Private jet to the Comoros

The Union of the Comoros is a group of three volcanic islands in the Mozambique Channel, between the African coast and the north of Madagascar: Grande Comore with the capital Moroni, Anjouan and Mohéli. Every private flight from abroad lands at one airport, Prince Said Ibrahim International at Hahaya on Grande Comore, and continues to the other islands, if at all, on a local flight.

Most trips are government or business visits to Moroni, often only a day or two. A smaller group comes for an island with almost no visitors: the old medina of Moroni under the Karthala volcano, the reefs and turtle beaches of the Mohéli marine park, or a stop on a wider trip through Madagascar, Zanzibar or the Seychelles. Comorian, French and Arabic are spoken; the Comorian franc is tied to the euro, and cash is the main means of payment, as cards are rarely accepted.

Tell us the dates, the passengers and which islands you want to see, and we check the permit and the onward connections.

Time in the air

A Falcon 8X or Gulfstream G650 flies to the Comoros without landing: Vienna and Nice take 9:22 h in the Falcon 8X, Milan Linate 9:26 h, Marseille 9:28 h, Zurich and Geneva 9:42 h, Frankfurt 9:59 h, Paris Le Bourget 10:13 h and London Farnborough 10:38 h. A Praetor 600 lands once for fuel, in Egypt or East Africa, which brings London - Moroni to 13:02 h. The airport is listed as open from 06:00 to 21:00 local time, with prior notice outside those hours, so a long night sector from Europe is timed to land in the morning. The times include a routing about 8 per cent longer than the great-circle line.

Prices for a private flight to the Comoros

Prices cover the whole aircraft one way, flown by an aircraft based near the departure city. The permit, handling and passenger taxes are itemised in the quote, and the time in each row belongs to its first aircraft.

From the European hubs

With one stop the Praetor 600 costs from EUR 79,000 out of Vienna or Nice and EUR 85,000 out of Paris. Non-stop, the Falcon 8X is EUR 115,000 from Vienna, Nice, Milan or Marseille and EUR 130,000 from London; the G650 costs EUR 120,000 from those four cities and EUR 135,000 from London.

From Cyprus and Turkey

Larnaca - Moroni, at 5,680 km, is within non-stop range of a Praetor 600, 7:36 h for EUR 52,000; from Istanbul the same aircraft needs a stop and costs EUR 69,000. The payload for the non-stop sector is confirmed by the operator for the date.

From East Africa, the Indian Ocean and the Gulf

Mayotte, a French department, is under an hour away; Dar es Salaam in Tanzania 1:25 h in a Phenom 300 for EUR 11,500 and Antananarivo 1:44 h for EUR 12,500. Nairobi in Kenya is 2:17 h away by light jet and Johannesburg in South Africa 3:31 h. From Dubai or Doha a Praetor 500 flies direct for EUR 34,000; the Phenom 300 does not have the range, so those cells read on request.

Flights between Grande Comore, Anjouan and Mohéli are not flown by the jet from abroad: the island airfields have no customs or fuel, and the hop is made on a scheduled or local flight. The tax bill follows the country of departure. The French solidarity tax on business aviation rises with distance, so a sector to the Indian Ocean is charged about EUR 2,100 per passenger, a European one about EUR 420; Italy takes EUR 200 per passenger at this distance whether the flight leaves or enters Italy; Austria EUR 12. In the UK, Air Passenger Duty does not apply under 5.7 t, the higher rate covers jets of 20 t or more with fewer than 19 seats, and other jets pay the standard rate; Germany, Norway and the Netherlands (aircraft of 5.7 t or more) charge their own taxes. Comorian 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 two typical trips cost

Cost for each traveller

Calculator

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Airports and landing permits

The civil aviation agency, ANACM, approves each landing in the Comoros. A private operator applies in writing ten days ahead, or at least three days ahead when the request is sent electronically; a single-flight approval is valid for 72 hours. A delay or a change of aircraft can mean a new approval, so we apply for the whole schedule once the aircraft is fixed. No business aviation terminal is listed: the handler confirms in writing where the party is processed.

