HondaJet HA-420 vs PC-24: how the two fleets are really flown
On all four chapters' lead measures, the gap inside each fleet is bigger than the gap between the HondaJet HA-420 and the PC-24. On flights a month, the middle half of HondaJet HA-420s runs 4–9 and of PC-24s 6–24; the medians are 6 and 10.
Honda HondaJet HA-420 fleet statistics →Pilatus PC-24 fleet statistics →
Fatigue
On hours per landing, the gap between the types is smaller than the spread inside either fleet: the middle PC-24 at 1.4 : 1, the middle HondaJet HA-420 at 1.3 : 1.
What each landing and pressurization cycle costs the structure: landings per hour and short hops.
Hours per landing
Where the two fleets sitSide by side
Every active aircraft of each type in North America: 141 HondaJet HA-420s and 151 PC-24s.| Measure | HondaJet HA-420 median | Middle half | PC-24 median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hours per landing Each aircraft’s average flight hours per landing | 1.3 : 1 | 1.1–1.5 : 1 | 1.4 : 1 | 1.2–1.6 : 1 |
| Short hops Share of legs under 300 nm | 45% | 30–53% | 42% | 30–54% |
| Leg length Median leg | 371 nm | 277–446 nm | 361 nm | 279–473 nm |
Corrosion
On salt air, the gap between the types is smaller than the spread inside either fleet: the middle PC-24 at <1%, the middle HondaJet HA-420 at 0%.
What the air around the fleet does overnight: salt, damp and freeze–thaw.
Salt air
Where the two fleets sitSide by side
Aircraft we can place on enough nights at known fields: 89 HondaJet HA-420s and 94 PC-24s.| Measure | HondaJet HA-420 median | Middle half | PC-24 median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salt air Nights within 2 km of the coast | 0% | 0–1% | <1% | 0–5% |
| Near the coast Nights within 10 km of the coast | 6% | 1–32% | 6% | 1–33% |
| Damp air Hours a day at 80% humidity or more, above freezing | 7.2 h | 4.5–9.8 h | 6.1 h | 4.2–7.6 h |
| Freeze–thaw Nights that froze and thawed within the day | 4% | 1–12% | 11% | 3–20% |
| Moisture in the air Average absolute humidity overnight | 10.0 g/m³ | 7.3–13.3 g/m³ | 8.2 g/m³ | 6.8–10.1 g/m³ |
Engines and brakes
On hot, high takeoffs, the gap between the types is smaller than the spread inside either fleet: the middle PC-24 at 6%, the middle HondaJet HA-420 at 4%.
What departures ask of engines, brakes and tires: heat and height, and runway length.
Hot, high takeoffs
Where the two fleets sitSide by side
Departures we could assess: 140 HondaJet HA-420s and 149 PC-24s. Short-runway departures aren't compared: we don't have a sourced takeoff distance for the HondaJet HA-420.| Measure | HondaJet HA-420 median | Middle half | PC-24 median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hot, high takeoffs Departures at 5,000 ft density altitude or more | 4% | 0–11% | 6% | 2–12% |
| Density altitude Typical density altitude at takeoff | 1,674 ft | 1,487–2,134 ft | 1,473 ft | 1,214–2,048 ft |
Utilization
On flights a month, the gap between the types is smaller than the spread inside either fleet: the middle PC-24 at 10, the middle HondaJet HA-420 at 6.
How steadily each fleet is used: flights, flying days and estimated hours.
Flights a month
Where the two fleets sitSide by side
HondaJet HA-420s with at least 40% of their flights tracked (76) and PC-24s with at least 40% of their flights tracked (90). Each type uses the tracking rule its own fleet page uses.| Measure | HondaJet HA-420 median | Middle half | PC-24 median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flights a month In the months it flew | 6.3 | 4.4–8.8 | 9.5 | 6.2–23.6 |
| Days flown a month Days with at least one flight | 4.1 | 3.1–5.9 | 6.1 | 4.7–11.4 |
| Estimated hours a year From time in the air | ≈107 h | 72–134 h | ≈159 h | 108–345 h |
Choosing between a HondaJet HA-420 and a PC-24?
Check both tails, not the types.
Enter the two tails on your shortlist. TailCheck grades each one on Fatigue, Corrosion, Engines and brakes, and Utilization against its own type, then puts them side by side.
