Navajo Chieftain
The Piper PA-31-350 Chieftain is a piston-engine twin seating nine passengers in an unpressurized 12.5-foot cabin, 4.3 feet wide and 4.3 feet tall. Powered by twin Lycoming TIO-540 engines producing 350 hp each, it cruises at 211 knots with a range of 883 nautical miles. These are short-range numbers, and that is the point: the Chieftain fills routes where turboprops cost too much to operate and jets cannot land at all.
With 96 aircraft on US Part 135 certificates across 51 operators, the fleet serves two distinct markets. The first is Alaska bush aviation: Warbelow's Air Ventures in Fairbanks operates 15 aircraft, Grant Aviation runs 4, and smaller operators serve remote communities across the interior and western coast. The second is island hopping: Aztec Airways in Nassau operates 8 aircraft on Bahamas routes; Star Marianas Air runs 5 aircraft in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. These are scheduled and charter air taxi operations, not on-demand private jet charter in the mainstream sense.
Charter rates for ad hoc Chieftain flights run approximately $1,000 to $1,600 per hour, though most aircraft fly fixed routes rather than open-market charter. Used PA-31-350 Chieftains trade from $80,000 to $250,000 depending on airframe hours and engine condition.
Specs at a glance
Interior & cabin
| Passengers | 9 |
| Cabin length | 12.5 ft |
| Cabin width | 4.3 ft |
| Cabin height | 4.3 ft |
At 4.3 ft of cabin height, the Navajo Chieftain is a sit-down jet. Expect to duck moving between seats.
Operator floor plans vary. Some Navajo Chieftain cabins are configured with a divan that drops the headcount by one or two seats; confirm the layout with the operator before booking.
Range & performance
| Range | 883 nm |
| Max cruise | 211 ktas |
| Typical cruise | ~179 ktas |
With 883 nm of range, the Navajo Chieftain is built for short-to-mid US missions. Plan a fuel stop for anything past three hours of cruise.
Distances are real great-circle nautical miles from the selected hub. Angular positions are spaced for readability, not actual bearings. Range envelope assumes no wind and a full passenger load.
Charter cost per hour
Charter the Navajo Chieftain at roughly $2,000–$2,500 per flight hour, depending on how far ahead you book. Turboprop jets like this carry 6–9 passengers; the per-seat math improves sharply as you fill the cabin.
Rates are flight-hour pricing. Total cost depends on round-trip vs. one-way, positioning, fuel surcharges, and taxes (~15% on top of base). Run the math on your trip →
Safety Record
History
Piper developed the PA-31 from a 1962 program aimed at a six- to eight-seat corporate and commuter twin. The prototype flew on September 30, 1964, and the FAA certified the aircraft on February 24, 1966, with customer deliveries starting in 1967. Total PA-31 family production across all variants reached 2,044 aircraft through 1984, including 1,771 PA-31-310/325 Navajos and 259 Pressurized Navajos.
The PA-31-350 Chieftain arrived as a 1973 model year, distinguished by a stretched fuselage that increased passenger capacity to nine and by Lycoming TIO-540-J2BD engines rated at 350 hp each. Deliveries ran from 1973 through 1984, when Piper ended production of the entire Navajo series. The Chieftain became the highest-volume variant of the family. Aftermarket turbine conversions (notably the Riley Rocket and Colemill Panther) replaced the Lycoming engines with PT6A turboprops on some airframes, but these conversions are uncommon in US Part 135 service.
Ideal For
- Short scheduled routes between Alaska bush communities, remote strips, and regional hubs under 500nm: Fairbanks to Fort Yukon (110nm), Nome to Unalakleet (155nm)
- Bahamas island hops from Nassau: Eleuthera (50nm), Treasure Cay (115nm), Governor's Harbour (120nm)
- Inter-island scheduled service in the Northern Mariana Islands and similar Pacific island markets
- Groups of four to seven passengers where an unpressurized piston twin is operationally acceptable and economics favor the Chieftain's low fuel and acquisition cost
- Cargo-and-passenger combinations on thin routes where the cabin accommodates freight alongside seated passengers
- Operators who need to reach strips with weight limits or short field lengths that rule out turboprops and jets
Navajo Chieftain vs Turboprop Average
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Navajo Chieftain a turboprop?
No. The standard PA-31-350 Chieftain uses twin Lycoming TIO-540 turbocharged piston engines, each producing 350 hp. Aftermarket turbine conversions (the Riley Rocket, Colemill Panther) fit PT6A turboprop engines to Chieftain airframes, but these are uncommon. Most Chieftains in US Part 135 service retain piston power.
What is the difference between the PA-31 Navajo and the PA-31-350 Chieftain?
The original PA-31 Navajo used 310 or 325 hp Lycoming engines and accommodated six to seven passengers in a shorter fuselage. The PA-31-350 Chieftain has a longer fuselage seating nine passengers and fits the larger 350 hp Lycoming TIO-540-J2BD engines. Piper also produced the PA-31P Pressurized Navajo as a separate pressurized variant; the standard Chieftain is not pressurized.
What operators fly the Navajo Chieftain and where?
Warbelow's Air Ventures (Fairbanks) operates the largest US fleet with 15 aircraft on Alaska bush routes. Aztec Airways (Nassau) flies Bahamas island routes with 8 aircraft. Star Marianas Air serves the Northern Mariana Islands with 5. Grant Aviation runs 4 aircraft on Alaska routes. Most operations are scheduled or charter air taxi rather than on-demand private charter.
Can the Navajo Chieftain make long cross-country flights?
The 883nm published range covers most intra-regional routes but falls short of true cross-country flying. New York to Chicago (720nm) is near the practical limit with a full load. The aircraft is designed for hops under 500nm rather than transcontinental routing, and the unpressurized cabin limits comfortable cruise altitude to roughly 10,000 to 12,000 feet.
How does the Chieftain compare to the Cessna 208B Grand Caravan?
Both are nine-passenger unpressurized aircraft serving short regional routes. The Chieftain is faster (211 vs 186 ktas) and is a twin, requiring two engines to be maintained. The Grand Caravan is a single-engine turboprop, simpler and with lower operating costs in some markets. Both types appear heavily in Alaska bush operations.
Navajo Chieftains for Charter (96) Page 2 of 2
Where Navajo Chieftains actually fly
ADS-B-tracked flights from the trailing 90 days. Numbers cover aircraft on our charter database; private corporate fleets and operators using PIA registration are not in this count. Methodology →
Top routes
Busiest origins
Most active operators
| Operator | Aircraft | Flights |
|---|---|---|
| WARBELOWS AIR VENTURES INC | 9 | 173 |
| MOYER AVIATION INC | 2 | 159 |
| AERO CHARTER NEW ENGLAND | 1 | 79 |
| American Valet Air, Inc. | 1 | 76 |
| PLANE TRAVEL LLC | 1 | 71 |
| Mountain Air Medical, LLC. | 1 | 71 |
| JIB Inc. | 1 | 50 |
| UINTA AERO LLC | 1 | 41 |
| Fly Live Charter, Inc | 1 | 36 |
| LAND AND SEA AVIATION ALASKA LLC | 1 | 34 |
Comparable aircraft
Same category, similar mission profile. The framing below summarizes how each one differs from the Navajo Chieftain on the dimensions that matter most.