Private jet to Cambodia

Most private flights to Cambodia land either beside the temples of Angkor or at the capital, Phnom Penh. The Angkor Archaeological Park north of Siem Reap is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and an airline trip there from Europe usually means one or two changes in Bangkok, Singapore or another Asian hub. A long-range jet lands at Siem Reap straight from Europe: a Gulfstream G650 flies from Vienna in 11:10 h without a stop.

Cambodia has three international airports that take private aircraft. Siem Reap-Angkor and Techo near Phnom Penh were both built to replace the old airfields in the towns, and Sihanoukville serves the coast on the Gulf of Thailand. Our clients are families and groups touring the temples between November and February, business travellers in Phnom Penh and travellers who combine the country with Thailand, Vietnam or Laos in one trip. As a broker, we compare operators in Europe, the Gulf and Asia and arrange the permit, the slot and the handler on the ground.

Tell us the airport, the dates, the number of passengers and any onward countries; a consultant replies with the aircraft, the routing and the price.

Why fly privately: Angkor, the capital and the coast

Airline connections to Cambodia run mostly through Bangkok, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, and the timetable decides the day of arrival. With a private aircraft the departure time is yours, the crew waits during short stays, and the passengers clear immigration in a small terminal with a handling agent beside them.

Flight times from Europe and Asia

European operators avoid closed and restricted airspace on the direct line, so the route runs further south, over Turkey and the Caucasus or the Gulf, then across India and Myanmar or the Bay of Bengal. The tables therefore add 10 % to the straight line from Europe. An ultra long range jet flies nonstop from almost every hub; super midsize and heavy jets land once for fuel, which adds about an hour and a half on the ground and in the climb. Siem Reap lies slightly closer to Europe than Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville, so it is a few minutes shorter from every departure point.

Prices for a private jet to Cambodia

All prices are for the whole aircraft, one way, plus the landing permit, slot, handling, parking and passenger taxes. On sectors of ten to sixteen hours most of the price is flight time, so the choice between a nonstop jet and one that refuels on the way decides the budget more than the departure city.

From the European hubs

Vienna is the cheapest of the central hubs: EUR 95,000 to Siem Reap in a Praetor 600 with one stop, or EUR 150,000 without a stop in a Gulfstream G650. From London the same choice costs EUR 105,000 or EUR 165,000. The Gulfstream needs a stop only from Madrid, where the distance to Phnom Penh exceeds its range by a small margin. Larnaca, the hub closest to Asia, has the lowest figure in the table: Phnom Penh in the Praetor 600 for EUR 85,000.

From Istanbul, Athens and northern Europe

From the Gulf, India and East Asia

From Dubai and Doha a super midsize jet reaches the country without a stop, and from Delhi, Hong Kong and Singapore a midsize jet is enough.

Short hops in the region

Regional sectors are usually flown by light and midsize jets based in Bangkok, Singapore or Ho Chi Minh City: Bangkok Don Mueang - Siem Reap costs EUR 8,500 in a Citation CJ3, Ho Chi Minh City - Phnom Penh EUR 8,000. Phnom Penh - Siem Reap is a domestic sector: whether the aircraft that brought you from abroad may fly it is cleared with the civil aviation authority in writing before booking; if it may not, the leg goes to an operator allowed to fly it, or the party drives. Taxes at the European end follow the departure country: a jet leaving France pays a passenger tax that rises with distance, about EUR 2,100 to Cambodia compared with about EUR 420 within Europe, a flight from or to Italy EUR 200 per passenger at this distance, and Austria EUR 12; Germany and the Netherlands (aircraft of 5.7 t or more) have their own departure taxes, and British APD exempts aircraft under 5.7 t, charges the higher rate on aircraft of 20 t or more with fewer than 19 seats and the standard rate of the distance band on other jets. Cambodian airport, handling and VIP terminal charges 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

What a trip really costs

Price per passenger

The aircraft is hired as a whole, so the share per seat falls as the cabin fills:

Cost calculator

For another departure city or a round trip, the calculator gives a first estimate; mention any onward legs to Thailand, Vietnam or Laos in the comment.

The estimate follows the straight line; the offer adds the routing of the day, the fuel stop and the charges of each airport.

Airports and VIP terminals

A foreign aircraft lands in Cambodia only at the airports named in its permit. Three have customs and immigration for international arrivals; other airfields in the country are not planned for foreign business jets without written approval from the civil aviation authority.

Permits, slots and ground rules

• The landing permit is issued by the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation and approved at ministerial level. Handlers quote three to five working days; requests are not processed at weekends, so we file at least five working days ahead.
• All three international airports are slot-coordinated, and the permit is issued only once the slot is approved. A later change of time usually needs only a slot update, after which the original permit is amended.
• Siem Reap and Phnom Penh each had an older airport, VDSR and VDPP, now closed to airline traffic. Older guides still use those codes; the permit must name the airport where the aircraft really lands.
• Parking is nose-in, and business jets are expected to carry their own tow bar for push-back.
• Fuel is paid for in advance through the handler, because the supplier does not take payment at the aircraft.
• From March to May the heat lengthens the take-off run of a fully fuelled jet, and in the wet season afternoon storms can hold departures, so long sectors leave in the morning where the slot allows.

Which aircraft suits the route

For two to four passengers the Praetor 600 with a stop is the best value. A family or group of eight to fourteen who want to sleep on the way and land rested choose ultra long range jets; heavy jets sit in between. All three Cambodian runways take every aircraft in the tables. Golf bags and large suitcases fit easily in the heavy and long-range classes; in a light jet for a regional hop, soft bags travel better.