Trip-length mix
Both fleets flew 45% of their legs under 300 nm; 6% of HondaJet HA-420 legs and 11% of PC-24 legs were over 900 nm.
| Leg length (nm) | HondaJet HA-420 | PC-24 |
|---|---|---|
| <150 | 19% | 20% |
| 150–300 | 26% | 25% |
| 300–450 | 18% | 16% |
| 450–600 | 14% | 12% |
| 600–900 | 16% | 16% |
| 900–1,200 | 5% | 8% |
| 1,200–1,800 | 1% | 3% |
| 1,800+ | 0% | 0% |
Share of legs by length in nautical miles, 1 Aug 2025 – 31 Jul 2026: 8,472 legs by 141 HondaJet HA-420s and 16,990 legs by 151 PC-24s, every leg with a known distance. The HondaJet HA-420's trips bunch at 150–300 nm, the PC-24's at 150–300 nm.
HondaJet HA-420 vs PC-24: on paper
Certified figures come from each type certificate data sheet, the rest from the manufacturer. Each figure names its source; a range covers the variants one page tracks together; a dash means we don’t have a source for that figure yet. We don’t have a manufacturer source for the HondaJet HA-420 yet, so its manufacturer rows show a dash.
| Measure | HondaJet HA-420 | PC-24 |
|---|---|---|
| Range (manufacturer) | —Not in our sources yet | 2,000 nmManufacturer (spec page, Web page, retrieved 21 Oct 2026) |
| High-speed cruise (manufacturer) | —Not in our sources yet | 440 ktManufacturer (spec page, Web page, retrieved 21 Oct 2026) |
| Takeoff distance (manufacturer) | —Not in our sources yet | 3,090 ftManufacturer (spec page, Web page, retrieved 21 Oct 2026) |
| Maximum takeoff weight (certified) | 10,600–11,100 lbEASA TCDS EASA.IM.A.352 Issue 10, p.6 | 17,650–18,740 lbUK CAA TCDS UK.TC.A.00033 Issue 2, p.8 |
| Fuel capacity (certified) | —Not in our sources yet | 5,964 lbUK CAA TCDS UK.TC.A.00033 Issue 2, p.7 |
| Maximum operating altitude (certified) | 43,000 ftEASA TCDS EASA.IM.A.352 Issue 10, p.6 | 45,000 ftUK CAA TCDS UK.TC.A.00033 Issue 2, p.7 |
| Passenger seats (certified) | Up to 6–7EASA TCDS EASA.IM.A.352 Issue 10, p.7 | Up to 10UK CAA TCDS UK.TC.A.00033 Issue 2, p.9 |
HondaJet HA-420 vs PC-24: questions
Which is flown more, the HondaJet HA-420 or the PC-24?
The PC-24, by about 52 estimated hours a year: the middle PC-24 flew ≈159 h a year, the middle HondaJet HA-420 ≈107 h. That is a fleet median: the middle half of PC-24s logged 108–345 h and of HondaJet HA-420s 72–134 h, so one aircraft can sit far from its type. In flights, the medians are 6 a month for the HondaJet HA-420 and 10 for the PC-24.
Which lands more often for its hours, the HondaJet HA-420 or the PC-24?
The HondaJet HA-420: its middle aircraft flies 1.3 hours per landing, against 1.4 for the PC-24, 0.1 hours fewer per landing. More landings per hour means more pressurization cycles for the same time in the air. Short hops, legs under 300 nm, make up 45% of the middle HondaJet HA-420's legs and 42% of the middle PC-24's.
Which flies longer trips, the HondaJet HA-420 or the PC-24?
The HondaJet HA-420, by 10 nm on the median leg: 371 nm for the middle aircraft, against 361 nm for the PC-24. Both fleets flew 45% of their legs under 300 nm; 6% of HondaJet HA-420 legs and 11% of PC-24 legs were over 900 nm.
Which spends more nights by the sea, the HondaJet HA-420 or the PC-24?
The PC-24, by less than one percentage point: its middle aircraft spends <1% of its nights within 2 km of the coast, the middle HondaJet HA-420 0%. Salt air is one of the corrosion inputs a TailCheck report grades for one aircraft against its own type.
Cite this data
The Aircraft Ledger. “Honda HondaJet HA-420 vs Pilatus PC-24.” Data to 31 July 2026. theaircraftledger.com/compare/honda-hondajet-ha-420-vs-pilatus-pc-24
Method: HondaJet HA-420s and PC-24s with most departures in North America, ADS-B tracking. Flight measures cover 1 Aug 2025 – 31 Jul 2026; each figure is the median of its own fleet, with the middle half (25th–75th percentile). Estimated hours from time in the air. We assume the longest runway at each field, so short-runway figures are conservative. Specifications from type certificate data sheets and the manufacturers, each cited. About our data