Private jet to Afghanistan

Aircraft cross Afghanistan every day, high above the country on the routes between Europe, the Gulf and Asia. Landing is another matter. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has a bulletin for the Kabul flight information region: operators under its rules should stay above FL320, about 32,000 feet, and every approach to Kabul, Kandahar, Herat or Mazar-i-Sharif passes below that level. European foreign ministries advise their citizens against any travel to Afghanistan.

For that reason we do not quote charters that land in Afghanistan. The private flight ends at a neighbouring airport with full business aviation services: Dubai, with the widest choice of onward flights, Tashkent East, the business aviation airport of the Uzbek capital, in Uzbekistan to the north, or Islamabad in Pakistan to the east. A request for an Afghan airport is still checked against the airspace status, operator approval, insurance and permits for the date, and you get a plain answer.

Tell us the city in Afghanistan, the dates and the number of travellers; a consultant suggests the gateway, the aircraft, the price and how long the permits take.

Three neighbouring airports

The onward flight is booked, ticketed and insured by the traveller. Flights into Afghanistan are cancelled or retimed without much warning; book a changeable ticket and keep a day in reserve.

What the flight costs

Every figure is a one-way charter of the whole aircraft; handling, airport charges, permits and passenger taxes are extra. Flight times are given for the first aircraft priced in each row; the connection into Afghanistan and the stay are outside the price.

To Dubai

Vienna - Dubai takes 5:48 h and costs EUR 40,000 in a Praetor 600; from London the same aircraft costs EUR 51,000 for 7:25 h. A Challenger 650 with twelve seats is EUR 65,000 from London.

To Tashkent East and Islamabad

European operators avoid closed and restricted airspace on the way east and keep clear of Iran, so the route runs over Turkey, the Caucasus and the Caspian Sea. The Tashkent East rows allow 10 % over the straight line for the detour, the Islamabad rows 14 %:

Regional legs

London - Tashkent East costs EUR 53,000 in a Praetor 600 and takes 7:47 h, and Vienna - Islamabad costs EUR 51,000. In the region, Dubai - Islamabad takes 2:57 h for EUR 21,000 in a Praetor 500, and Istanbul - Tashkent East 4:52 h for EUR 30,000; for each trip we check whether the European aircraft may fly these sectors or a regional operator takes them.

Business jet price per flight hour

Heavy Jets from EUR 8,300 / hour

Light Jets from EUR 3,200 / hour

Ultra Long Range Jets from EUR 12,000 / hour

Super Midsize Jets from EUR 6,300 / hour

Very Light Jets from EUR 2,500 / hour

Long Range Jets from EUR 9,800 / hour

Midsize Jets from EUR 4,500 / hour

Turboprops from EUR 2,000 / hour

Two trips worked through

Price per person

The whole aircraft is chartered, so the share per traveller drops as the group grows:

Calculator

The calculator estimates the flight to Dubai, Tashkent East or Islamabad; add the Afghan city in the comment.

Airports on both sides of the border

Islamabad has two parallel runways and VIP services but no separate business aviation terminal, so the handler arranges the passenger formalities in the main building. Each country issues its own permit for named airports and dates, and a trip that uses two of them is applied for as one itinerary; the longest lead time sets the earliest date.

Choosing the aircraft

• Dubai and Tashkent East from Europe: a super midsize Praetor 600 or a Challenger 650 flies without a stop from the main hubs.
• Islamabad from London or Paris: a long-range jet such as the Falcon 7X or Global 7500, because the detour adds distance.
• Short hops in the region, for example Dubai - Islamabad: a midsize jet such as the Legacy 500.

The year for these routes

Spring and autumn suit trips to the region best: Kabul and Tashkent are mild, and Dubai is outside its peak. Winters in Kabul are cold with snow, summers in Islamabad bring heat and then the monsoon rains of July and August. Ramadan and the two Eids shift by about eleven days a year, and government offices close over the Eids. Empty Legs run mostly between Dubai and Europe: westbound in April and May, eastbound in October and November.

Documents and taxes

Departure taxes are set by the country you leave from: France a per-passenger tax on jets graded by distance, about EUR 420 within Europe, about EUR 1,015 to Dubai and about EUR 2,100 to Islamabad or Kabul, Italy EUR 200 per passenger on sectors to or from Italy over 1,500 km, Austria EUR 12, and Germany and the UK at their own rates. British APD is not charged below 5.7 t, and the higher rate starts at 20 t for aircraft with fewer than 19 seats. Every tax appears in the quote.

Flying with a pet

A dog or cat travels in the cabin to Dubai, Tashkent East or Islamabad with the operator's approval. The UAE asks for an import permit arranged online, a microchip and a rabies vaccination at least 21 days before entry. Uzbekistan wants a rabies vaccination and a veterinary certificate issued shortly before travel, and Pakistan an import permit, an ISO microchip, a rabies vaccination at least 30 days before entry and a health certificate. We do not plan animals onward into Afghanistan.

Empty Legs

Most empty flights in this direction start or end in Dubai, which many aircraft use as a base for their trips to Europe. Legs from Tashkent East and Islamabad are rare. A date that can move by a few days improves the odds; write to empty-legs@jets.flights with your route.

From request to departure

1. Send the destination in Afghanistan, the dates and the number of travellers.
2. We choose the airport by the onward flight and the permit lead time, and check any request for an Afghan airport against the bulletin.
3. We send two or three aircraft options, each with operator, model and price.
4. After you sign the operator's contract and pay by transfer or card, we file each country's permit.
5. Before departure we confirm slot, handling and the airspace notices in force.

Questions about flying to Afghanistan

• • Can you fly us to Kabul?

  • Not as a charter quote. European operators follow the EASA advice to stay above FL320 over Afghanistan, and no landing is possible without descending below it. We fly to Dubai, Tashkent East or Islamabad and check every request for an Afghan airport on the date.

• • Can our flight pass over Afghanistan?

  • High-level overflights above FL320 are outside the EASA recommendation, and the operator decides the route. Many flights to Asia use them.

• • How much does it cost?

  • From EUR 40,000 one way for the whole aircraft, Vienna - Dubai in a Praetor 600. In the same Praetor 600, London to Dubai costs EUR 51,000 and London to Tashkent East EUR 53,000, while Vienna to Islamabad is EUR 51,000; handling, charges and taxes are extra.

• • How long does it take?

  • From London 7:25 h to Dubai and 7:47 h to Tashkent East in a Praetor 600; Vienna - Islamabad takes 7:27 h. Afghanistan is 4:30 h ahead of London in winter and 3:30 h in summer.

• • Which airport is closest to Kabul?

  • Islamabad, about 350 km away. Tashkent East is about 750 km and Dubai about 1,700 km from Kabul, but Dubai has the most onward flights.

• • Do I need a visa?

  • Yes, for Afghanistan and for Pakistan. EU and UK citizens enter Uzbekistan for up to 30 days and the UAE without a visa in advance.

• • Can I bring my dog?

  • Yes, as far as Dubai, Tashkent East or Islamabad, once the operator agrees and the papers for that country are in order. We do not plan animals onward into Afghanistan.

• • How early should we book?

  • Dubai and Tashkent East can usually be arranged within a few days. For Islamabad allow about a week, because Pakistan asks for the permit around six days ahead.