Private jet to Chile

Chile runs for more than 4,000 km from the Atacama desert to the Strait of Magellan and is on average less than 200 km wide. A private trip here can mean board meetings in Santiago, a lodge below the Torres del Paine, skiing in the Andes in July or the first leg of an expedition to the ice. Santiago lies 10,200 km from Lisbon and more than 12,000 km from Frankfurt or Vienna, so most jets land once on the way, usually in Cape Verde or north-eastern Brazil.

Flying privately removes the change of aircraft in the capital: a long-range jet can land directly in Punta Arenas, Puerto Montt, Calama or on Easter Island. In Santiago passengers wait and clear immigration, customs and the agricultural inspection in an FBO terminal away from the airline halls. We are a broker and compare long-range aircraft from operators in Europe and the Americas for each request.

Tell us the region, the dates and the number of passengers, and we reply with aircraft, routing and prices.

Why travel privately to Chile

There is no non-stop airline service from most of Europe, and a trip to Patagonia or the desert usually means two changes. A chartered jet leaves from the airport nearest to you and lands close to the place you are going.

Flight times and fuel stops

Times include taxi, climb and descent, and one hour on the ground for each fuel stop:

• Lisbon - Santiago: 11:52 h non-stop in a Global 7500, 14:02 h with one stop in a Challenger 650.
• Madrid - Santiago: 12:25 h non-stop in a Global 7500.
• London, Paris, Geneva or Nice - Santiago: 13:25-13:32 h non-stop in a Global 7500.
• Frankfurt, Munich or Vienna - Santiago: 15:27-15:55 h with one stop, even in a Global 7500.
• Lisbon - Calama: 10:45 h non-stop in a Global 7500; Paris - Calama 12:17 h in the same aircraft.
• London - Punta Arenas: 16:47 h with one stop in a Global 7500, 19:09 h with two stops in a Challenger 650.

The route runs south-west over Spain and West Africa, across the South Atlantic and Brazil, and finally over the Andes. Of the types in the tables, only the Global 7500 reaches Santiago without a stop, and only from the western half of Europe; the Calama route is shorter by about 1,000 km, so a Falcon 7X also flies it without landing from Lisbon. With more than 15 hours on the way, the operator plans an augmented crew with a rest area on board or a crew change at the stop, and a quick return to Europe needs a second crew or a rest day in Chile.

Prices to Santiago and the regions

Each figure is the one-way price of the whole jet, positioned from a base near the departure city. Handling, the fuel stops, the DGAC permit, navigation charges, parking and passenger taxes are itemised in the quote; the time printed in a row applies to the aircraft in its first price column.

From the European hubs to Santiago

The Challenger 650 with one stop is the cheapest option: EUR 125,000 from Lisbon and EUR 130,000 from Madrid; EUR 140,000 from London, Paris, Geneva or Nice. From those four airports a Global 7500 flies non-stop for EUR 190,000, the same price as a Falcon 7X that stops on the way, and from Milan it is even slightly cheaper than the Falcon. From Munich, Frankfurt, Vienna and Hamburg the Global 7500 also lands once, which takes it to EUR 215,000-225,000. Larnaca is the furthest hub: the Challenger 650 stops twice there and costs EUR 170,000.

To Patagonia, the Atacama, the lakes and Easter Island

Punta Arenas is about 1,600 km further than Santiago, and the price shows it: from London EUR 170,000 with two stops in a Challenger 650 or EUR 235,000 in a Global 7500 with one. Calama in the north is about 1,000 km closer than Santiago, so a Falcon 7X flies there from Lisbon non-stop for EUR 135,000. Easter Island needs a fuel stop from anywhere in Europe and a landing slot on the island, described below.

From South America and the United States

Mendoza, on the other side of the Andes, is 0:46 h away, and a Phenom 300 from Buenos Aires costs EUR 13,500. From Miami and New York a light jet would need two stops, so the table shows midsize and super midsize jets with one. Every flight between two countries clears immigration at both ends; more on the neighbours on our pages about Argentina, Peru and Brazil.

Within Chile

The Chilean aviation board has lifted the reciprocity condition for foreign carriers on domestic routes, so the jet from Europe may in principle fly on inside the country; the operator confirms its permits before each leg. Short legs are usually cheaper with an aircraft based in Chile: Santiago - Puerto Montt costs EUR 12,500 in a Phenom 300. Easter Island is 3,752 km out in the Pacific with no alternate airport nearby, so a light jet cannot carry the fuel reserve, and the operator may propose a larger aircraft than the Praetor 500 when the wind is strong.

Passenger taxes depend on the departure country. The French tax on a business jet leaving France rises with the distance flown; Italy charges EUR 200 per passenger at this distance, on departure from Italy and on arrival there; Austria adds EUR 12. UK Air Passenger Duty is charged at the higher rate on jets of 20 t or more with fewer than 19 seats and at the standard rate on lighter jets, and Germany, Norway and the Netherlands (aircraft of 5.7 t or more) levy their own departure taxes. In Chile the handler pays a passenger charge and the DGAC bills landing and navigation fees; all of it 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 trips with the costs

Per passenger

Calculator

The calculator e-mails an estimate in seconds; mention the region in the comments:

Airports for private jets

Every larger Chilean airport can receive a jet from Europe, either as an airport of entry or with customs called out on request. Only Santiago has FBO terminals; elsewhere the handler works from the main terminal and escorts passengers through a separate line.

