Private jet to Aruba

Aruba is one of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, an island about 30 km long off the north coast of South America, west of Curaçao and Bonaire. It is not part of the European Union or the Schengen area: Aruba has its own government, immigration, customs and currency, the Aruban florin, while US dollars are accepted everywhere. Dutch and Papiamento are the languages of government, and English is spoken in all hotels.

The island lies south of the usual hurricane tracks, is dry and windy all year and has its beach hotels and villas on Eagle Beach and Palm Beach. Private flights come from Europe for winter holidays, from the USA for long weekends, and as stopovers between North and South America. All of them use Queen Beatrix International, the only airport, a few kilometres from the capital, Oranjestad.

Send the dates and the number of guests early: slots must be requested a week ahead, and the landing has to fall within the airport's opening hours.

Flight times and the landing window

• Global 6000 without a stop: Lisbon 8:18 h, Madrid 8:53 h, London Farnborough 9:19 h, Paris Le Bourget 9:32 h, Amsterdam 9:46 h, Geneva 9:51 h, Nice 9:57 h
• Zurich and Frankfurt 10:04 h, Milan Linate 10:08 h, Hamburg 10:11 h, Munich 10:21 h
• Regional in a Citation CJ3: Curaçao 0:40 h, Bonaire 0:46 h, Sint Maarten 1:50 h, Bogotá 1:52 h, Panama City 2:01 h, Miami 3:03 h
• New York 4:28 h in a Praetor 500

The Falcon 900EX flies direct only from London, Madrid and Lisbon; from the rest of Europe it lands once for fuel, like the Praetor 600, for example in the Azores. The airport is open from 07:00 to 23:00 local time and closed at night, so a jet that leaves Europe late or loses time at the fuel stop may not arrive before closing. We therefore plan from the landing time backwards, with a margin for headwinds, and name the departure time in the offer.

Aruba private jet prices

Prices are for the whole aircraft, one way, with an aircraft available near the departure airport; slots, handling, the fuel stop and passenger charges are added. The time column refers to the aircraft in the first price column.

From Europe

The Praetor 600 with one stop costs EUR 77,000 from London and EUR 81,000 from Amsterdam, the usual departure for Dutch families; from Lisbon EUR 70,000. A direct Global 6000 costs EUR 115,000 from London and Paris and EUR 120,000 from Amsterdam. From London and Madrid the Falcon 900EX flies direct for EUR 96,000 and EUR 91,000, a good middle option for a family of eight to ten.

From the Caribbean, South and North America

Curaçao and Bonaire are 40 to 46 minutes away and cost EUR 7,500 to EUR 8,000 in a Citation CJ3; scheduled flights also serve both, so a private aircraft makes sense for a group or a tight timetable. From Colombia and Panama a light jet needs about two hours. From Miami a Citation CJ3 costs EUR 15,000; New York is beyond the light jet's range without a stop. Each of these is an international flight, so customs and immigration are cleared at the general aviation terminal on arrival.

Airport charges and passenger charges on Aruba are listed in the quote. Leaving Europe, France charges a per-passenger tax on jets that rises with the flight distance, Austria EUR 12, and Italy EUR 200 per passenger on flights from or to Italy at this distance; the Netherlands taxes aircraft of 5.7 t or more, UK Air Passenger Duty applies at the higher rate to jets of 20 t or more with fewer than 19 seats and at the standard rate to lighter jets, and Germany and Norway charge their own departure taxes.

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 priced

For a first figure with your own dates, use the calculator:

Queen Beatrix International

Queen Beatrix International (AUA / TNCA) lies about 4 km south-east of Oranjestad. The single runway, 11/29, is about 2,800 m long and takes every business jet, including fully loaded long-range aircraft for the return to Europe. Private flights use the general aviation terminal run by the airport authority under the name JET-TNCA, with a passenger lounge; customs and immigration are cleared there, and US preclearance exists at the airport for flights to the USA, which we confirm for a private aircraft in advance.

