Private jet to Brussels

For private flyers, Brussels is above all a working destination. The European Commission, the Council of the EU and NATO headquarters are here, surrounded by permanent representations, law firms, consultancies and several thousand trade associations. Committee meetings, hearings and negotiations are often fixed a few days ahead and moved again the evening before, which is exactly when a scheduled ticket stops being useful. The European Parliament holds its plenary sessions in Strasbourg, but its committees and political groups meet in Brussels, so the city is busy most weeks of the year.

Business jets use Brussels Airport in Zaventem, about 12 km north-east of the centre. Passengers clear formalities in the ExecuJet business aviation terminal, away from the passenger halls, and the car is waiting outside. The airport is slot-coordinated: every movement, private flights included, needs an arrival and a departure slot requested by the handling agent. It is open around the clock, but night quotas and noise rules make every movement between 23:00 and 06:00 a case-by-case decision. As a broker, we take the meeting time as the starting point and work back to the aircraft, the slot and the car.

Tell us the route, the date, the group size and, if you know it, the time of the first meeting; a consultant replies with aircraft options and the price.

What a private flight changes for an EU or NATO trip

Flight times to Zaventem

Light jet times from the price tables below, with taxi, climb and descent included:

• Amsterdam: 0:43 h, Luxembourg: 0:46 h
• Paris Le Bourget: 0:52 h, 261 km
• Frankfurt: 0:55 h, 304 km
• London Farnborough: 1:01 h, 370 km
• Zurich and Hamburg: 1:10 h, Geneva: 1:14 h
• Munich: 1:20 h, Berlin: 1:24 h, Milan Linate: 1:29 h
• Copenhagen: 1:33 h, Nice: 1:39 h, Vienna: 1:47 h
• Madrid: 2:19 h, 1,314 km

Every hub from London to Vienna is within two hours of Zaventem, and on these short sectors a midsize jet saves only a few minutes. Larnaca, at 2,936 km, is beyond the range of a light jet, and the table starts with a Citation XLS+ at 4:16 h non-stop. From Riyadh, Doha and Dubai the non-stop flight takes 5:36-6:34 h, and from New York 7:03-7:26 h, depending on the type.

Prices of a private jet to Brussels

Every figure below is for the whole aircraft, one way, with handling, airport charges and passenger taxes added in the quote. It assumes an aircraft based near the departure airport; each flight time belongs to the aircraft in the first price column of its row.

From the European hubs

The shortest sectors cost the least: EUR 7,500 in a CJ3 from Amsterdam or Luxembourg and EUR 8,000 from Paris. The super midsize column climbs faster with distance, from EUR 12,500 from Frankfurt to EUR 17,500 from Vienna and EUR 21,000 from Madrid, so on the longer sectors it pays to match the aircraft closely to the size of the group.

From the UK regions, Ireland, Scandinavia and the south

On these longer sectors the light jet column uses the Phenom 300, which carries more baggage than the CJ3, and the midsize column the Citation Latitude with its stand-up cabin:

From the Middle East and North America

Zaventem's longest runway is 3,638 m, enough for any long-range jet at full weight. All three types below fly these routes non-stop; on Gulf routes the operator confirms the routing through open airspace in the quote.

The price follows the flight time, plus the cost of positioning the jet and its crew. Which passenger tax applies is decided by the country of departure: a jet out of France pays about EUR 420 a head, and flights from Milan or Rome fall into the Italian band of EUR 100 per passenger for sectors up to 1,500 km. Austria adds EUR 12 per passenger on the flight from Vienna. UK Air Passenger Duty does not apply to aircraft under 5.7 t such as the PC-12; jets of 20 t or more with fewer than 19 seats pay the higher private-jet rate, lighter jets the standard rate for the distance. Germany and the Netherlands also tax departing passengers. On the way home, Belgium charges a boarding tax per departing passenger, private flights included, with a higher rate on sectors under 500 km. Every amount is 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 typical trips in figures

Cost per passenger

Because the aircraft is chartered as a whole, the cost per seat falls quickly as the cabin fills. Taxes per head come on top:

Calculator

Enter your own route, date and number of passengers, and the estimate arrives by e-mail.

Zaventem and the other Belgian airports

Brussels Airport (BRU, EBBR) is run by Brussels Airport Company and lies in the municipality of Zaventem, about 12 km north-east of the Grand-Place. Its three runways measure 3,638 m, 3,211 m and 2,987 m, so runway length never restricts a business jet. Capacity is the limit: the airport is fully slot-coordinated, and handling is compulsory for every private flight, so the handling agent books the slots together with the arrival.

ExecuJet runs the business aviation terminal, with a lounge overlooking the apron, meeting rooms, a conference room, showers and a bar. Border police and customs are available around the clock for flights from outside Schengen. The published airport information lists no hangar space for visiting aircraft, so for a stay of several days we compare parking on the apron with sending the jet back to base.

On the days of a European Council or an international summit, government aircraft fill the apron and slots become scarce, so book as early as possible or move the trip by a day. A late return is possible, but after 23:00 the night quota and noise rules apply, and the operator confirms the exact time for the aircraft type.

Antwerp, Charleroi, Liège and Ostend

Belgium is small, and four other airports take business jets within 120 km. They are useful when the meeting is elsewhere, when Zaventem has no slot, or for a late flight. Distances are straight-line from Zaventem:

For a small group with a flexible return before 23:00, Antwerp avoids the slot system altogether and is about 45 minutes from the EU quarter by car. For a heavy jet, a late return or a group of more than eight, Zaventem remains the airport to plan around.

