Private jet to Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina is a mountain country where the distance on the map says little about the time on the road. Four airports with border and customs control take business jets: Sarajevo for the capital and the Olympic ski mountains, Mostar for Herzegovina and the pilgrimage town of Medjugorje, Banja Luka for the north-west and Tuzla for the north-east. From Vienna a light jet reaches Sarajevo in 1:11 h, from London in 2:47 h.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is outside the European Union and the Schengen area, so every arrival and departure includes passport and customs control, and a charter needs a landing permit. Slots and a ground handler are required at all four airports. As a broker, we find the aircraft with operators across Europe, choose the airport that matches your address and arrange the permit, the handler and the car. The clock is the same as in Paris or Berlin all year.

Tell us where in the country you are going, the dates and the number of passengers, and we suggest the airport, the aircraft and the price.

Why charter a jet to Bosnia

Flight times to the four airports

• Dubrovnik - Mostar 0:37 h, Belgrade - Sarajevo 0:46 h, Zagreb - Sarajevo 0:53 h (Citation CJ3)
• Vienna - Tuzla 1:07 h, Vienna - Sarajevo 1:11 h, Munich - Banja Luka 1:17 h
• Zurich - Banja Luka 1:31 h, Milan Linate - Mostar 1:30 h, Istanbul - Sarajevo 1:50 h
• Frankfurt - Tuzla 1:52 h, Geneva - Sarajevo 1:53 h, Hamburg - Banja Luka 2:02 h
• Paris Le Bourget - Sarajevo 2:22 h, London Farnborough - Sarajevo 2:47 h, Madrid - Sarajevo 3:03 h

All times are for a Citation CJ3, taxi included; the regional table below shows the slightly longer turboprop times on the short routes. Every European hub is within non-stop range of a light jet, so the class is chosen for the cabin and the luggage, not for range. In winter the approach to Sarajevo between the mountains matters more than the minutes in the air: when morning fog is forecast, we move the arrival later in the day or agree an alternate in advance.

Private jet prices to Bosnia and Herzegovina

Every price is for the whole aircraft, one way, assuming an aircraft available near the departure airport. Handling, landing fees, the permit and passenger taxes are added in the quote. Flight times refer to the first aircraft in each row.

From the European hubs

Vienna is the closest hub, at EUR 9,000 in a light jet to Sarajevo or Tuzla, and Munich - Banja Luka costs EUR 9,500. From London, Larnaca or Madrid the same class costs EUR 14,000 to EUR 15,000. London to Mostar costs almost the same as to Sarajevo, so a party bound for Herzegovina gains nothing by landing in the capital.

From the neighbours and the region

The short hops from the Croatian coast suit a Pilatus PC-12: Dubrovnik - Mostar costs EUR 6,000 and Split - Mostar EUR 6,500. From Istanbul or Athens the light jet saves more than half an hour over the turboprop for EUR 1,500 more. Flights between two airports in Bosnia and Herzegovina are domestic legs, which a foreign operator usually may not sell; for Sarajevo - Mostar we offer a local helicopter or a car.

From the Gulf

With about 2,600 m of runway, Sarajevo takes every long-range business jet, and the Gulf routes are flown non-stop in all three classes. The fare is driven by hours in the air and by the positioning of aircraft and crew to the departure airport. Passenger taxes depend on the country of departure: about EUR 1,015 per passenger on a jet from France and EUR 675 on a turboprop, because the French tax depends on distance and the lower rate of about EUR 420 applies only within the EU and to the nearest countries; Italy charges EUR 100 per passenger on these routes, as the distance used for the tax stays under 1,500 km; Austria EUR 12. Germany charges a departure tax, the Netherlands taxes aircraft of 5.7 t or more, and UK Air Passenger Duty does not apply under 5.7 t, follows the standard rate of the distance band on most jets and the higher rate only on jets of 20 t or more with fewer than 19 seats. Airport and handling charges in Bosnia and Herzegovina 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 and what they cost

Price per passenger

The aircraft is hired as a whole, so the share per seat falls as the group grows; passenger taxes are added per person:

Calculator

For a return, a combination with the Croatian coast or a different aircraft, the calculator sends an estimate by e-mail within minutes:

Airports and handling in Bosnia and Herzegovina

All four airports are ports of entry with border police and customs, and all four need a slot and a ground handler. The handler receives the passenger list with passport numbers before departure, books the slot, orders fuel and catering and walks the passengers through control.

Neum, the short stretch of Bosnian coast on the Adriatic, has no airport; guests fly to Dubrovnik and cross the border by car. For heavy jets at Mostar and Tuzla the operator confirms the parking stand for the date before the booking is final.

Which aircraft for the trip

For up to six people with normal bags, a light jet covers every route on this page. A group of eight with skis, or pilgrims with luggage for a week, travels better in a midsize jet, whose larger hold takes skis and cases more easily. The runways of 2,400-2,600 m set no limit for business jets.

Unsure whether Sarajevo, Mostar or Banja Luka is closer to your programme? Leave your number and a consultant will call back.

When to fly: the year in Bosnia and Herzegovina

The calendar has two peaks: the ski weeks from late December to February around Sarajevo, and July and August, when the Mostar bridge diving and the Sarajevo Film Festival fill the hotels. May, June and September give the best balance of weather and aircraft availability. Empty Legs are most frequent at the end of the ski weeks and after the summer events, when aircraft that brought groups fly home without passengers.

