Eclipse private jet charter

The Eclipse 500 won the Collier Trophy, American aviation's highest annual honour, in February 2006. Its manufacturer went bankrupt in November 2008. That sentence contains most of what you need to know about this brand, and the rest of this page fills in the gap between those two dates and explains where the aircraft stands now.

Around 260 Eclipse 500s and roughly 33 of the improved Eclipse 550 were built. Approximately 200 and 30 respectively are still flying, and a small number appear in charter. It has outlived three corporate owners and is on its fourth. In May 2026 the only company manufacturing certain airworthiness-critical parts for it announced that it was closing, which is a development anyone considering this aircraft needs to know about before anything else.

Charter rates start around £1,500 per flight hour, the lowest of any jet. For a quote, contact us via WhatsApp on +44 204 577-31-19 or by email at [email protected]

The aircraft that invented a category and broke its maker

Vern Raburn, a former Microsoft executive, founded Eclipse Aviation in Albuquerque in 1998 with a specific object: to develop the Williams V-Jet II demonstrator of 1997 into a certified production aircraft that would cost little more than a high-end piston twin. Bill Gates was among the investors.

A prototype first flew on 26 August 2002 with Williams EJ22 engines. Those proved inadequate and were replaced with Pratt and Whitney Canada PW610F turbofans in 2004, a change that cost years. In February 2006 Eclipse Aviation won the Collier Trophy for the design. Provisional FAA type certification followed on 27 July 2006 and the first customer aircraft was delivered on 31 December that year.

Its engineering was genuinely new. The airframe used friction stir welding in place of thousands of rivets, a technique borrowed from other industries and applied to a certified aircraft for the first time. The aircraft was designed around single-pilot operation with an integrated avionics suite at a time when that was unusual in this class. It created the very light jet category, which every manufacturer on this site now competes in.

Where it came apart was the business model. Eclipse sold heavily into an anticipated air taxi market, with Florida-based DayJet as the anchor customer holding orders in the hundreds. That market never materialised. DayJet collapsed in September 2008, Eclipse halted production the following month after 260 aircraft, and the company entered bankruptcy on 25 November 2008. Most of the fleet ended up with enthusiast owner-pilots rather than air taxi operators.

Four owners in eighteen years

That ownership chain matters because it explains the parts and support position, and because several charter listings still describe companies that no longer exist.

Period	Owner	Outcome
1998-2008	Eclipse Aviation, founded by Vern Raburn	260 built; bankruptcy November 2008
2009-2015	Eclipse Aerospace, formed to buy the assets	Sikorsky invested 2010; launched the 550
2015-2021	One Aviation, merger with Kestrel Aircraft	Chapter 11 in October 2018, converted to Chapter 7 liquidation February 2021
2020-present	AML Global Eclipse, trading as Eclipse Aerospace Inc	Assets bought for around 5.25 to 6 million dollars; 550 production briefly resumed in 2023

Two details worth noting. One Aviation was led by Alan Klapmeier, who had co-founded Cirrus Aircraft before leaving it, and the merger with his Kestrel venture was intended to broaden the product line. And the current owner, AML Global Eclipse, is backed by the British entrepreneur Christopher Harborne, which makes this one of the few American aircraft programmes in British hands.

Claims that One Aviation was acquired by Citiking International in 2020 appear on several sites. Citiking was a bidder during the bankruptcy proceedings; the assets went to AML Global Eclipse in November 2020.

The parts problem, as it stands in 2026

This section is the reason to read this page rather than a manufacturer brochure, and it is current as of writing.

Since 2016 practical support for the fleet has rested on Resurgent Aviation Solutions of Aurora, Illinois, founded by Cary Winter, formerly head of engineering at Eclipse Aerospace. Resurgent held FAA parts manufacturer approvals and was the only company producing certain airworthiness-critical components for the 500 and 550.

