Private jet to Botswana
Most private flights to this country end at a safari camp in the Okavango Delta or on the Chobe river. A long-range jet reaches Maun or Kasane from Europe in one night, and a turboprop or helicopter covers the last 20 to 60 minutes to the camp's own airstrip. Gaborone, the capital in the south-east, receives government and mining delegations.
Three airports take business jets, all with customs: Maun for the delta, Kasane for Chobe and Victoria Falls, and Sir Seretse Khama International at Gaborone. None of them has a private terminal of the European kind, and Maun and Kasane close in the evening, so the arrival is timed to the airport hours.
Tell us the camps, the dates and the number of guests, and we plan the jet and the bush flights together:
Prices and flight times from Europe
Every figure is for the whole aircraft one way, with a jet stationed near the departure city; landing permit, handling, the fuel stop and passenger charges are quoted on top. Without landing, a Gulfstream G550 needs 7:54 h from Larnaca, 9:22 h from Milan Linate and 10:23 h from London Farnborough to Maun. A Praetor 600 lands once for fuel and arrives a little over two hours later.
From Europe
| Route | Distance | Flight time | Super midsize Praetor 600 |
Long range Gulfstream G550 |
Ultra long range Global 7500 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| London Farnborough - Maun | 8,598 km | 12:45 h, 1 stop | EUR 87,000 | EUR 130,000 | EUR 140,000 |
| Paris Le Bourget - Maun | 8,260 km | 12:20 h, 1 stop | EUR 84,000 | EUR 125,000 | EUR 135,000 |
| Geneva - Kasane | 7,673 km | 11:35 h, 1 stop | EUR 79,000 | EUR 115,000 | EUR 125,000 |
| Zurich - Maun | 7,950 km | 11:56 h, 1 stop | EUR 81,000 | EUR 120,000 | EUR 130,000 |
| Milan Linate - Maun | 7,710 km | 11:38 h, 1 stop | EUR 79,000 | EUR 115,000 | EUR 125,000 |
| Munich - Gaborone | 8,558 km | 12:42 h, 1 stop | EUR 86,000 | EUR 125,000 | EUR 140,000 |
| Frankfurt - Maun | 8,237 km | 12:18 h, 1 stop | EUR 84,000 | EUR 125,000 | EUR 135,000 |
| Vienna - Kasane | 7,677 km | 11:36 h, 1 stop | EUR 79,000 | EUR 115,000 | EUR 125,000 |
| Amsterdam - Maun | 8,568 km | 12:43 h, 1 stop | EUR 86,000 | EUR 125,000 | EUR 140,000 |
| Madrid - Maun | 7,572 km | 11:28 h, 1 stop | EUR 78,000 | EUR 115,000 | EUR 125,000 |
| Nice - Maun | 7,557 km | 11:27 h, 1 stop | EUR 78,000 | EUR 115,000 | EUR 125,000 |
| Larnaca - Maun | 6,441 km | 10:03 h, 1 stop | EUR 68,000 | EUR 97,000 | EUR 110,000 |
The non-stop G550 costs EUR 97,000 from Larnaca and EUR 115,000 from Nice, Madrid or Milan; from London it is EUR 130,000. Kasane lies a little closer to Europe than Maun, while Gaborone is about 600 km further south and costs more. The Praetor 600 with a fuel stop starts at EUR 68,000 from Larnaca and EUR 78,000 from Nice or Madrid.
From southern Africa
| Route | Distance | Flight time | Turboprop Pilatus PC-12 |
Light jet Phenom 300 |
Super midsize Challenger 350 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johannesburg - Maun | 844 km | 2:13 h | EUR 9,000 | EUR 12,000 | EUR 16,500 |
| Cape Town - Maun | 1,628 km | 3:49 h | EUR 12,500 | EUR 16,000 | EUR 23,000 |
| Johannesburg - Gaborone | 293 km | 1:06 h | EUR 7,000 | EUR 9,500 | EUR 12,000 |
| Windhoek - Maun | 678 km | 1:53 h | EUR 8,500 | EUR 11,500 | EUR 15,500 |
| Victoria Falls - Maun | 328 km | 1:10 h | EUR 7,000 | EUR 10,000 | EUR 12,500 |
| Lusaka - Kasane | 447 km | 1:25 h | EUR 7,500 | EUR 10,500 | EUR 13,500 |
Many safaris start or end in South Africa: Johannesburg - Maun costs EUR 9,000 in a Pilatus PC-12 and takes 2:13 h. Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe is 56 minutes from Maun in a Phenom 300, and Namibia and Zambia are close neighbours. The departure airport decides the passenger tax: France applies a solidarity tax scaled to distance, so a flight this long pays one of its upper rates; Italy charges EUR 200 per passenger on these distances, and the UK Air Passenger Duty depends on the aircraft's weight and seats.