From the airports to the cities, slopes and Medjugorje

Between Sarajevo and Mostar a helicopter takes about 30 minutes instead of a long drive through the mountains. In the busiest pilgrim weeks in Medjugorje we reserve the car together with the flight, and in winter we order vehicles with room for skis.

Empty Legs to and from Bosnia and Herzegovina

An Empty Leg is a flight without passengers, back to base or to the next booking, sold below the normal price. Many trips to Bosnia and Herzegovina are one way, so the return sector of the aircraft is often free:

The operator sets the date and the time, and a leg disappears if the original trip changes, so Empty Legs suit a flexible plan. Write to empty-legs@jets.flights with the direction and a range of dates.

Flying with a dog or cat

Rules for pets in Bosnia and Herzegovina follow the EU model, and the country is on the EU list of countries exempt from the rabies antibody test. The pet travels in the cabin beside you, and the operator approves it in advance:

• ISO microchip, implanted before the rabies vaccination.
• Rabies vaccination at least 21 days before travel for a first vaccination.
• EU pet passport issued by an authorised vet; at most five animals per person on a private trip.
• Entry only through an approved border crossing, where the chip and the papers are checked; we confirm that the arrival airport is one.
• Back to the EU no blood test is needed: chip, passport and valid vaccination are checked at the point of entry.

Hotels in Medjugorje and in the mountains have different rules for animals, so we ask before you travel.

Entry rules, customs and taxes

Checklist before departure

• Passport or EU ID card for every passenger, valid three months beyond the stay, children included.
• Names and document numbers sent at least the day before, for the permit and the handler.
• The address in the country, so we can choose between Sarajevo, Mostar, Banja Luka and Tuzla.
• Arrival time checked against the Mostar hours, or a fog plan for a winter morning in Sarajevo.
• Skis, boots or extra luggage announced, so the aircraft and the car fit.
• Pet passport with chip and rabies vaccination; tapeworm treatment for dogs returning to the UK.
• Company name and VAT number for the invoice.

How to book

1. Send the departure airport, dates, passengers and luggage, and tell us if you are going to the capital, the mountains, Herzegovina or the north.
2. We choose the airport and send two or three aircraft options with operator, model, cabin photos, flight time and price for the whole aircraft.
3. The operator applies for the landing permit, and the handler books the slot; we request out-of-hours opening in Mostar when needed.
4. You sign the contract and pay; we pass the passenger list to the handler and book the car, the minibus for skis or the helicopter.
5. On the day, arrive 20-30 minutes before take-off; after landing the handler takes you through passport and customs control to the car.

Questions about private flights to Bosnia and Herzegovina

• • How much does a private jet to Bosnia and Herzegovina cost?

  • From the region the lowest price is EUR 6,000 in a Pilatus PC-12 from Dubrovnik to Mostar. From Vienna a light jet to Sarajevo costs EUR 9,000 and from London EUR 14,000, one way for the whole aircraft, plus handling and taxes.

• • Which airport should we choose?

  • Sarajevo for the capital and the ski resorts, Mostar for Herzegovina and Medjugorje, Banja Luka for the north-west and Tuzla for the north-east. All four have border control, so the aircraft lands directly at the nearest one.

• • Can fog in Sarajevo delay the flight?

  • Yes, mainly on winter mornings, because the airport sits in a basin and has no landing system for the lowest visibility. We plan winter arrivals later in the day or agree a diversion to Mostar or Tuzla with a car from there.

• • How do we fly to Medjugorje?

  • Land in Mostar, about 17 km in a straight line from the shrine. From Milan Linate a light jet takes 1:30 h. The airport works on weekdays from 08:00 to 16:00, so weekend or evening arrivals are requested in advance.

• • How long is the flight from London?

  • About 2:47 h to Sarajevo and 2:48 h to Mostar in a Citation CJ3 from Farnborough. Bosnia and Herzegovina is one hour ahead of London.

• • Do we need a visa?

  • Citizens of the EU, the UK and the USA can stay up to 90 days in 180 without a visa. There is passport control on arrival and departure, and EU citizens can also travel on an ID card.

• • Can we fly from Sarajevo to Mostar or Banja Luka?

  • A foreign operator usually may not sell a domestic leg inside the country. A helicopter covers Sarajevo - Mostar in about 30 minutes, or the jet flies you directly to the airport nearest your second stop on the way in.

• • Can our dog come along?

  • Yes, in the cabin with a microchip, EU pet passport and a rabies vaccination given at least 21 days before. The return to the EU needs no blood test, as Bosnia and Herzegovina is on the exempt list.

• • Are there Empty Legs from Sarajevo?

  • Yes, mostly after the ski weeks and the summer festivals, back to Vienna, Munich, Frankfurt or Italy. Send the direction and dates to empty-legs@jets.flights.

• • Can we return the same day?

  • Yes, with about 1-2 hours each way from Central Europe and Italy. Waiting time for the aircraft is added, and in Mostar a departure after 16:00 needs a request in advance.

• • How early should we book for the ski season or the film festival?

  • Several weeks ahead for the New Year weeks, February holidays and August, because the permit, slot, hotel and cars are confirmed before the final price.