Free tool · Financing
Aircraft loan calculator
Monthly payment, amortization and total interest for an aircraft loan, with example prices for 73 models from our ownership cost model. The rate opens on a dated public benchmark: replace it with your lender's quote.
Estimated monthly payment · illustration
$129,431
$14,400,000 financed over 15 years at 7% (example rate): $8,897,629 of interest over the term.
- Down payment
- $3,600,000
- Amount financed
- $14,400,000
- Payments
- 180 × $129,431
- Total of payments
- $23,297,629
Monthly cost of ownership · Bombardier Challenger 350
$280,828
Loan payment plus $151,397 a month to operate it at 200 hours a year ($769,160 a year fixed, $5,238 a flight hour), from CRAFT's ownership cost model. Before depreciation, taxes and any charter revenue. Charter income from a leaseback can offset part of it.
Principal and interest by year
| Year | Principal | Interest | Balance at year end |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $563,011 | $990,164 | $13,836,989 |
| 2 | $603,711 | $949,464 | $13,233,278 |
| 3 | $647,353 | $905,822 | $12,585,925 |
| 4 | $694,151 | $859,025 | $11,891,774 |
| 5 | $744,331 | $808,845 | $11,147,443 |
| 6 | $798,138 | $755,037 | $10,349,305 |
| 7 | $855,836 | $697,339 | $9,493,469 |
| 8 | $917,704 | $635,471 | $8,575,765 |
| 9 | $984,045 | $569,130 | $7,591,719 |
| 10 | $1,055,182 | $497,993 | $6,536,537 |
| 11 | $1,131,461 | $421,714 | $5,405,076 |
| 12 | $1,213,255 | $339,921 | $4,191,821 |
| 13 | $1,300,961 | $252,214 | $2,890,860 |
| 14 | $1,395,008 | $158,168 | $1,495,853 |
| 15 | $1,495,853 | $57,323 | $0 |
An illustration of loan arithmetic, not a loan offer or a quoted rate. CRAFT is not a lender and does not arrange credit. Payments exclude taxes, insurance, escrow and closing costs; an actual rate, term, down payment and payment depend on the lender's approval, your credit, the aircraft and the loan structure.
Reference
Example monthly payments by aircraft
Each model at the example price in our cost model, 20% down at 7% (the U.S. bank prime rate, 7.00% on October 2, 2026 (Federal Reserve H.15)). Operating cost is the model's fixed costs plus 200 flight hours a year, a month at a time. Illustrations only, not offers.
| Aircraft | Example price | 10 years | 15 years | 20 years | Operating a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pilatus PC-12 NGXTurboprop | $4 million | $37,155 | $28,763 | $24,810 | $48,522 |
| HondaJet HA-420Very light jet | $5 million | $46,443 | $35,953 | $31,012 | $60,899 |
| Cessna Citation CJ3+Light jet | $5 million | $46,443 | $35,953 | $31,012 | $91,792 |
| Embraer Phenom 300ELight jet | $9.1 million | $84,527 | $65,435 | $56,442 | $97,027 |
| Cessna Citation LatitudeMidsize jet | $18 million | $167,196 | $129,431 | $111,643 | $134,719 |
| Bombardier Challenger 300Super-midsize jet | $9.3 million | $86,385 | $66,873 | $57,682 | $149,805 |
| Bombardier Challenger 350Super-midsize jet | $18 million | $167,196 | $129,431 | $111,643 | $151,397 |
| Gulfstream G280Super-midsize jet | $19 million | $176,485 | $136,622 | $117,845 | $150,151 |
| Bombardier Challenger 650Large jet | $18 million | $167,196 | $129,431 | $111,643 | $196,922 |
| Gulfstream G650Ultra-long-range jet | $39 million | $362,258 | $280,434 | $241,893 | $290,299 |
Example prices are the median of UseRadar's value data for each model, the hull value our ownership cost model insures. A specific aircraft can sell well above or below it with its age, hours, engine program and condition. Every model is in the calculator.
