Private jet to Ankara

The Turkish capital is a city of ministries, parliament, embassies and state institutions, and few people fly there on holiday. Most private flights carry delegations: company boards, law firms, defence and energy teams, and organisations with an appointment in a ministry in Kızılay or an embassy in Çankaya. What matters is landing in time for the meeting and, often, flying home the same evening. A direct charter avoids the connection in Istanbul that a scheduled trip usually requires.

Business jets land at Esenboğa, the capital's only civil airport, on the plateau about 28 km north-east of the centre. It is open 24 hours without a curfew, and every private flight is handled in a separate general aviation terminal, so passengers never pass through the scheduled halls. Turkey is outside the EU and Schengen, and each flight needs a landing permission, a slot and a handler. As a broker, we ask operators across Europe for aircraft and plan the day backwards from the time of your meeting.

Give us the date, the time and address of the meeting and the number of people, and a consultant will reply with aircraft options and a timetable.

Why delegations fly privately to the Turkish capital

Flight times to Esenboğa

Times for a Citation CJ3 from the price tables:

• Bucharest: 1:33 h, Athens: 1:38 h, Sofia: 1:41 h
• Vienna: 2:42 h, Munich: 3:09 h, Milan Linate: 3:18 h
• Zurich: 3:26 h, Nice: 3:30 h, Frankfurt: 3:33 h
• Geneva: 3:39 h, Hamburg: 3:41 h
• Amsterdam: 4:01 h, Paris Le Bourget: 4:06 h, London Farnborough: 4:29 h

From western Europe this is a long sector, three to four and a half hours, and a light jet from Madrid would need a fuel stop, so that row starts with the midsize column at 4:27 h. On flights of this length a midsize jet with a larger cabin gives a delegation room to prepare the meeting on board. The return westbound can take a little longer against the wind.

Private jet prices to Ankara

Each figure is for the whole aircraft, one way, plus handling, terminal fees, airport charges and passenger taxes, with an aircraft based near the departure airport. The flight time column refers to the first priced aircraft in each row.

From the European hubs and the neighbours

In a light jet Bucharest costs EUR 10,000, Vienna EUR 14,000, Frankfurt EUR 16,500 and London EUR 19,500. Flights from Larnaca are not offered: the Republic of Cyprus and Turkey have no direct air link.

From other European cities

For Poland, Germany, Benelux, Scandinavia and Italy the light jet column uses the Phenom 300 for its range and hold, with the Legacy 500 and the Gulfstream G280 for a stand-up cabin:

From the Gulf and New York

With three long runways, Esenboğa takes any long-range jet. Riyadh, Doha and Dubai are 2:51-3:38 h away non-stop, and the operator confirms the routing through open airspace:

Within Turkey

Domestic sectors from Istanbul and the coast are usually flown by a Turkish operator; the table shows typical fares:

The fare depends on flight time, plus a fixed share for positioning the aircraft and crew. Departure taxes follow the country of departure. A jet leaving France pays the French solidarity tax of about EUR 1,015 per passenger to Turkey, as the rate depends on distance and is about EUR 420 within Europe; Italy charges EUR 200 per passenger on these distances, and Austria EUR 12. German departures carry a departure tax, Dutch ones a tax on aircraft of 5.7 t or more, and British ones Air Passenger Duty, charged at a higher rate only on aircraft of 20 t or more with fewer than 19 seats. The terminal fee per passenger, Turkish charges and winter de-icing appear in the quote.

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

Real trips, real totals

Price per person

The aircraft is chartered as a whole, so the share per seat shrinks as the delegation grows. The terminal fee and taxes are charged per passenger on top:

Online calculator

For another route or date, the calculator e-mails an estimate in a few minutes.

Esenboğa and the general aviation terminal

Ankara Esenboğa (ESB, LTAC) lies in the Çubuk district at about 950 m above sea level. It belongs to the State Airports Authority (DHMİ) and is run by TAV. Three parallel runways, the longest about 3,750 m, carry every class of aircraft, and the airport works 24 hours, with border and customs services round the clock. In winter the plateau is often snowy: de-icing is available at any hour and the runways are cleared mechanically, but a same-day return carries a time margin from December to February.

Business aviation must use the general aviation terminal, which has private lounges and fast-track passport and customs. A fee is charged per passenger, and a group of more than 21 passengers needs a special permit to use the terminal. Slots are mandatory, requested at least 24 hours before arrival and valid for 20 minutes either side; an arrival slot cannot be changed once the aircraft has left its departure airport. Handling is compulsory, parking is generally available but there is no hangar, Jet A-1 is supplied round the clock, and catering is ordered at least 24 hours ahead because it cannot be stored at the airport.

Other airfields: Etimesgut, Cappadocia and Eskişehir

Etimesgut, west of the city, is an air force base and appears on older lists as Ankara's airport, but it is not open to charter flights; private jets always use Esenboğa. The Cappadocia airports and Eskişehir matter only when the trip continues there. Distances are straight-line from Esenboğa:

Choosing the aircraft

For a meeting day the cabin matters more than the luggage. Two to four people from Vienna or the Balkans travel well in a light jet. From London, Paris or Frankfurt the flight lasts three and a half hours or more, and a midsize jet with a larger cabin lets the team work through documents at a table. For more than ten people a heavy jet avoids splitting the delegation.

