Embraer 135 LR

The 135 LR leaves the ground in 5,774 ft. That is the shortest verified takeoff distance among the VIP airliners we charter, and it is worth stating how far that ranking extends: our fleet data holds takeoff figures for four of the six aircraft in this category, so the comparison covers those four rather than the whole class. Within them the margin is clear — the ACJ 320neo needs 5,840 ft, the Lineage 1000 6,344 ft and the Embraer 145 LR 7,447 ft. Landing is 4,462 ft.

It is also the most compact aircraft in the category. The cabin runs 504 in, the shortest of the six, at 83 in wide and 71.7 in high, seating thirty to thirty-seven with 325 cu ft of baggage. Range is 2,040 nm and top speed 450 kt. Production has ended. Against its larger sibling the 145 LR the choice is direct: thirty-seven seats against fifty and a 504 in cabin against 649, in exchange for 490 nm more range and a 5,774 ft runway against 7,447. For a group of thirty-odd rather than fifty, that is usually the better half of the pair.

The shortest runway we can verify