Private jet to Beijing

China's capital is the seat of the government, the ministries, the National People's Congress and the head offices of the largest state-owned groups, so most private flights here carry delegations: company boards, trade missions, universities and cultural institutions with a programme of meetings. Many guests add a day for the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven or the Great Wall at Mutianyu, about an hour's drive north of the airport.

Private jets from abroad land at Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK, ZBAA), north-east of the city, which has a business aviation terminal and an apron of its own. A trip needs more preparation than almost any other long-haul destination: every flight is approved by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) on the basis of a sponsor's invitation, the airport rations general aviation movements by the hour, and European operators take a longer southern track around closed airspace. As a broker, we work with operators and handling agents that know this process, and we plan it backwards from the date of your first meeting.

Send us the dates, the number of travellers and the name of the company or institution that invites you to China, and we will reply with aircraft options and a timetable for the permit:

Why delegations fly privately to Beijing

Flight times on the southern route

Gulfstream G650 times from the price tables, non-stop unless stated:

• Helsinki: 8:55 h, Stockholm: 9:25 h, Warsaw: 9:46 h
• Istanbul: 9:53 h, Larnaca: 9:56 h, Copenhagen: 10:06 h
• Berlin: 10:19 h, Vienna: 10:26 h, Hamburg and Prague: 10:27 h
• Munich: 10:48 h, Frankfurt: 10:53 h, Amsterdam: 10:56 h
• Zurich: 11:08 h, Milan: 11:16 h, Rome: 11:20 h
• London Farnborough: 11:25 h, Paris Le Bourget and Geneva: 11:26 h, Nice: 11:36 h
• Madrid: 14:16 h with one fuel stop

The table distances are route lengths roughly a fifth longer than the great circle. Aircraft of European operators cannot take the direct northern line through closed airspace, so the usual track crosses the Black Sea, the Caucasus, the Caspian and Kazakhstan and enters China from the west. A Challenger 650 stops once, usually in Central Asia, and the Global 6000 flies non-stop from Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, Scandinavia, eastern Europe, Athens, Istanbul and Larnaca. On the westbound return headwinds are common and the flight is longer than the way out.

What a private jet to Beijing costs

Prices are for the whole aircraft, one way, and exclude the permit, parking, crew hotels, Chinese airport charges and passenger taxes. The flight time is that of the first aircraft in the row.

From the European hubs

The one-stop Challenger 650 starts at EUR 105,000 from Istanbul and Warsaw and costs EUR 120,000 from London and Paris. For a non-stop flight the Gulfstream G650 is the reference: EUR 130,000 from Warsaw and EUR 150,000 from London. From Munich, Frankfurt, Vienna, Hamburg, Amsterdam, Larnaca, Istanbul and Warsaw the Global 6000 also flies non-stop and costs no more than the G650.

From other European cities

The Nordic and central European capitals are closer to Beijing on the southern route than western Europe:

Within East Asia

Flights from Seoul, Japan or Hong Kong are international sectors and suit light and midsize jets; the table shows arrivals in Beijing, and the return is priced the same:

From the Gulf

From Dubai and Doha every type flies non-stop in about seven to eight hours, on a routing the operator confirms for the day:

The fare covers flight hours and the positioning of aircraft and crew to the departure airport. After the long flight from Europe the crew needs a day of rest, or a second crew flies along, and the choice changes the price of the return. Departure taxes depend on the country: France's per-passenger tax on a jet goes up with distance, so it is higher to China than within Europe, while Italy charges EUR 200 per passenger on sectors over 1,500 km and Austria EUR 12. Air Passenger Duty in the UK is charged at the higher rate on jets of 20 t or more with fewer than 19 seats, which covers all three aircraft above, and at the standard rate of the distance band on lighter jets. Germany and Norway charge departure taxes, the Netherlands taxes passengers on aircraft of 5.7 t or more, and Sweden has no passenger tax. The CAAC permit, navigation charges on the route and Beijing airport fees are listed 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

Three trips with real figures

Cost per traveller

Divide the aircraft price by the group: the more seats are used, the lower the share. Taxes and charges per passenger are added:

Price calculator

For a quick estimate on your own route, use the calculator; the CAAC permit and parking in Beijing are added in the detailed offer.

Capital and Daxing airports

Beijing Capital International Airport lies in the north-east of the city, about 30 km from the centre. Three runways of 3,800 m, 3,800 m and 3,200 m take every business jet, and the airport is a 24-hour port of entry with immigration and customs. International business aviation traffic is directed here.

The airport's rules for private aircraft differ from anything in Europe. Between 7:00 and 9:00 local time general aviation aircraft may not take off without a special exemption. Between 9:00 and 22:00 a business jet usually receives one movement per day, either an arrival or a departure; two are sometimes possible when requested three or four days ahead. The slot is issued together with the permit, with a tolerance of up to 30 minutes after the assigned time. In practice we often plan the arrival for the evening or night and the departure before 7:00.

After landing, border officers board the aircraft and check passports; passengers then drive to the business aviation terminal to complete the formalities. Departing passengers pass security and passport control in the same building. Only five stands allow a business jet to taxi in on its own power, so for a longer stay the aircraft is towed to a remote apron a few minutes away, and hangars are not available to foreign-registered aircraft.

