Private jet to Algeria

Algeria is the largest country in Africa, yet its capital is only 1:34 h from Marseille and 1:40 h from Nice in a light jet. Most private flights are business trips: ministries and company head offices in Algiers, the ports and industry of Oran and Annaba, and the oil and gas fields around Hassi Messaoud in the Sahara. Others come for the Kasbah of Algiers, the Roman towns of Timgad and Djemila, or the desert and the Hoggar mountains near Tamanrasset.

The country is outside the EU and Schengen and asks for more preparation than its neighbours: a landing permit for every flight, a visa for almost every European passenger, fuel paid through a fuel release and compulsory handling. As a broker, we compare aircraft from operators across Europe, and the handler requests the permits, the fuel and the passenger formalities before departure.

Tell us the city, the dates and the number of passengers, and we reply with the aircraft, the permit timing and the price.

Why companies and travellers fly privately

Flight times from Europe

Times for a Citation CJ3 light jet, taken from the price tables, including taxi, climb and descent:

The northern coast is closer to Europe than many people expect: from Madrid, Oran is 1:20 h away, and from Paris Algiers takes less than two and a half hours. Every European hub reaches the coastal airports non-stop in a light jet. The Sahara is a different scale: Frankfurt - Hassi Messaoud takes 3:21 h, and Tamanrasset lies 1,559 km south of Algiers.

What a private flight to Algeria costs

Each price is for the whole aircraft, one way, with an aircraft available near the departure airport, plus handling, permits, airport charges and passenger taxes. The flight time is that of the first aircraft in the row. Rows go to different Algerian airports.

From the European hubs

Madrid - Oran is the cheapest row at EUR 9,500 in a light jet. Nice - Algiers and Marseille - Algiers cost EUR 10,500, Paris - Algiers EUR 13,000 and London - Algiers EUR 14,000. For a delegation of eight, a Challenger 350 from Paris costs EUR 21,000. Frankfurt - Hassi Messaoud, the only Sahara row, is EUR 16,000 in a CJ3.

From Spain, the Balearics, Italy and Tunisia

Short sectors across the western Mediterranean:

Alicante - Oran takes 1:06 h in a Pilatus PC-12 for EUR 7,000, or EUR 8,000 in a CJ3, and Palma - Algiers also costs EUR 7,000 by turboprop. From Rome the turboprop needs 1:54 h to Annaba, and a light jet costs EUR 10,000. Tunis - Algiers is an international flight between two non-EU countries, so each passenger needs entry papers for both.

Algiers to the Sahara

Whether a foreign-registered aircraft may carry passengers between two Algerian airports is confirmed in writing by the operator before we quote; where it may not, an Algerian operator flies the leg. Fuel on domestic flights carries VAT. Indicative prices:

Algiers - Hassi Messaoud takes 1:22 h in a CJ3 for EUR 9,500. Algiers - Tamanrasset is 2:40 h, longer than Paris - Algiers, and costs EUR 14,000; for a group with equipment a Praetor 600 at EUR 20,000 has the larger hold.

From the Gulf

Riyadh - Algiers takes 5:53 h in a Challenger 350 for EUR 43,000. From Dubai the Challenger 350 needs one fuel stop, so the Falcon 900EX at EUR 69,000 is the non-stop option.

Prices depend on the flight time, the position of the nearest free aircraft and the length of the stay. A permit is valid for a fixed window, so a delay of a day means a new request, and for a stay of several days we compare keeping the aircraft in Algeria with two one-way flights. Algerian airport, handling, permit and fuel charges are listed in the quote. The departure country adds its own tax: France about EUR 1,015 per passenger on a jet and EUR 675 on a turboprop, as the tax rises with distance and about EUR 420 applies only within Europe; Italy EUR 100 per passenger up to 1,500 km and EUR 200 beyond, charged on flights to and from Italy; Austria EUR 12 (EUR 30 up to 350 km). Germany and Norway charge departure taxes. British Air Passenger Duty does not apply to aircraft under 5.7 t, jets of 20 t or more with fewer than 19 seats pay the higher private-jet rate and other jets the standard rate for the distance. The Netherlands taxes passengers on aircraft of 5.7 t or more, and Sweden has no passenger tax.

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

Three trips worked through

Price per person

The aircraft is hired as a whole, so the share per seat falls with each passenger. Light jet prices from the main table:

Calculator

The calculator e-mails an indicative price once you enter the route, the date and the passengers.

Airports for business aviation

Private flights are handled at the main airport terminals rather than in separate business aviation terminals, with the handler escorting passengers through passport and customs control. Air Algérie and Swissport are the licensed handlers, and the quote names the handler at each stop.