Aircraft that suit Moroni

From Europe the Falcon 8X and Gulfstream G650 fly direct; the Praetor 600 lands once and costs about a third less. For hops from Mayotte, Dar es Salaam or Antananarivo a Phenom 300 is enough, and the Challenger 350 carries more luggage from Nairobi, Johannesburg or the Gulf. The ultra long range class lists the non-stop aircraft.

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The islands

UK government travel advice does not advise against any part of the Comoros, but notes that protests, especially after elections, have blocked the road between Moroni and the airport, so the handler checks the road on the day.

Kusi, kashkazi and Empty Legs

May to October, the cool dry season called kusi, is the easier time to visit the Comoros, with lows near 19 degrees and calmer seas; humpback whales calve off Mohéli from July to October. From November to April, the wet season called kashkazi, heat and humidity peak, March is the hottest month, and tropical cyclones can affect the islands from January to May. Ramadan moves each year; shops and offices keep shorter hours during it. Empty Legs are rare: a jet that drops a group in Moroni and does not wait flies back empty, and aircraft working in East Africa or the Indian Ocean reposition now and then.

We never promise a leg to Moroni. To be told about one, e-mail empty-legs@jets.flights with the direction and a few possible days.

Arrival formalities

Travelling with animals

• The Comoros publishes no detailed import rules. The usual requirements are a microchip, a rabies vaccination at least 21 days old and a health certificate from a state vet issued within 10 days of travel.
• Officials at Moroni may hold an animal until the papers are checked, so the originals travel in the cabin. We obtain the current requirements in writing from the veterinary authorities before booking.
• As the Comoros is not a listed country, the return to the EU or the UK needs a rabies antibody test at least 30 days after vaccination and three months before re-entry; a sample taken in Europe before the trip avoids that wait. Dogs flying on to the UK are treated for tapeworm 1 to 5 days before landing there.

How a booking runs

1. Send the route, dates, number of passengers and the islands you plan to visit.
2. We check the schedule against Hahaya's hours and the permit lead time.
3. We send options listing the operator, the aircraft, the flight time and the price of the whole aircraft.
4. After the contract and payment the operator applies to ANACM, and we confirm handling, fuel and parking in writing.
5. On arrival the handler meets the aircraft and takes the party through the visa desk, immigration and customs.

Flying privately to the Comoros: questions

• • How much does a private jet to the Comoros cost?

  • From EUR 79,000 one way from Vienna or Nice in a Praetor 600 with one stop. Non-stop in a Falcon 8X it is EUR 115,000 to EUR 130,000 from the main hubs.

• • Where do private jets land?

  • At Prince Said Ibrahim International, Hahaya, about 19 km north of Moroni. It is the only airport of the country with customs and jet fuel.

• • How long is the flight from Paris?

  • 10:13 h non-stop in a Falcon 8X to Moroni. A Praetor 600 with a fuel stop takes 12:34 h.

• • How far ahead must we book?

  • The landing permit needs ten days for a written application and at least three days by electronic request, so the earlier the better.

• • Do we need a visa?

  • Yes. EU and UK citizens get one on arrival at Hahaya for a fee. The passport needs six months of validity after arrival.

• • Can our jet fly us to Mohéli or Anjouan?

  • No. Those airfields have no customs or fuel, and the hop is made on a local flight from Moroni.

• • When is the best time to visit the Comoros?

  • May to October, in the dry season; whales are off Mohéli from July to October. Cyclones are possible from January to May.

• • Can we bring our dog?

  • Yes, with a microchip, rabies vaccination and a recent health certificate. We confirm the requirements in writing before booking.

• • What is the time difference?

  • Moroni is on UTC+3 all year: three hours ahead of London in winter and two in summer, and two hours ahead of Paris in winter, one in summer.