measured airport to airport, PBI to SDL is 1,696 nautical miles. A super midsize jet does it nonstop in something close to 4h 02m once taxi, climb and descent are counted.
This is where aircraft class starts to matter to your day, not just your comfort. A light jet may need a fuel stop that a super midsize does not, and a stop costs forty five minutes to an hour on the ground plus the fuel to climb back to altitude. The clock change is 2 hours behind in winter and 3 hours behind in summer, because the two cities shift their daylight saving rules on different dates.
Nonstop capability starts at the light jet class on this route, with the Cessna Citation CJ4 Gen2 the smallest airframe we would put on it without a stop. A further 8 aircraft can do it nonstop on a good day, and those are the quotes worth reading carefully. A marginal leg becomes a fuel stop the moment the winds turn, the cabin fills, or the departure field is hot and high. 5 of the aircraft we track cannot make it without stopping at all, which does not rule them out. A stop on a cheaper airframe sometimes still wins on total cost, and the bid comparison will show you whether it does.
Book range figures assume long range cruise, standard reserves and a stated payload. Load the cabin, add bags, put the departure field at elevation on a hot afternoon, and the real number comes down. We treat anything above roughly 80 percent of book range as a leg that needs the operator to confirm against the specific tail number rather than the brochure.
Aircraft
What flies this leg, and how fast
Block time and nonstop capability across the classes for 1,696 nautical miles. Times are planning estimates in still air.
| Aircraft | Class | Seats | Block time | Book range | This leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cessna Citation M2 Gen2 | Very Light Jet | 6 | 4h 38m | 1,550 nm | Fuel stop |
| Embraer Phenom 300E | Light Jet | 8 | 4h 05m | 2,010 nm | Nonstop, conditions apply |
| Cessna Citation XLS+ | Midsize Jet | 9 | 4h 16m | 2,100 nm | Nonstop, conditions apply |
| Bombardier Challenger 350 | Super Midsize Jet | 9 | 4h 02m | 3,200 nm | Nonstop |
| Gulfstream G450 | Heavy Jet | 13 | 3h 59m | 4,350 nm | Nonstop |
| Gulfstream G650ER | Ultra Long Range Jet | 14 | 3h 54m | 7,500 nm | Nonstop |
Airports
Which runway you actually use
Departing Palm Beach. Most charter traffic uses Palm Beach International (KPBI / PBI). The credible alternates are Boca Raton (BCT) and Palm Beach County Park (LNA). Which one you leave from is worth deciding on ground time rather than on the map, because twenty minutes of extra driving often buys a cheaper ramp and a faster departure.
Arriving Scottsdale. Most charter traffic uses Scottsdale (KSDL / SDL). The credible alternates are Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX) and Phoenix Deer Valley (DVT). Pick the one closest to where you are actually going. The airport with the famous name is frequently the wrong answer.
Arizona does not observe daylight saving time, so the offset to the rest of the country shifts twice a year.
Confirm slot availability, customs hours and overnight parking at both ends before you commit to a departure time. Those three items cause more schedule changes than weather does.
| Airport | ICAO | IATA | Metro | End | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palm Beach International | KPBI | PBI | Palm Beach | Departure | Preferred |
| Boca Raton | KBCT | BCT | Palm Beach | Departure | Alternate |
| Palm Beach County Park | KLNA | LNA | Palm Beach | Departure | Alternate |
| Scottsdale | KSDL | SDL | Scottsdale | Arrival | Preferred |
| Phoenix Sky Harbor | KPHX | PHX | Scottsdale | Arrival | Customs |
| Phoenix Deer Valley | KDVT | DVT | Scottsdale | Arrival | Alternate |
Cost
What moves the number
The honest answer to what this costs is that it depends, so here is precisely what it depends on.
- Positioning. Where the aircraft sits when you call. If it is already on your departure ramp you pay for your legs only. If it has to fly in empty and fly home afterwards, someone pays for that, and it is you.
- Daily minimum. Most operators bill a minimum number of flight hours per day the aircraft is away. A short leg with a three night stay can price higher than a long leg that returns the same day.
- Crew duty. A crew has a legal duty limit. Cross enough time zones or depart late enough and the trip needs a second crew or an overnight, and both cost money.
- Ramp and handling. Landing fees, ramp fees, overnight parking and the FBO handling charge vary enormously between fields in the same metro.
- Peak days. Operators apply surcharges around the predictable weekends. Thanksgiving Sunday, the Super Bowl, Art Basel, the Fourth of July and the ski season change of week all price differently.
- Fuel and stops. A technical stop costs fuel to climb back to altitude, a landing fee, handling, and forty five minutes to an hour of ground time.
- Federal excise tax. Domestic United States charter carries a federal excise tax plus segment fees. It is a real line and it belongs in any quote you are comparing.
Our fee sits on top of the operator price as its own line, visible, so you can see both halves. Send the trip and the operators bid against each other on all of the above at once.
Timing
Season, weather and the clock
Demand on this pair follows the business calendar more than the weather. The tight weeks are the ones either side of major holidays, when the same aircraft are wanted in both directions at once.
Questions
PBI to SDL
How long is a private jet flight from Palm Beach to Scottsdale?
The great circle distance is 1,696 nautical miles, which is about 3,141 km. A super midsize jet covers it nonstop in roughly 4h 02m block to block. A heavy jet flies the distance in about 3h 59m, and a light jet in about 4h 05m if it can make it without stopping. These are planning estimates in still air and exclude winds and air traffic routing.
Can a light jet fly Palm Beach to Scottsdale nonstop?
It is close. A Embraer Phenom 300E needs about 86 percent of its published range for this leg, which makes it a nonstop on a good day and a fuel stop with a full cabin, a headwind or a hot departure. Have the operator confirm against the actual tail number.
Which airport should I use in Scottsdale?
Scottsdale (KSDL) handles most charter traffic. The alternates are Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX) and Phoenix Deer Valley (DVT). Choose on ground time to your final address rather than on the name you recognise. Arizona does not observe daylight saving time, so the offset to the rest of the country shifts twice a year.
What does a private jet from Palm Beach to Scottsdale cost?
We do not publish a figure, because a fixed number for this route would be invented. The dominant variable is where the aircraft is parked when you call, not the aircraft type. Positioning legs, daily minimums, crew duty, ramp fees, peak day surcharges and taxes all move the total. Send the trip through the quote form and certificated operators bid against each other on it, sealed, without knowing who you are.
Are empty legs available on this route?
Sometimes. An empty leg exists when an operator has to reposition an aircraft along this track anyway, so the timing is theirs and not yours. They appear and vanish with little notice and get cancelled when the paying trip behind them changes. Flag empty legs on the quote form and we will include any that fit your window, but do not build a fixed commitment around one.
Nearby
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Photography on this site is representative. It does not depict a specific aircraft, operator or tail number offered for charter.