Business jet price per flight hour
Two safari trips with their costs
Price per passenger
| Route | Aircraft | Whole aircraft | 4 passengers | 6 passengers | 8 passengers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nice - Maun | Praetor 600 | EUR 78,000 | EUR 19,500 | EUR 13,000 | EUR 9,800 |
| London Farnborough - Maun | Gulfstream G550 | EUR 130,000 | EUR 32,500 | EUR 21,700 | EUR 16,300 |
Calculator
For a first estimate by e-mail, use the calculator and name the camps in the comment:
Maun, Kasane and Gaborone for business jets
| Airport | Codes | Runway | For whom |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maun | MUB / FBMN | about 3,700 m | Okavango Delta, Moremi, Makgadikgadi |
| Kasane | BBK / FBKE | 3,000 m | Chobe, day trips to Victoria Falls |
| Gaborone | GBE / FBSK | 4,000 m | Capital, business, the south-east |
| Camp airstrips | - | short, mostly gravel or sand | Turboprops only, with the camp's written permission |
Handling is booked through a supervising agent, and we confirm in the quote who meets the aircraft. The landing permit comes from the Civil Aviation Authority of Botswana; there is no published lead time, so we file as soon as the schedule is fixed, and any change of date or routing means a revised permit. Crew usually receive visas on arrival for short stays.
Aircraft and bush flights
From Europe a Gulfstream G550 or Global 7500 flies non-stop with beds for a family; a Praetor 600 saves about a third but stops for fuel. Inside the country the jet stays at Maun, Kasane or Gaborone. Flights to the camps are operated by Botswana companies with turboprops such as the Pilatus PC-12 and the Cessna Grand Caravan, which land on short sand or gravel strips; luggage is limited and soft bags are required. Helicopter companies at Maun fly scenic flights over the delta and transfers to camps, with each landing site approved in advance.
Need help choosing between a direct jet and a stop? Leave your number:
Which airport for which camp area
Season by season
The Okavango has its own calendar: rain falling on the Angolan highlands in summer reaches the delta months later, so the water is highest in the dry winter. June to August is the peak, with the best game viewing and the fullest camps; book the camps first and the aircraft around them. Empty Legs towards Europe are most frequent in August and September, after the European summer holidays, and in January.
Empty Legs
The leg offered most often is a long-range jet flying back to Europe after bringing a family out; regional legs appear between Maun, Johannesburg and Victoria Falls. Tell empty-legs@jets.flights the direction and a range of dates.
Entry rules, health and pets
Animals and health papers
- Pets: an import permit from the veterinary authority, a health certificate issued by a vet no more than 30 days before travel and a rabies vaccination 30 days to 12 months before arrival; a multi-year rabies vaccine is not accepted.
- The listed entry point for animals is Gaborone, so an arrival at Maun or Kasane with a pet is confirmed in writing before the flight; the operator must also approve the animal in the cabin.
- For the flight home, Botswana is not a listed country for the EU or Great Britain: a rabies titre test, drawn at least 30 days after vaccination and three months before re-entry, is best done before leaving Europe, and a dog flying to the UK is treated against tapeworm 1 to 5 days before arrival.
How to book
- Send the camps or lodges, dates and number of passengers.
- We match the airport to the camps and compare a non-stop jet with a one-stop option.
- The offers list operator, model, flight time and price, with the bush flights by local operators as separate lines.
- We file the landing permit, book the handler and time the arrival to the airport hours.
- The contract records whether the jet stays in the country or flies home and comes back for you.
Questions about private flights to Botswana
-
- How much does a private jet to Botswana cost?
-
EUR 68,000 one way for the whole Praetor 600 from Larnaca, with a fuel stop on the way. Non-stop in a Gulfstream G550, Maun costs EUR 97,000 from Larnaca and EUR 115,000 from Nice.
-
- How long is the flight?
-
In a long-range jet without a stop, from 7:54 h out of Larnaca to about 10.5 hours from London, for example 9:12 h from Madrid to Maun. With a Praetor 600 and its fuel stop, count on a little over two hours more.
-
- Which airport is best for the Okavango Delta?
-
Maun. The camps are reached from there by light aircraft or helicopter in 20 to 60 minutes.
-
- Can a business jet land at a safari camp?
-
No. Camp airstrips are short, unpaved and private, and only turboprops with the camp's permission use them. The jet stays at Maun, Kasane or Gaborone.
-
- Can we arrive in the evening?
-
Maun and Gaborone are listed until 22:00 local time, Kasane only until 18:00. Fuel at Maun is listed until 18:30, so late departures are fuelled earlier.
-
- Do we need a visa?
-
UK citizens and most EU passport holders do not, for up to 90 days. Passports need six months of validity and three blank pages.
-
- Can I bring my dog?
-
Yes, with an import permit, a vet certificate issued within 30 days and a rabies vaccination 30 days to 12 months before arrival. The listed entry point for animals is Gaborone.
-
- When is the best time to go?
-
June to August for the flood and the best game viewing, when camps fill months ahead. The green season from December to March is quieter and cheaper at the camps.
-
- Can we combine Botswana with Victoria Falls?
-
Yes. Kasane is about 70 km from the falls by road, and Maun - Victoria Falls takes 56 minutes in a Phenom 300.
The aviation expert will answer all your questions about business aviation and private flights. We will help you to compare and choose the best business jet for your flight.