On 14 May 2026 Resurgent notified customers that it had elected to wind down all business operations and liquidate all remaining assets, having spent several months attempting to sell the business without finding a buyer. Remaining finished goods are being sold through a series of auctions. Resurgent stated that all tooling, equipment and repair components would be disposed of once the auctions conclude, and advised operators to assume that every item of interest is the last one.

No successor has emerged. Trade reporting has raised the loss of autopilot servo supply in particular as a constraint that could ground a large share of the fleet over the coming years, and maintenance providers are advising owners to build spares inventories and look at component life-extension programmes.

What this means in practice for a charter client:

It does not affect a flight you take next month. Any Eclipse offered for charter holds a current certificate of airworthiness and is maintained under an approved programme. Availability today is a separate question from availability in five years;
It does affect fleet size over time. Aircraft that go unserviceable for want of a component are unlikely to return, so the chartered pool is more likely to shrink than grow;
It matters a great deal if you are buying. Anyone evaluating an Eclipse as a purchase rather than a charter should treat parts availability as the central question, not a footnote;
Ask the operator directly. A serious operator will have a considered answer about spares strategy. One that has not thought about it is telling you something.

The 500 and the 550 compared

Both aircraft share an airframe, two Pratt and Whitney Canada PW610F engines and a 41,000 ft ceiling. The differences are in systems.

	500	550
Built	2006-2008	2014-2017, two more in 2023
Number produced	260	Around 33
Still flying	Around 200	Around 30
Passengers	4-5 with one pilot	4-5 with one pilot
Max cruise	370 kt	375 kt
Range	Around 1,125 nm	Around 1,125 nm
Autothrottle	No	Yes
Synthetic vision	No	Yes
Anti-skid brakes	No	Yes
Typical UK rate	From £1,500/hr	From £1,700/hr

The 550 was announced in October 2011, enabled by an investment from Sikorsky the previous year. It received its FAA production certificate in 2013, the first customer delivery was on 12 March 2014 and EASA certification followed on 18 November 2015. Upgrades it brought were the ones the original company had run out of money to complete: autothrottle, synthetic vision and anti-skid braking are the substantive ones, and all three matter on a single-pilot jet.

A correction on a claim that appears widely: the 550 does not have Garmin G3000 avionics. It uses the Avio integrated flight management system, a development of the original Eclipse suite. The Garmin installation belonged to the 700, which was never built.

Our dedicated Eclipse 500 charter page covers the aircraft in more detail.

Three aircraft that were never built

Directory listings for this brand routinely present development programmes as though they were flying. None of the following exists.

Model 400. A single-engine four-seat concept shown in 2007, powered by one Pratt and Whitney Canada PW615F. It was a technology demonstrator and no production aircraft was built.

Model 700, also called Project Canada. An improved twin with Williams FJ33 engines, Garmin G3000 avionics and a new wing, priced at around 3.495 million dollars and planned to fly in 2017. One Aviation announced in March 2017 that 550 production would end in its favour. It never flew, and One Aviation filed for bankruptcy the following year.

Kestrel K-350. A single-engine composite turboprop that One Aviation was developing alongside the jet line. Design work was suspended in 2017 amid financial and legal difficulties and no production aircraft was completed. A note on specifications: listings crediting it with a 100 horsepower Pratt and Whitney PT6A-67A are out by a factor of twelve. That engine produces roughly 1,200 shaft horsepower, which is what an aircraft of that size requires.

What it costs, and whether to book one

Indicative hourly rates in GBP for UK departures.

Aircraft	Class	Seats	Range	UK charter	From
500	Very light jet	4-5	~1,125 nm	Occasional	£1,500/hr
550	Very light jet	4-5	~1,125 nm	Rare in Europe	£1,700/hr

At £1,500 per flight hour it is the least expensive jet charter available anywhere, and on a short sector for three or four people the arithmetic is genuinely attractive. Set against that:

The cabin is small. Four passengers is the working number and the cabin is narrower and lower than a Citation Mustang or Phenom 100. There is no lavatory;
European availability is thin. The overwhelming majority of the fleet is in North America, and most aircraft are privately owned rather than on charter certificates;
Range is around 1,125 nautical miles. London to Nice or Geneva is comfortable; London to Athens is not;
The support position is deteriorating, for the reasons set out above.