Permits, fuel and handling

• Landing permit from the civil aviation authority for every flight, private ones included, together with an overflight permit; the standard lead time is 72 hours, and we file on the day of booking.
• Algerian airports are not slot coordinated: the permit fixes the time and is valid for a limited window, so a delay of a day means a new request.
• Jet fuel comes only from Naftal, the national supplier, and credit cards are not accepted for it; the operator arranges a fuel release through the handler.
• Handling is compulsory, and the handler also books the cars and the hotel for the crew.

Which aircraft

Constantine at 706 m and Tamanrasset at 1,377 m are high airports, and the south is very hot in summer. On such days an aircraft takes off with less weight, so the operator confirms in the quote that passengers, equipment and fuel fit. For groups with luggage, one of the midsize jets has the larger hold.

To discuss permits, visas or a flight into the Sahara, leave your number and a consultant will call you.

When to fly: the year month by month

Business traffic to Algiers runs all year, with quieter weeks during Ramadan, whose dates move with the lunar calendar, and around the two Eid holidays, when offices close and scheduled flights fill. The coast has mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers; the Sahara is visited from autumn to spring. Empty Legs are few and most often follow delegations back to France, Spain and Switzerland.

Empty Legs

Many flights to Algeria are one-way by nature: a delegation flies in for a week of meetings, and the aircraft flies home or on without passengers. Such flights are offered at a fraction of a normal charter, though less often than to Morocco or Tunisia:

The operator fixes the date and time, and an Algerian permit and visas are still needed, so an Empty Leg suits travellers who already hold a visa. Send your direction and dates to empty-legs@jets.flights.

Flying with a dog or cat

Your dog or cat flies in the cabin with you, subject to the operator's prior approval. The return to the EU needs the most planning, because Algeria is not on the EU list of countries with simplified rules:

• Microchip, implanted before the rabies vaccination.
• Rabies vaccination between 30 days and 12 months before arrival in Algeria.
• Health certificate from a vet, endorsed by the government veterinary service of the departure country within about 14 days of travel.
• Entry through Algiers; no import permit or quarantine is required for a pet that meets the conditions.
• For the return, a rabies antibody test at least 30 days after the vaccination, recorded in the EU pet passport before leaving the EU, so the animal comes back without the three-month wait.

We confirm every requirement with the Algerian side for your dates. Please give the species, breed and weight in the request.

Visas, documents and customs

Before departure

• Visas issued for every passenger, with passports valid six months after arrival.
• Names, passport numbers and nationalities early, for the permits.
• The exact address or site, so we choose the airport and the handler.
• Host company contact for Hassi Messaoud and other industrial sites.
• No drones, binoculars or telescopes without authorisation.
• Antibody test result entered in the pet passport.
• Company name and VAT number for the invoice.

How to book

1. Send the city or site, dates, passengers, luggage and the status of the visas.
2. You receive 2-4 options with operator, cabin photos and the price for the whole aircraft, with any domestic leg priced separately.
3. You sign the contract with the operator, and the handler applies for the landing and overflight permits.
4. We send passport and visa copies to the handler, who arranges fuel, cars and the crew hotel.
5. On arrival the handler takes you through passport and customs control to the car.

Private jet to Algeria: questions and answers

• • How much does a private jet to Algeria cost?

  • From EUR 9,500 one way for a light jet from Madrid to Oran. Nice - Algiers costs EUR 10,500, Paris - Algiers EUR 13,000 and London - Algiers EUR 14,000, for the whole aircraft.

• • How long is the flight from Paris to Algiers?

  • About 2:24 h in a Citation CJ3. From London it is 2:48 h, from Geneva 2:01 h.

• • Do we need a visa?

  • Yes, UK and EU citizens need a visa from an Algerian consulate before the trip, and a passport valid at least six months after arrival.

• • How much notice do you need?

  • The standard lead time for the landing permit is 72 hours. If the visas are ready, a flight can usually be arranged within a few working days.

• • Is there a private terminal in Algiers?

  • Private flights use the main terminal, with the handler escorting passengers through passport and customs control.

• • Can we fly to Hassi Messaoud?

  • Yes, it is an airport of entry with a 3,000 m runway. Frankfurt - Hassi Messaoud takes 3:21 h in a CJ3; the host company normally arranges transport on site.

• • Can the same aircraft fly us from Algiers to Tamanrasset?

  • Only if the operator confirms in writing that it may carry passengers on domestic legs; otherwise an Algerian operator flies it. Algiers - Tamanrasset takes 2:40 h in a light jet.

• • What is the time difference?

  • Algeria uses UTC+1 all year: one hour ahead of London in winter and the same time in summer; one hour behind Paris in summer.

• • Can my dog come?

  • Yes, in the cabin, with a microchip, a rabies vaccination 30 days to 12 months before arrival and an endorsed health certificate. Have the antibody test recorded before you leave the EU.

• • Are there Empty Legs?

  • Less often than to Morocco or Tunisia, mainly from Algiers and Oran back to France, Spain and Switzerland. Write to empty-legs@jets.flights.