Every movement needs a slot, and no private aircraft lands without a handler. Clearance and slots are requested seven days ahead, and the handler needs the estimated arrival time at least two hours before landing. The ramp holds up to about 45 aircraft depending on size; at Easter, in October, December and January it can fill, and an aircraft may drop its passengers and park in Curaçao. Refuelling around midday can take longer, and parking fees depend on the aircraft's take-off weight.

From the terminal, Oranjestad is a few minutes away; the hotels of Eagle Beach and Palm Beach lie beyond the town on the west coast, and San Nicolas and the beaches of the south-east are an easy drive in the other direction. There is no regular helicopter service on the island, and a car is the usual transfer.

Which aircraft

To discuss the landing time or a stop in Curaçao, leave your number:

Season and calendar

Temperatures stay around 27-32 °C, the trade wind blows almost all year, and the island gets little rain, mostly short showers from October to December. January to April is the dry high season; the wind is strongest from May into October, the months of kitesurfing and windsurfing. Empty Legs are most frequent after New Year and Easter, when jets return to Europe, and on short legs to and from Florida.

Empty Legs

Charters from Europe are priced one way, so a jet that brought a family for Christmas often flies back empty in early January, and others fly out empty before Easter to collect guests. Legs from Aruba may also point to North America, so a flexible destination helps. Write to empty-legs@jets.flights with the direction and a window of several days.

Pets

• Aruba's published import rules are written for dogs and cats from the United States and include a six-month residence rule in the exporting country; an animal from Europe is accepted only with the written agreement of the Veterinary Service Aruba, which can grant an exemption.
• Usual elements: microchip, valid rabies vaccination, a health certificate issued within 14 days of arrival and an import permit, with the documents sent at least two working days before travel.
• An animal that does not meet the rules may be refused, sent back or quarantined at the owner's cost, so we book the aircraft only after the service has replied.
• On board, the dog or cat stays with you in the cabin once the operator has agreed. Aruba is on the EU list from which pets return without an antibody test; a dog heading back to the UK needs a vet's tapeworm treatment 1-5 days before landing there.

Entry rules and customs

Booking

1. Send the dates, passengers and preferred landing time at least a week ahead because of the slot rules.
2. We compare a direct long-range jet with a one-stop option and check the landing against the 23:00 closing.
3. Our offer names the operator, the aircraft type, the flight time and the price of the whole jet for each option.
4. After the contract and payment the handler books slots and parking, and every passenger fills in the ED card.
5. On arrival you clear customs and immigration at the JET-TNCA terminal, and the car waits outside.

Private jet to Aruba: questions and answers

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

  • From London a Praetor 600 with one fuel stop costs EUR 77,000, and a Global 6000 flying direct costs EUR 115,000; from Amsterdam the two cost EUR 81,000 and EUR 120,000, for the whole aircraft one way.

• • Is Aruba part of the EU or Schengen?

  • No. It is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands with its own immigration and customs, outside both the EU and the Schengen area.

• • Can we land late at night?

  • No. The airport is open from 07:00 to 23:00 local time, so the departure from Europe is planned to land well before closing.

• • How far ahead must we book?

  • At least seven days, because slots and clearance are requested a week ahead; for Christmas, Easter and January much earlier.

• • Do we need a visa?

  • Not as EU or UK citizens on holiday. Every traveller fills in the online ED card before arrival.

• • Can we combine Aruba with Curaçao or Bonaire?

  • Yes. Curaçao is 40 minutes away and Bonaire 46 minutes in a Citation CJ3, from EUR 7,500.

• • Can we bring our dog?

  • Only with the written agreement of the Veterinary Service Aruba, since the published rules cover animals from the USA. We ask before booking the aircraft.

• • Are there Empty Legs?

  • Sometimes, mainly after New Year and Easter towards Europe and on legs to North America. Write to empty-legs@jets.flights.