Which aircraft for the trip

For two to four people on a day of meetings, light jets are enough, and their low cabins matter little on a flight of under an hour. A group that brings exhibition material, presentation kit or a week of luggage is better off in one of the midsize jets, which have a larger hold and a cabin you can stand up in. Above eight passengers a super midsize jet is the usual choice, and above ten a heavy jet.

If the slot situation or the choice of jet is unclear, send your phone number and a consultant rings you to talk it through.

The year in Brussels: summits, holidays and fog

Business aviation here has no tourist season. Demand follows the EU calendar and the working week, with Tuesday to Thursday the busiest days. The recurring dates that affect slots, hotels and aircraft:

If the meeting can be moved, August and the weeks between summits are the easiest to arrange. On a summit day, book the aircraft and the slot at least a week ahead and allow extra time for closed roads around Schuman.

From Zaventem into the city

Empty Legs to and from Brussels

An Empty Leg is a flight the operator must make without passengers, for example after dropping a delegation at Zaventem. With so many short business flights between Belgium, France, Germany and the UK, these sectors come up regularly:

The operator sets the date and time of an Empty Leg, so it suits a flexible journey better than a fixed meeting. Send the direction and a range of dates to empty-legs@jets.flights, and we forward matching flights as they appear.

Flying with a dog or cat

The animal flies in the cabin with you, and the operator must approve it before booking. Belgium applies the common EU rules:

• ISO microchip, implanted before the rabies vaccination; a vaccination given before the chip is not recognised.
• Rabies vaccination at least 21 days before travel for a first vaccination, given when the animal is at least 12 weeks old.
• EU pet passport, or for animals coming from Great Britain an animal health certificate.
• A maximum of five dogs, cats or ferrets per traveller.
• No tapeworm treatment is needed to enter Belgium.

Documents, customs and taxes

Before departure: checklist

• Valid passport or ID card for everyone on board, children included.
• Full names, dates of birth and passport or ID numbers of the delegation, by the afternoon before the flight.
• Times of the first and last meetings, so the handling agent can request both slots.
• Exact address and entrance for the driver, especially for NATO or the EU institutions.
• Number of bags, plus any exhibition material or equipment cases.
• Pet passport or health certificate, microchip and rabies record.
• Invoicing details: company or institution name and VAT number.

How to book a private jet to Brussels

1. Send the route, the date, the number of passengers and the address and time of the first meeting in Brussels.
2. We check Zaventem slots for arrival and departure, and suggest Antwerp when a small aircraft and an early return make it the better choice.
3. You then get two to four offers, each naming the operator and the model, with cabin photos and one price for the whole aircraft that already covers waiting time for a same-day return.
4. After you sign and pay, we confirm the slots, handling at the ExecuJet terminal, the car and catering.
5. Tell us when the last meeting ends; if it runs late, the handling agent asks for a later slot.

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 Brussels: questions and answers

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

  • A light jet from Amsterdam or Luxembourg costs from EUR 7,500 one way for the whole aircraft. From Paris the table gives EUR 8,000, and from London or Frankfurt EUR 8,500. Handling and passenger taxes are added in the quote.

• • Where do private jets land in Brussels?

  • At Brussels Airport in Zaventem, about 12 km north-east of the centre. Passengers use the ExecuJet business aviation terminal, not the main passenger halls.

• • Does a private flight need a slot at Zaventem?

  • Yes. The airport is slot-coordinated, and every arrival and departure needs a slot, which the handling agent requests for the operator. On summit days slots are scarce, so book early.

• • How long is the flight from London?

  • From Farnborough a Citation CJ3 takes 1:01 h for the 370 km sector, and larger jets save a few minutes. From Paris Le Bourget the flight takes 0:52 h.

• • Can I fly back late in the evening?

  • Zaventem is open 24 hours, but after 23:00 night quotas and noise rules apply, and the operator confirms the time for the aircraft type. Antwerp closes at 23:00, so a late return is planned from Zaventem.

• • Is Antwerp an alternative to Zaventem?

  • For a small group in a turboprop or light jet, yes: Antwerp needs no slot and is about 45 minutes from the EU quarter by car. Its 1,510 m runway rules out heavy jets, and it closes at 23:00.

• • Do I need a passport?

  • Carry a valid passport or national ID card in any case. Arrivals from Schengen airports skip passport control; from the UK or Ireland the border police check documents inside the ExecuJet terminal.

• • Can my dog or cat fly with me?

  • Yes. It stays in the cabin and needs a microchip, an EU pet passport and a rabies vaccination given at least 21 days earlier; Belgium asks for no tapeworm treatment. The operator must agree before the booking is confirmed.

• • Are there Empty Legs to Brussels?

  • Yes, mostly between Brussels and London, Paris, Frankfurt, Switzerland and Scandinavia. Send the route and a date range to empty-legs@jets.flights.

• • Can the aircraft wait while I am in meetings?

  • Yes. The crew waits at Zaventem, waiting time and parking are included in the quote, and the departure slot is adjusted to the end of your last meeting.

• • How far ahead should I book?

  • Outside summit weeks a flight can often be arranged within a day or two. For European Council dates in March, June, October and December, book at least a week ahead.