Bombardier Learjet 45: how 360 jets are really flown
The busiest 5% made more than 22 flights a month and the quietest 5% fewer than 3: over seven times as many, on the same type.
For the easiest-used 5%, a short runway is rare: almost none of departures or fewer. At the harder end, 36% or more leave from one.
At the harder end, one Learjet 45 in twenty sees a freeze and a thaw on 33% or more of its nights. At the easier end, most see almost none.
The hardest-worked 5% log ≈361 h a year or more; the easiest-used, ≈46 h or less. The middle aircraft sits at ≈113 h.
Fatigue
What each landing and pressurization cycle costs the structure: landings per hour and short hops.
The middle Learjet 45 flies 1.4 hours for every landing. One in twenty lands every 0.9 hours or sooner, the most cycles for its time.
Middle half 1.2–1.5 : 1Harder end: 5% at 0.9 : 1 or lessEasier end: 5% at 1.9 : 1 or more
Middle half 27–47%Harder end: 5% at 64% or moreEasier end: 5% at 17% or less
Middle half 334–542 nmLowest 5%: 218 nm or lessHighest 5%: 745 nm or more
Context, not graded: the tint marks the harder and easier end of the fleet.
Spread of trip lengths
All 360 Learjet 45sThe data behind it
Every measure for the 360 North America Learjet 45s, 1 Aug 2025 – 31 Jul 2026.| Measure | Fleet median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|
| Hours per landing Each aircraft’s average flight hours per landing | 1.4 : 1 | 1.2–1.5 : 1 |
| Short hops Share of legs under 300 nm | 35% | 27–47% |
| Leg length Median leg | 431 nm | 334–542 nm |
Corrosion
What the air around it does overnight: salt, damp and freeze–thaw.
The middle Learjet 45 spends 0% of its nights within 2 km of the coast. One in twenty spends 8% or more of them there.
Middle half 0–2%Harder end: 5% at 8% or moreEasier end: 5% at 0%
Middle half 4.6–7.6 hHarder end: 5% at 10.9 h or moreEasier end: 5% at 2.3 h or less
Middle half 4–19%Harder end: 5% at 33% or moreEasier end: 5% at 0%
Context, not graded: the tint marks the harder and easier end of the fleet.
Salt air across the fleet
205 Learjet 45sThe data behind it
Every measure for the 205 of the 360 North America Learjet 45s with enough nights at known fields, 1 Aug 2025 – 31 Jul 2026 (6 on their record since 1 Jan 2025: too few in the 12 months).| Measure | Fleet median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|
| Salt air Nights within 2 km of the coast | 0% | 0–2% |
| Near the coast Nights within 10 km of the coast | 5% | 1–15% |
| Damp air Hours a day at 80% humidity or more, above freezing | 6.0 h | 4.6–7.6 h |
| Freeze–thaw Nights that froze and thawed within the day | 10% | 4–19% |
| Moisture in the air Average absolute humidity overnight | 8.6 g/m³ | 7.0–10.8 g/m³ |
Engines and brakes
What departures ask of engines, brakes and tires: heat and height, and runway length.
The middle Learjet 45 leaves from a short runway on 9% of its departures. One in twenty does on 36% or more.
Middle half 5–13%Harder end: 5% at 36% or moreEasier end: 5% at 0%
Middle half 1–12%Harder end: 5% at 31% or moreEasier end: 5% at 0%
Middle half 1,272–2,149 ftHarder end: 5% at 3,256 ft or moreEasier end: 5% at 521 ft or less
Context, not graded: the tint marks the harder and easier end of the fleet.
Runway margin at departure
32,928 departuresThe data behind it
Every measure for the 360 North America Learjet 45s, 1 Aug 2025 – 31 Jul 2026 (3 on their record since 1 Jan 2025: too few departures in the 12 months).| Measure | Fleet median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|
| Short runways Departures where the longest runway was under 1.25× the takeoff distance | 9% | 5–13% |
| Hot, high takeoffs Departures at 5,000 ft density altitude or more | 5% | 1–12% |
| Density altitude Typical density altitude at takeoff | 1,787 ft | 1,272–2,149 ft |
Utilization
How steadily the fleet is used: flights, flying days and estimated hours.
The middle Learjet 45 made 7 flights a month. The busiest 5% made 22 or more, the quietest 3 or fewer.
Middle half 4.6–10.6Harder end: 5% at 21.5 or moreEasier end: 5% at 2.9 or less
Middle half 3.3–7.0Harder end: 5% at 12.5 or moreEasier end: 5% at 2.3 or less
Middle half 70–184 hHarder end: 5% at ≈361 h or moreEasier end: 5% at ≈46 h or less
Context, not graded: the tint marks the harder and easier end of the fleet.
