A flat floor in an aircraft means the entire cabin floor is on the same level, including the seats, providing a greater sense of legroom. The alternative is a lower center aisle or dropped aisle, where the aisle is slightly lower than the seats, which are on a platform.
If you travel with pets, a flat floor cabin is preferable since three large dogs can lie down comfortably. Without a flat floor, they would be much more cramped and uncomfortable.
All large and ultra-long-range jets feature flat floor cabins. Most super midsize jets or larger aircraft also have flat floor cabins, including:
- Challenger 300
- Challenger 350
- Hawker 4000
- Citation Latitude
- Falcon 2000 series
However, the Citation X, Citation Sovereign, Gulfstream G200, and Gulfstream G280 have a low center aisle.
Only a limited number of smaller jets have flat floor cabins. In the light jet category, this includes the Beechjet 400A, Beechjet 400, and Nextant 400XT. All three use the same fuselage and layout, providing a flat floor cabin on a light jet.
Why do smaller private jets have low center aisles or dropped aisles?
A low center aisle is a design compromise on smaller aircraft to provide more headroom when walking through the cabin. In midsize jets, the height is around 5’8” or 5’9”. However, because the seat is on a raised platform, there is less headroom when seated, making your head closer to the ceiling.
Flat floor cabins are sometimes called ‘stand-up’ cabins because you can walk around freely without needing to lower the center aisle. This feature is helpful when moving between the aisle and your seat, as you don’t need to duck or adjust your height. Larger super midsize jets, large jets, and ultra-long-range jets all have flat floor cabins and are considered stand-up cabins.
