Aircraft model
LEARJET INC 45
Everything here is true of every aircraft of the type, not of any one aircraft.
The Learjet 45 was the first genuinely new Learjet in decades — a clean-sheet design rather than a stretch of the 1960s original, with a wider cabin, a proper lavatory and a flat floor. It carries eight passengers 1,900 nautical miles at 460 knots and climbs directly to 51,000 feet, which is higher than most business jets can reach and puts it above weather and traffic. Aircraft delivered from mid-1998 to 2004 are the original 45; from June 2004 the aircraft is the 45XR, with TFE731-20BR engines flat-rated to full thrust at much higher temperatures and a gross weight 1,000 lb higher, which is a material difference on a hot day or a long leg. Both have the Honeywell Primus 1000 flight deck. Production ended in 2012 when the Learjet 75 replaced it.
It flies like a Learjet, which pilots mean as a compliment and which also means it is less forgiving than a Citation: approach speeds are higher, it is slippery, and the type demands precise energy management. It is a two-crew aeroplane in most operations. The Honeywell TFE731-20 engines carry a Major Periodic Inspection that falls due well before overhaul and is the larger recurring cost, so engine programme enrolment dominates the value of any individual aircraft. Bombardier ended Learjet production entirely in 2021, which has made parts and support a live question for owners rather than a theoretical one.
What it is
| Seats | 11 |
|---|---|
| Landing gear | tricycle |
| Engines | 2 |
| Engine | Honeywell TFE731-20 |
| Horsepower | — |
| Fuel | JetA |
| Certification basis | FAR25 |
| Production start | 1998 |
| Production end | 2012 |
| Endorsements required | multi-engine |
Performance
| Cruise speed | 460 KTAS |
|---|---|
| Range | 1,900 nm |
| Service ceiling | 51,000 ft |
| Climb rate | 4,000 ft/min |
| Stall speed (Vso) | 94 KCAS |
| Takeoff over 50 ft | 4,350 ft |
| Landing over 50 ft | 2,660 ft |
Load and fuel
| Seats | 11 |
|---|---|
| Useful load | 6,805 lb |
| Full-fuel payload | 742 lb |
| Max takeoff weight | 20,500 lb |
| Empty weight | 13,695 lb |
| Usable fuel | 905 gal |
| Fuel burn at cruise | 175 gal/h |
Cost of ownership
| Price, low | $1,600,000 |
|---|---|
| Price, high | $4,600,000 |
| Prices as of | 2026 |
| Engine TBO | 5,000 h |
| Overhaul cost, low | $550,000 |
| Overhaul cost, high | $800,000 |
The fleet and its record
| Registered, all time | 686 |
|---|---|
| Active fleet | 434 |
| Median year built | 2007.0 |
| NTSB events, last 10 years | 3 |
| Fatal events, last 10 years | 0 |
| Events per 1,000 active, last 10 years | 6.91 per 1,000 active · base 434 active |
| Personal-flying events per 1,000 active | 2.3 per 1,000 active · base 434 active |
| Ownership transfers, last 24 months | 120 |
| Transfers per 100 active | 27.65 per 100 active · base 434 active |
| Airworthiness directives | 28 |
| Directives, last 5 years | 3 |
| Rate confidence | ok |
Peer scores
A score runs from 0 to 10 within the model's peer class: a position, not a grade, and the six are never added together.
| Peer class | Fixed wing multi-engine, turbo-fan, 2 engines, 7+ seats |
|---|---|
| Accident record | — · class median 0 · 43 models in class |
| Severity | — · class median 0 |
| Access | 7.2 of 10 · class median 9,850 |
| Support | 8.6 of 10 · class median 197 |
| Liquidity | 4.3 of 10 · class median 29.17 |