The Cambodian year month by month

November to February is the best time to fly to Cambodia: dry, a little cooler and clear over the temples, and the busiest period at Siem Reap. March to May is hot, and from late May to October the south-west monsoon brings afternoon showers and the smallest crowds. Empty Legs are most frequent in the first half of January, when aircraft return to Europe after the holidays, and in the days before Christmas on the way out.

From the airport to the temples, the city and the islands

Empty Legs to and from Cambodia

An Empty Leg to Cambodia still needs the landing permit, the slot and a visa for every passenger, so the dates have to fit the aircraft and the paperwork at the same time. Write to empty-legs@jets.flights with the direction and a range of dates, and we will tell you when a suitable leg appears.

Dogs and cats

• Out of the EU the animal needs an ISO microchip, an EU pet passport and a rabies vaccination at least 21 days old; up to five animals travel with one owner. On a private jet the pet travels in the cabin beside you, with the operator's approval in advance.
• Entering Cambodia: microchip, rabies vaccination given at least 30 days and no more than 12 months before entry (an older multi-year vaccine is not accepted) and a health certificate issued shortly before travel and endorsed by the government veterinary service of the departure country.
• The animal enters through Phnom Penh or Siem Reap, where veterinary staff inspect it and the papers with the owner present. An animal with missing documents can be put in quarantine at the owner's cost; whether an import permit is needed for a pet travelling with its owner is confirmed before each trip.
• Coming back: Cambodia is not on the EU list of countries with simpler rules, so a rabies antibody test of at least 0.5 IU/ml is needed, taken at least 30 days after the vaccination. If the blood is taken before leaving the EU and recorded in the passport, there is no three-month wait on return.
• For Great Britain the same blood test applies, with a three-month wait from the sample date that is best completed before the trip, plus a Great Britain pet health certificate; a dog also needs tapeworm treatment 1-5 days before arrival, which for a trip of five days or less can be given in the UK before leaving. Ireland, Malta, Finland and Norway also ask for tapeworm treatment for dogs.

Heat is the other concern: an air-conditioned car meets the aircraft, and we check in advance that the hotel accepts animals.

Visa, e-Arrival and customs

The handler sends the passenger list with passport details together with the permit request, so the names on the manifest, the visas and the permit match. On the way home, EU citizens flying to the UK need an electronic travel authorisation, and British citizens returning to the UK do not.

Before departure

• Passports valid for six months, with blank pages.
• E-visa approved for every passenger, or US dollars and a photo for a visa on arrival.
• e-Arrival submitted within the last seven days.
• Passenger names and passport numbers sent at least five working days before the flight.
• Temple passes bought online, or time planned at the ticket centre in Siem Reap.
• Clothes that cover shoulders and knees for Angkor Wat and the Royal Palace.
• Pet papers, including the antibody test result for the return.

How to book

1. Tell us whether the trip is for the temples, the capital or the coast, the dates, the number of passengers and any onward countries.
2. We compare a nonstop jet with one that refuels on the way and check the slot and opening hours at the airport you need.
3. You receive offers with operator, aircraft, route, flight time and the price for the whole aircraft, with Cambodian charges listed.
4. The contract is signed with the operator, then we collect passport details and file the permit and slot at least five working days ahead.
5. On arrival the handler meets you at the aircraft, takes you through immigration and to the car.

Questions about private flights to Cambodia

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

  • From EUR 85,000 one way for the whole aircraft, Larnaca - Phnom Penh in a Praetor 600 with one stop. From London to Siem Reap the same jet costs EUR 105,000 and a nonstop Gulfstream G650 costs EUR 165,000; permit, slot, handling and taxes are added.

• • Can we fly nonstop from Europe?

  • Yes, in an ultra long range jet such as the Gulfstream G650 or the Global 7500, from almost every European hub. Super midsize and heavy jets stop once for fuel.

• • Siem Reap or Phnom Penh?

  • For Angkor, Siem Reap-Angkor; for business and the capital, Techo. The two are 0:50 h apart by light jet.

• • Does Siem Reap airport have a VIP terminal?

  • Yes, a VIP and general aviation terminal attached to the main building, with customs and immigration. It is charged per passenger and per direction, so a small party sometimes uses the main terminal with a lounge instead.

• • How far ahead should we book?

  • At least a week. The permit takes three to five working days and is not processed at weekends, and over Christmas and New Year the slot at Siem Reap should be requested as soon as the aircraft is confirmed.

• • What visa do EU and British passengers need?

  • Yes. An e-visa before the flight or a visa on arrival gives a single stay of up to 30 days, and every passenger also fills in the e-Arrival card within seven days before landing.

• • Can the aircraft fly us on to Bangkok or Ho Chi Minh City?

  • Yes, with a permit for the next country. Bangkok Don Mueang is 1:03 h from Siem Reap and Ho Chi Minh City 0:47 h from Phnom Penh; a light jet based in the region is usually cheaper than the long-range jet.

• • Are the airports open at night?

  • Siem Reap and Phnom Penh Techo are open from 06:00 to 03:00 local time and closed for three hours at night. Sihanoukville hours are confirmed for each flight.

• • Can we take our dog?

  • Yes, in the cabin, with a microchip, a rabies vaccination given 30 days to 12 months before entry and an endorsed health certificate. Take the antibody test before leaving Europe so the return is not delayed.

• • Which months are best for Angkor?

  • November to February, when it is dry and coolest. The wet season from late May to October has short afternoon showers and the fewest visitors.

• • What is the time difference?

  • Cambodia does not change its clocks: seven hours ahead of London in winter and six in summer.