Month by month
12 monthsMedian flights per aircraft that flew that month · darker bar is the busiest month, June 2026
The data behind it
Every measure for the 360 North America Learjet 45s, every active aircraft (no 40% tracking floor here: on this type it would change which aircraft are compared, not just drop undercounted ones), 1 Aug 2025 – 31 Jul 2026.| Measure | Fleet median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|
| Flights a month In the months it flew | 7.4 | 4.6–10.6 |
| Days flown a month Days with at least one flight | 5.0 | 3.3–7.0 |
| Estimated hours a year From time in the air | ≈113 h | 70–184 h |
Buying, selling or financing a Learjet 45?
See where your Learjet 45 sits in the fleet.
Enter a tail number to place it against these 360 aircraft. TailCheck grades it on Fatigue, Corrosion, Engines and brakes, and Utilization, with every percentile shown.
Where Learjet 45s are based and fly
Anchorage is home to more Learjet 45s than any other field, 10 of the 277 with a home base.
King–Anchorage is the busiest route: 418 flights by 20 different aircraft.
Where Learjet 45s are based
| Field | Share | Aircraft |
|---|---|---|
| Anchorage | 10 | |
| Drake | 9 | |
| William P Hobby | 8 | |
| Wiley Post | 7 | |
| Cleveland-Hopkins | 6 | |
| Arapahoe | 5 |
Busiest Learjet 45 routes
| Between | Flights |
|---|---|
| King ⇄ Anchorage | 418 flights |
| DuPage ⇄ Chicago Midway | 380 |
| Fairbanks ⇄ Anchorage | 363 |
| McCarran ⇄ Van Nuys | 101 |
| King ⇄ Fairbanks | 99 |
| Rocky Mountain Metropolitan ⇄ Steamboat Springs-Bob Adams Stolport | 93 |
Longest Learjet 45 flights
| Between | Distance · time |
|---|---|
| Aurora State → Fox Stephens - Gilmer | 1,490 nm · 3 h 18 min |
| Teterboro → Las Vegas | 1,490 nm · 3 h 48 min |
| Chicago → McClellan-Palomar | 1,489 nm · 4 h 17 min |
| King → Chicago | 1,488 nm · 3 h 38 min |
| Norman Y. Mineta San Jose → Lambert-St. Louis | 1,487 nm · 3 h 31 min |
Busiest Learjet 45s this year
The busiest Learjet 45 made 46 flights a month, six times the middle aircraft.
Even the tenth on this list made 24.
Ranked by flights a month · updated monthly
| # | Tail | Base | Flights a month | Estimated hours a year | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | N426SA | DuPage | 46 | 377 h | Check this tail → |
| 2 | N557LM | Anchorage | 42 | 890 h | Check this tail → |
| 3 | N558LM | Anchorage | 36 | 728 h | Check this tail → |
| 4 | N559LM | Anchorage | 32 | 628 h | Check this tail → |
| 5 | N787CH | McCarran | 31 | 363 h | Check this tail → |
| 6 | N429SA | DuPage | 29 | 287 h | Check this tail → |
| 7 | N125Q | — | 26 | 479 h | Check this tail → |
| 8 | N411AJ | Van Nuys | 26 | 315 h | Check this tail → |
| 9 | N616KK | — | 26 | 398 h | Check this tail → |
| 10 | N605BX | Van Nuys | 24 | 315 h | Check this tail → |
Learjet 45 vs other aircraft of its size
Medians for each North America fleet, same window and method.
It ranks 2nd of 5 types in its size group on flights a month.
| Type | Tracked | Flights a month | Hours a year | Median leg | Hours per landing | Short hops |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bombardier Learjet 45 | 360 | 7.4 | 113 h | 431 nm | 1.4 : 1 | 35% |
| Cessna Citation CJ2 | 483 | 5.0 | 74 h | 288 nm | 1.2 : 1 | 52% |
| Cessna Citation CJ3 | 527 | 9.0 | 148 h | 360 nm | 1.4 : 1 | 42% |
| Beechcraft Premier I | 157 | 5.5 | 78 h | 338 nm | 1.2 : 1 | 45% |
| Bombardier Learjet 31 | 64 | 6.2 | 87 h | 266 nm | 1.1 : 1 | 53% |
Do older Learjet 45s fly differently?