Opening hours of the smaller airports, Balmaceda for example, are confirmed for the date, because an arrival outside them needs an extension requested from the DGAC. Some small airfields have no water, toilet service or fuel, so we sometimes fly a handler in from the capital.

Which aircraft

Ski and trekking gear, fishing rods and golf bags travel in the hold of a long-range jet without airline weight limits; tell us the number of bags so the operator can plan the fuel. More models are in the ultra long range catalogue.

Prefer to talk it through? Leave a number and a consultant calls back:

When to fly: the year region by region

Chile lies in the southern hemisphere, so its summer falls in the European winter, and each region keeps its own calendar. November to March is the time for Patagonia and Easter Island, June to September for skiing near Santiago, and the Atacama can be visited all year. Empty Legs are most frequent after the Antarctic season in late January and February, in March when operators reposition after the southern summer, and before the ski season in June.

From the airport to the destination

Empty Legs between Europe and Chile

Few aircraft make this crossing, so a window of several weeks gives a far better chance of a match; the operator sets the date, and a leg can disappear when the original booking changes. Send the direction and your dates to empty-legs@jets.flights.

Entry rules, permits and customs

Flying with a dog or cat

Chile is one of the easier countries outside the EU for pets. The agricultural service SAG asks for no rabies antibody test and no quarantine for dogs and cats from the EU and accepts the EU pet passport, provided the dates in it meet the Chilean deadlines.

On a private jet the dog or cat rides in the cabin with its owner, after the operator has given its consent. What it needs:

• Microchip to ISO standard, or a readable tattoo, matching the document.
• Rabies vaccination at least 21 days before arrival in Chile when it is the first one or the previous one has lapsed.
• Treatment against internal and external parasites 5-30 days before the document is issued, and a clinical examination within 10 days before it.
• From the UK an export health certificate signed by a Defra-approved vet replaces the EU passport, with its own vaccination dates.
• Back to the EU: Chile is on the EU list, so no antibody test is needed; the aircraft lands at an airport with a veterinary check for animals from outside the EU.
• Back to the UK: a Great Britain pet health certificate and, for dogs, tapeworm treatment 1-5 days before arrival there; the UK accepts pets only through approved routes.

The animal is declared on the SAG form on arrival. With more than 15 hours on the way we agree water, a mat and a place for the animal with the crew in advance, and it stays on board during the fuel stop.

Before departure

• Passports valid for the whole stay for everyone, children included.
• Names and passport numbers sent for the DGAC permit a few days ahead.
• No fresh food, fruit or plants in the bags unless declared to SAG.
• For Easter Island: FUI form, registered accommodation and a return date.
• For pets: chip, passport, rabies date and parasite treatment within the Chilean window.
• Clothes for desert heat in the north and wind and cold in Patagonia.

How to book

1. Send the region, dates, number of passengers and bags, and whether the aircraft should wait in Chile.
2. We compare a heavy jet with stops against a non-stop or one-stop long-range jet and choose the arrival airport.
3. You receive offers with operator, model, routing, flight time and the price for the whole aircraft.
4. After signing and payment the operator files the DGAC permit, overflight permits and, for Easter Island, the slot.
5. In Santiago the FBO meets you at the aircraft; elsewhere the handler escorts you through the checks.

Questions about private flights to Chile

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

  • From EUR 125,000 one way from Lisbon to Santiago in a Challenger 650 with one stop, and EUR 140,000 from London or Paris; Lisbon - Calama in the north starts at EUR 115,000. A non-stop Global 7500 from London to Santiago costs EUR 190,000.

• • Can a private jet fly non-stop from Europe to Chile?

  • Yes, in an ultra-long-range jet such as the Global 7500 from western Europe: 13:25 h from London to Santiago. From Germany or Austria it stops once, and Calama is close enough for a Falcon 7X from Lisbon.

• • Which airport should we choose?

  • Santiago for the capital, the wine valleys and the ski resorts, Calama for the Atacama, Puerto Montt for the lakes and Punta Arenas for Patagonia and Antarctic expeditions.

• • How long does Santiago - Punta Arenas take?

  • About 3:24 h in a Phenom 300, at EUR 18,500 for the whole aircraft, usually with a jet based in Chile.

• • Can we fly privately to Easter Island?

  • Yes. Mataveri has a runway of about 3,300 m, but each landing needs a slot 24-48 hours ahead, and every visitor fills in the FUI form and may stay up to 30 days.

• • Do EU and UK citizens need a visa?

  • No, tourist stays of up to 90 days need only a passport valid for the whole stay. Keep the tourist card issued on arrival until you leave.

• • What is the time difference?

  • Santiago is 4 hours behind Central European Time in the European winter, 6 hours from early April to early September, and 5 hours from then until late October and for a few days around the end of March. Punta Arenas does not change its clocks.

• • Can we bring our dog?

  • Yes, with chip, EU pet passport, rabies vaccination and parasite treatment within the Chilean deadlines. There is no quarantine, and no antibody test is needed for the return to the EU.

• • Can we continue to Antarctica?

  • Yes. The jet lands at Punta Arenas, and an expedition company flies you to the ice in its own aircraft between November and March.

• • Does the aircraft wait for us in Chile?

  • It can, but for stays of more than a few days it is usually cheaper to send it home and book the return separately; the quote shows both options.

• • How far ahead should we book?

  • At least a few days for the permits; for Christmas, February and the ski season in July a few weeks, especially for Punta Arenas and Easter Island.