Where this aircraft makes sense is a short European sector, London to Paris or Amsterdam for instance, for two to four people where the priority is the lowest possible jet rate and the aircraft is available. Where it does not is anything requiring cabin space, a lavatory, or certainty of availability months ahead.

Alternatives worth comparing at similar or slightly higher rates: the Cirrus Vision Jet from around £1,900 per hour, which is newer and better supported, and the Embraer Phenom 100 from around £2,200, which offers a proper cabin and a manufacturer that is not going anywhere. For the wider market see the private jet price guide, browse the complete fleet, or check empty legs for repositioning opportunities.

Frequently asked questions

Can you still charter an Eclipse jet?
Yes, though availability in Europe is limited. Around 200 of the 500 and 30 of the 550 remain in service, the majority in North America, and most are privately owned rather than operated commercially. Rates start from approximately £1,500 per flight hour, the lowest of any jet type. Allow longer lead times than for a Citation or Phenom booking.

What happened to Eclipse Aviation?
The company halted production in October 2008 after 260 aircraft and entered bankruptcy on 25 November 2008. It had sold heavily into an anticipated air taxi market that never developed; the anchor customer, DayJet, collapsed in September 2008. Assets have since passed through Eclipse Aerospace, One Aviation and, since November 2020, AML Global Eclipse, which trades as Eclipse Aerospace Inc and is backed by British entrepreneur Christopher Harborne.

Is there a parts problem with Eclipse jets?
Yes, and it is current. On 14 May 2026 Resurgent Aviation Solutions, the only company producing certain airworthiness-critical parts for both types, announced it was winding down and liquidating all assets after failing to find a buyer. Remaining stock is being auctioned and tooling is to be disposed of afterwards. No successor has emerged. This does not affect an aircraft flying today under a valid certificate of airworthiness, but it makes long-term fleet availability uncertain and is a central consideration for anyone buying rather than chartering.

What is the difference between the Eclipse 500 and Eclipse 550?
They share an airframe and Pratt and Whitney Canada PW610F engines. The 550, announced in October 2011 and first delivered on 12 March 2014, adds autothrottle, synthetic vision and anti-skid brakes, all of which are meaningful on a single-pilot jet. Around 260 of the 500 were built against roughly 33 of the 550.

Does the Eclipse 550 have Garmin G3000 avionics?
No. It uses the Avio integrated flight management system, developed from the original Eclipse suite. The Garmin G3000 installation was planned for the Eclipse 700, which was never built. This claim appears on several charter and directory sites and is incorrect.

Was the Eclipse 700 ever built?
No. Announced as Project Canada with Williams FJ33 engines, a new wing and a target price around 3.495 million dollars, it was planned to fly in 2017. One Aviation stopped Eclipse 550 production in March 2017 to concentrate on it, then filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in October 2018. No aircraft was completed. A Kestrel K-350 turboprop, also under development at the time, was suspended in 2017 and likewise never built.

Why did the Eclipse 500 win the Collier Trophy?
Eclipse Aviation received the award in February 2006 for creating the very light jet category and for the manufacturing techniques behind it, notably the use of friction stir welding in place of conventional riveting on a certified airframe. That award is made annually for the greatest achievement in American aeronautics, and previous recipients include the Apollo 11 crew and the Boeing 747 programme.

Page last updated: July 2026. Eclipse aircraft are out of production. Parts and support information reflects the position following the announced liquidation of Resurgent Aviation Solutions in May 2026 and may change. Charter availability is confirmed at the time of enquiry.