Age matters: by year built, the median Learjet 45 in each band flew between 99 and 131 estimated hours a year.
Show the tableHide the table
| Serial block | Built | Tracked | Hours a year | Median leg | Short hops |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 010–2001 | 1997–02 | 73 | 104 h | 442 nm | 36% |
| 233–2042 | 2003–05 | 27 | 99 h | 432 nm | 33% |
| 45-2074–2111 | 2006–08 | 66 | 120 h | 414 nm | 38% |
| 397–2130 | 2009–11 | 22 | 118 h | 390 nm | 42% |
| 45-488–2143 | 2012–14 | 34 | 131 h | 475 nm | 36% |
| 500–2252 | 2015–22 | 45 | 111 h | 493 nm | 31% |
US-registered aircraft only: the FAA registry gives serial number and year of manufacture for 267 of the 360 we track. Built = year of manufacture. Avionics upgrades are fitted by modification and the registry doesn’t show them, so check an aircraft’s records.
What the Learjet 45’s certification file says
Regulators publish an operational evaluation for each type: how pilots must be rated and trained, and what training must stress.
Here is what the Learjet 45 files say, each item with its source.
Crewing a Learjet 45
| Item | What the file says |
|---|---|
| Type rating | LR45, covering the Learjet 45/40 and Learjet 75/70ANAC OER Original, p.9 |
| Minimum crew | 2 pilotsEASA TCDS EASA.IM.A.020 Issue 18, p.20 |
Sources
| Document | Revision |
|---|---|
| EASA TCDS IM.A.020 — Learjet Model 45 | EASA · Issue 18 · 7 Aug 2026 |
| ANAC Operational Evaluation Report — Learjet Model 45 (Learjet 40, 45, 70 and 75) | ANAC · Original · 22 Jul 2016 |
Chartering a Learjet 45
143 of the 360 North America Learjet 45s we track are on our charter list (40%).
Charter aircraft flew a median 160 estimated hours a year on 10 flights a month; the rest flew 89 hours on 5.
Where charter Learjet 45s are based
| Field | Share | Aircraft |
|---|---|---|
| Anchorage | 8 | |
| Cleveland-Hopkins | 6 | |
| Fort Lauderdale | 5 | |
| Wiley Post | 5 | |
| Van Nuys | 5 | |
| Addison | 4 |
Charter status is our own list, built from FAA records and public listings of charter aircraft. No charter rates: prices depend on the operator and the trip. Check a specific aircraft’s record with its tail number before you book.
Learjet 45 questions
How many hours a year does a Learjet 45 fly?
The median North America Learjet 45 flies about 113 estimated hours a year; the middle half sits between 70 and 184. About 1 in 20 flies more than 361.
How often does a Learjet 45 fly?
7 flights a month on 5 flying days at the median. About 1 in 20 makes more than 22 flights a month.
How long is a typical Learjet 45 flight?
The median leg is 431 nm. About 1 in 20 aircraft average more than 745 nm a leg.
How often do Learjet 45 aircraft use short runways?
At the median, 9% of departures are from fields whose longest runway is under 1.25 times the type’s takeoff distance. About 1 in 20 keep it to 0% or less.
Is a high-hours Learjet 45 a bad buy?
Not by itself. High hours on long legs are gentler on the structure than the same hours on short hops. Look at hours per landing and short-hop share alongside hours.
Where are most Learjet 45 aircraft based?
In North America, Anchorage is home to the most, followed by Drake and William P Hobby. A base is the field an aircraft touches on most of its flying days, month after month.
Cite this data
The Aircraft Ledger. “Bombardier Learjet 45 fleet statistics.” Data to 31 July 2026. theaircraftledger.com/aircraft/bombardier/learjet-45
Method: Bombardier Learjet 45 aircraft with most departures in North America and at least 20 tracked flights in the latest twelve full months. Flight measures, bases, routes and rankings use ADS-B tracking 1 Aug 2025 – 31 Jul 2026; corrosion and engines-and-brakes exposure use the same twelve months, or an aircraft’s record since 1 Jan 2025 when it had too few nights or departures in them. Estimated hours from time in the air. Tracking misses some flights, so counts and hours are minimums. ADS-B coverage grew over the window, so we don’t compare one year with the last. Tracking can’t tell one variant from another; the variant split, the busiest table’s variants and the age table use the FAA registry, so they cover US-registered aircraft only. We assume the longest runway at each field, so short-runway figures are conservative. Corrosion measures cover the aircraft we can place on enough nights. Charter status is our own list, built from FAA records and public listings of charter aircraft. About our data