Challenger 604
Heavy Jet - 9 passengers, 4,027 nm published range
About the Challenger 604
The Challenger 604 is the model that made the Challenger line the most-delivered large business jet platform in history. Built from 1995 to 2006 on the wide CL-600-2B16 fuselage with GE CF34-3B engines, it seats up to 12 and covers 4,017 nm with four passengers aboard at Mach 0.85, in a cabin as wide as anything in its class. It is the direct ancestor of the 605 and 650 and shares their cabin cross-section exactly.
Who charters it
The value play in the heavy-jet class. A 604 delivers the same 7 ft 11 in cabin width and 4,000 nm-class range as a Challenger 650 at roughly two thirds the hourly rate, which makes it a strong fit when a client wants a stand-up transcontinental cabin without heavy-jet pricing. The trade-offs: it needs about 5,840 ft of runway at max weight, so mountain-west and short-field departures get a performance check for the specific trip rather than an assumption, and the cabin is older, so Wi-Fi and power outlets vary from one aircraft to the next and are confirmed on the specific aircraft before a trip that depends on working on board. Hourly rates for this aircraft are estimate ranges for planning, not quotes.
Mission fit: the Challenger 604 at a glance
Best for
- Long nonstop legs: about 3,000 nm with four aboard, after reserves and headwind
- Teams of up to 9 in typical seating
- A stand-up cabin for working or resting on the way
Think twice if
- Short runways: its published takeoff distance is about 5,800 ft
- Short hops under two hours, where a smaller jet usually costs far less
Mountain airports
Capable. Routine into Eagle. Aspen and Telluride depend on weight, weather and the operator's own approval for the field.
Computed from specifications current as of 2026-09-28. Range lines start from the 4,017 nm four-passenger figure, hold back a reserve and fly into a 50 kt headwind. Winds, weight and the operator's own performance numbers decide any given day. Check your route in the Range Explorer.
Specifications
- Class
- Heavy
- Manufacturer
- Bombardier
- Published range
- 4,027 nm
- Range with four passengers
- 4,017 nm
- Planning range (85% reserve, 50 kt headwind)
- 3,042 nm
- Seats
- 9 typical, 12 max
- Service ceiling
- 41,000 ft
- Takeoff field
- 5,840 ft
- Cabin height
- 6'0"
- Cabin width
- 7'11"
- Cabin length
- 25'7"
- Indicative rate
- Est. $7,000 - $9,500/hr
- Production
- Out of production
Specifications current as of 2026-09-28. Published range assumes still air, an optimum profile, and a light payload. Rates are indicative and vary with routing, availability, and operator.
Worth knowing
- Widest cabin in the traditional heavy-jet class at 7 ft 11 in
- Same fuselage and cabin cross-section as the Challenger 605 and 650
- About 365 built, so parts availability and type support are strong
- Dispatch reliability that made the platform a fractional and charter staple
Colorado mountain airports: capable
Same 64.3 ft wingspan and CL-600-2B16 airframe as the Challenger 650, which is comfortably inside Aspen's limit, so the 604 sits in the same bracket. Two differences worth stating before quoting. Its takeoff field length is about 5,840 ft against the 650's 5,640, still well inside Aspen's 8,006 ft but with less margin on a hot afternoon at 7,838 ft elevation. And steep-approach capability on the 604 is not universal across the type the way it is on later Challengers, so confirm it per tail rather than per type before offering ASE. Telluride is not realistic for this class. EGE is routine.
Planning guidance only. The operator, the AFM performance data, and conditions on the day are the final authority.
Is the Challenger 604 right for your trip?
See how far it reaches from your departure airport, or send us the trip and we will price it against the alternatives.