Want to check the timetable or the aircraft for your meeting? Leave a phone number for a call from a consultant.

Public holidays, weather and the best months

Business trips are planned around Turkish holidays and the climate of the plateau rather than a tourist season. Offices close on these regular dates:

Check the Turkish holiday calendar before fixing the date. Summits and state visits also bring extra security at the airport and traffic restrictions in the city, which we take into account in the landing time.

From Esenboğa into the city

Empty Legs to and from Ankara

An Empty Leg is a flight an operator has to make without passengers, for example after bringing a delegation to Turkey or on the way to collect one. Typical directions:

The operator decides the date and time of an Empty Leg, so it suits a delegation with a flexible date. The landing permission, slot and terminal fee apply as for any charter. Write to empty-legs@jets.flights with the direction and dates.

Taking a dog or cat to Ankara

The dog or cat travels with you in the cabin rather than in the hold, once the operator has approved it. Turkey is outside the EU, so the papers must be complete before leaving home, and the first vet visit should be months before the trip:

Requirements:

• Microchip, then a rabies vaccination given after it.
• Rabies antibody test taken at least 30 days after the vaccination, with a result of at least 0.5 IU/ml.
• Health certificate from a government vet in addition to the pet passport.
• Turkish customs admits up to two pets per passenger free of duty.
• Return to the EU: Turkey is not on the EU low-risk list, so the antibody result should be in the passport before departure; without it, re-entry is possible only three months after the blood sample, and through an approved entry point.

Documents, permits and customs

Before the flight

• Passport with 150 days or more of validity from the arrival date, or an ID card where accepted, for each traveller.
• Names, nationalities, dates of birth and document numbers early enough for the permission.
• Time and address of the meeting, and whether the delegation returns the same day.
• Date checked against the Turkish holiday calendar.
• Catering wishes at least 24 hours ahead.
• Pet documents: antibody test and health certificate.
• Billing company and VAT number.

How to book a private jet to Ankara

1. Send the meeting time and address, the number of passengers, their nationalities and the planned return, the same day or later.
2. We work out the departure time, then the operator applies for the landing permission while the handler books the slot and the terminal.
3. You receive 2-4 aircraft options with operator, model, cabin photos and the price for the whole aircraft, with waiting time and the last possible return time for a same-day trip.
4. You sign the contract and pay; we send the passenger list for the permission and confirm the car and catering.
5. Passengers need to arrive 20-30 minutes before take-off. At Esenboğa the checks take place at the aircraft and in the terminal, and the driver waits outside.

Our team

Charlotte McKinney

Commercial Director

charlotte.m@jets.flights

Henry Richter

Head of Aviation Department and Data Protection Officer

henry.r@jets.flights

Emma Miller

Director of Development

emma.m@jets.flights

Liam Bishop

Senior Aviation Consultant

liam.b@jets.flights

Oliver Davis

Aviation Consultant

oliver.d@jets.flights

Anna Laurent

Aviation Consultant

anna.l@jets.flights

Private flights to Ankara: frequent questions

• • What does a private jet to Ankara cost?

  • A light jet costs from EUR 14,000 one way from Vienna and EUR 19,500 from London, for the whole aircraft; domestic legs start lower, with a turboprop from Antalya at EUR 7,500. The terminal fee, charges and taxes are added in the quote.

• • Where do business jets land in Ankara?

  • Esenboğa, about 28 km north-east of the centre. Etimesgut is a military base and is not used for charter flights.

• • Can a delegation fly in and out on the same day?

  • Yes. The airport is open 24 hours, and with an early start a team from central Europe is in the city before noon local time. We agree the last possible departure with the operator so the crew stays within its duty limits.

• • How far ahead do we need to book?

  • Allow about five days for the landing permission, or 48 hours when the trip is urgent. The slot is requested at least 24 hours before arrival.

• • How long does it take to reach the ministries?

  • Usually 30-45 minutes by car to Kızılay, longer at rush hour and towards Çankaya. A driver waits at the general aviation terminal.

• • What is the time difference?

  • Turkey keeps UTC+3 all year: two hours ahead of London in summer and three in winter, and one hour ahead of Paris and Berlin in summer, two in winter.

• • Can snow delay the flight?

  • It can. The airport lies at about 950 m on a cold plateau, so de-icing is common from December to February and we leave a margin before a same-day return.

• • Do EU citizens need a visa?

  • Most EU nationals, as well as British and Swiss citizens, can stay up to 90 days without one. Passports are checked on arrival, at the aircraft and in the terminal.

• • Can my dog travel with me?

  • Yes, in the cabin, with a microchip, rabies vaccination, antibody test and health certificate. Have the antibody result entered in the pet passport before leaving the EU to avoid a waiting period on the return.

• • Are there Empty Legs to Ankara?

  • Yes, mostly when jets return to Vienna, Munich or western Europe after dropping a delegation, and between Istanbul and Ankara. Send the route and dates to empty-legs@jets.flights.

• • Can we add Istanbul or Cappadocia to the trip?

  • Yes. Istanbul is about an hour away by jet and Nevşehir under an hour by turboprop. These domestic legs are usually flown by a Turkish operator.