Method
How the payment is worked out
- Amount financed. The price minus the down payment. Taxes, closing and escrow costs are not included.
- Payment. The standard fixed-rate amortization formula: P × r ÷ (1 − (1 + r)−n), with r the annual rate ÷ 12 and n the number of months. A balloon is the balance left at the end; the payment amortizes everything else.
- Schedule. Each month's interest is the balance times r; the rest of the payment reduces the balance. The chart and table sum the months into loan years.
- Cost of ownership. For a model, the payment plus its operating budget from our ownership cost model: fixed costs a year plus the variable cost an hour times the hours you fly, divided by 12.
| Factor | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Example interest rate (assumption) | 7.00% | Federal Reserve Board, Selected Interest Rates (H.15): bank prime loan rate, via FREDOctober 2, 2026. A dated public benchmark, not a rate offer |
| Example down payment (assumption) | 20% | Inside the ranges AOPA Aviation Finance publishes: 15–20% for credit-based jet loans, 30–40% asset-based |
| Example term (assumption) | 15 years | AOPA Aviation Finance: turbine loans commonly 15-year amortization with a 5-year term; jets 10–15 years with a balloon |
| Example price | By model | The hull value in CRAFT's ownership cost model: the median of UseRadar's value data for the model |
| Operating cost | By model | CRAFT's ownership cost model: fixed costs a year, variable cost a flight hour |
Sources
- Federal Reserve Board, Selected Interest Rates (H.15): bank prime loan rate, via FRED (October 2, 2026): The aircraft loan calculator's example interest rate (7.00%, the prime rate on that date): an assumption to replace with a lender's quote, not a rate offer.
Financing
Want a lender to quote you?
Tell us about the aircraft and the loan you have in mind, and we'll pass it to aircraft lenders who can quote a real rate. CRAFT is not a lender and receives no fee from you.
Aircraft loans: questions
How is an aircraft loan payment calculated?
Like any fixed-rate installment loan: the amount financed (price minus down payment), the monthly rate (annual rate ÷ 12) and the number of monthly payments go into the standard amortization formula. A balloon lowers the monthly payment because part of the balance is left to repay at the end. At 7% (the U.S. bank prime rate, 7.00% on October 2, 2026 (Federal Reserve H.15), used here only as an example), 20% down and 15 years, a $18 million Challenger 350 works out to about $129,431 a month before taxes, insurance and fees.
How much down payment do you need to finance an aircraft?
It depends on the aircraft and the loan. AOPA Aviation Finance says a minimum of 15% down is typical for single-engine pistons newer than 1960 (20% for older aircraft), that turbine aircraft can go as low as 10% down, and that for jets a credit-based loan usually needs 15% to 20% down while an asset-based loan needs 30% to 40%. The calculator opens on 20%, an example inside those ranges.
How long can you finance an aircraft?
Piston loans run 5 to 20 years (20 years usually only on larger loans), according to AOPA Aviation Finance. Turbine aircraft are commonly amortized over 15 years with a 5-year term, and AOPA describes jet loans as amortized over 10 to 15 years with a balloon for the remaining balance at year five. The calculator's balloon field models that structure; it opens on 15 years, fully amortizing.
What interest rate should I put in the calculator?
The rate a lender actually quotes you. The calculator opens on the U.S. bank prime rate, 7.00% on October 2, 2026 (Federal Reserve H.15) only so the numbers aren't blank: it is a public benchmark, not an aircraft loan rate. Lenders price each loan on your credit and liquidity, the loan size, the aircraft's age and type, the term and whether the rate is fixed or floating. Our aircraft loan rates page tracks the benchmarks lenders price from, with their dates.
Does CRAFT offer aircraft loans?
No. CRAFT is a Part 135 charter operator, not a lender or a loan broker, and nothing on this page is a loan offer. If you'd like, we can pass your details to aircraft lenders, and an owner whose aircraft flies charter with us through our leaseback program can use that revenue to offset part of the cost of owning it.
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