Daxing and the alternates

Beijing Daxing International (PKX, ZBAD) lies far to the south, 70-80 minutes from the centre by car, and has more room on the apron. Business aviation there is mainly domestic, and whether an international arrival is accepted is confirmed by the handling agent for each flight; in practice a jet from Europe lands at Capital, and Daxing comes into play for an onward leg within China.

Choosing an aircraft for Beijing

Light and midsize jets would need several stops from Europe, and every landing means another permit, so they only make sense for regional sectors. For the long flight compare heavy jets, ultra long range jets and, for larger delegations, VIP airliners. Each change of time or passengers after the permit is issued needs an amendment, and the authority accepts no more than two, so the passenger list should be final before filing.

Have a question about the permit, the sponsor or the slot? Leave your number and a consultant will call you back.

Holidays, fairs and weather

Several Chinese holidays follow the lunar calendar and move every year, and during the main ones the CAAC office is closed. We check the calendar for your dates before suggesting a schedule:

September, October after the holiday week and late spring are the most comfortable months for a visit.

From Capital airport into the city

The car with driver is booked and paid before arrival, together with the flight.

Empty Legs to and from Beijing

Empty Legs are flights an operator makes without passengers and sells at a discount. Around the capital they appear mainly on these routes:

An Empty Leg still needs the CAAC permit, the sponsor and a slot, filed at least three working days ahead, so it suits travellers with flexible dates. Write to empty-legs@jets.flights with the route and a range of dates.

Travelling with a dog or cat

China's customs administration (GACC) sets the rules, and preparation starts months ahead:

• Each traveller may bring one dog or one cat; a second animal must be registered to another passenger on the same flight.
• An ISO 11784/11785 microchip, a valid rabies vaccination and a health certificate from a state veterinarian, all in originals. The EU pet passport alone is not enough.
• From most of Europe, Denmark and Poland included, a rabies antibody result of at least 0.5 IU/ml from a laboratory recognised by China, valid for one year.
• If a document is missing, the animal goes into 30 days of quarantine at a port with a quarantine station, which Capital airport has, or is sent back.
• Back in the EU, China is not on the list of approved countries: an antibody test done in the EU before departure avoids a three-month wait on return.

Visas, permits and customs

China is outside the EU customs union and Schengen. A flight to Taipei cannot go directly from the mainland in a European-registered aircraft: it routes via Hong Kong, Macau or a third country. More destinations in the country are on our China page.

Before departure: checklist

• Passports for all passengers and a check of the visa-free scheme for each nationality.
• The sponsor's letter and the purpose of the trip for the CAAC application.
• A final passenger list with passport details before the permit is filed.
• Arrival and departure times that fit the airport's general aviation windows.
• Catering ordered a day ahead, with no fresh fruit, vegetables or pork to take off the aircraft.
• Warm clothing and time for de-icing on winter departures.
• GACC documents and the antibody result if a pet travels.

Booking step by step

1. Send the dates, the number of passengers and the name of your sponsor in China.
2. We propose a one-stop heavy jet and a non-stop long-range jet, with the planned southern routing and the likely stop.
3. After you sign, the operator's handler files the CAAC application with the passenger list and sponsor letter, with a margin of several days over the three working days required.
4. The handler books the slot, the stand and the crew hotel, and we order the car with driver.
5. On arrival, officers check passports on board and the car waits outside the business aviation terminal.

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 Beijing: questions and answers

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

  • A Challenger 650 with one stop costs from EUR 98,000 one way from Helsinki; from Istanbul or Warsaw the fare is EUR 105,000 and from London EUR 120,000. A non-stop Gulfstream G650 costs from EUR 130,000 from Warsaw and EUR 150,000 from London.

• • Which airport do private jets use?

  • Beijing Capital, about 30 km north-east of the centre, with a business aviation terminal. Daxing is used mainly for domestic business flights.

• • How long does the flight take?

  • From London about 11:25 h non-stop in a Gulfstream G650 on the southern routing over Central Asia; from Helsinki 8:55 h.

• • Why is a sponsor needed?

  • The CAAC approves a private flight only for a stated purpose with an inviting company or institution in China. Without a sponsor the application cannot be filed.

• • How far ahead should we book?

  • The permit needs at least three working days and the sponsor letter about a week, so two weeks is a safe minimum, and more before Chinese holidays.

• • Do we need a visa?

  • Most European passport holders can stay up to 30 days without a visa under a time-limited scheme; we confirm it for each nationality and date.

• • Can we fly back the same evening?

  • Rarely: the airport usually allows one general aviation movement a day between 9:00 and 22:00, and the crew needs rest after the long sector.

• • Can we take our dog?

  • Yes, one animal per traveller, with chip, rabies vaccination, health certificate and an antibody test from a recognised laboratory.

• • Are there Empty Legs to Beijing?

  • Mostly from Seoul, Japan and Hong Kong, and sometimes long-range jets between Beijing and Europe. Send your dates to empty-legs@jets.flights.

• • Can the aircraft continue to Shanghai with us?

  • It depends on the permit: new passengers are not allowed on domestic legs, and whether your own group may continue is decided by the authority.

• • How much luggage can we bring?

  • Heavy and long-range jets carry a full delegation's suitcases; list cases of samples or gifts in advance, and leave fresh food at home because customs confiscate it.