Private jet to Cyprus

Cyprus has two international airports, both open around the clock: Larnaca in the south-east, closest to Nicosia, Ayia Napa and Protaras, and Paphos on the west coast, next to the golf resorts and the Akamas peninsula. Limassol, the business and yachting town in the middle of the south coast, has no airport of its own and lies about an hour from either. Private traffic is a mix of shipping, law and finance meetings, villa holidays and yacht crew changes, spread over a season that lasts from spring to late autumn.

The island is in the European Union but outside Schengen, so every arrival and departure passes border control, even from Paris or Munich. Our head office is at Larnaca airport, so the handlers, the slot rules and the drive to Limassol or Nicosia are part of daily work for the team. As a broker, we compare aircraft from operators across Europe and the Middle East and quote the flight, the handling and the car in one offer.

Send the dates, the number of passengers and the address on the island, and we reply with aircraft options, the better airport for that address and a price.

Why clients fly privately to the island

Flight times from the main hubs

Times for a Praetor 500 midsize jet, taken from the price table, including taxi, climb and descent:

Cyprus is the far south-eastern corner of the EU, three to four and a half hours from the main hubs. For that reason the main table starts with the midsize class: a light jet with a full cabin is close to its limit on these sectors, and from London, Manchester or Madrid it would need a fuel stop. From Sofia or Bucharest a Phenom 300 takes about 2:10 h, from Athens 1:44 h, and Tel Aviv - Larnaca takes 1:12 h in a PC-12.

What a private flight to Cyprus costs

Each price is for the whole aircraft, one way, with an aircraft available near the departure airport, plus handling, airport charges and passenger taxes. Flight times refer to the first aircraft column. Rows go to Larnaca or Paphos; from the north and west of Europe the two airports differ by only a few minutes.

From the European hubs

Vienna is the nearest hub: Vienna - Larnaca costs EUR 22,000 in a Praetor 500. From London the same class costs EUR 29,000, and a Falcon 2000LXS with a wide cabin and a large hold EUR 49,000. Milan - Paphos is EUR 23,000 in a midsize jet; as the flight is longer than 1,500 km, Italy charges EUR 200 per passenger in each direction.

From Greece and Israel

These short sectors are often the second leg of a trip: a week on Rhodes or Crete followed by meetings in Limassol, or a business day in Tel Aviv. A PC-12 flies Rhodes - Paphos for EUR 7,500 in 1:24 h, a Phenom 300 in 1:05 h for EUR 10,500. Every one of these flights crosses a Schengen or EU external border, so passports are checked at both ends.

From central, eastern and northern Europe

Sofia and Bucharest are just over two hours away and cost EUR 14,000 in a light jet. From Warsaw a Phenom 300 needs 3:24 h for EUR 18,500. Manchester - Paphos is too long for a light jet without a stop, so that row starts with the Praetor 500 at EUR 30,000.

Long-haul flights

From the Gulf the island is close: Riyadh - Larnaca takes 2:28 h in a Challenger 650, Dubai - Larnaca 3:16 h. From New York the Falcon 7X and the Global 7500 fly non-stop in 10:38 h and 10:18 h, while the Challenger 650 needs one fuel stop.

The final figure depends on the season and on where the closest available aircraft is parked. For a stay of a week or more, two one-way flights usually cost less than an aircraft waiting on the island. Charges in Cyprus are listed in the quote. Passenger taxes depend on where the flight starts: France about EUR 420 per passenger on a jet and about half on a turboprop, Italy EUR 200 per passenger on flights between Italy and Cyprus longer than 1,500 km, such as Milan - Paphos, Austria EUR 12. Germany and Norway charge departure taxes, the Netherlands taxes passengers on aircraft of 5.7 t or more, and Sweden has no passenger tax. UK Air Passenger Duty does not apply below 5.7 t; aircraft of 20 t or more with fewer than 19 seats pay the higher private-jet rate and other jets the standard rate.

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 worked through

Price per person

The price covers the whole cabin, so each extra traveller lowers the cost per head. Figures use the Praetor 500 column of the European table:

Calculator

For another departure airport or a return trip, the calculator gives an estimate in a few seconds:

Larnaca, Paphos and the business aviation terminals

Both airports are run by Hermes Airports, both work 24 hours, and both need a slot and a handling agent for every private flight. The choice is made by the address: the east and the capital from Larnaca, the west coast from Paphos, and Limassol from either, depending on the slot and the time of day. The two airports are 105 km apart in a straight line, and nobody flies between them: the drive takes 1:30-2 h.

Airfields that are not used

RAF Akrotiri near Limassol is a British military base and is not available for private charters. The old Nicosia airport lies in the UN buffer zone and takes no civil flights. Ercan in the north is outside the control of the Republic of Cyprus, which does not accept it as a legal point of entry; a visit to the north continues by road from Larnaca or Paphos through an authorised crossing point.

When weather or capacity closes both Cypriot airports, the usual alternates are Tel Aviv Ben Gurion, about 339 km from Larnaca, Rhodes and Heraklion in Greece. A diversion to any of them means another border check, so we keep the passengers' documents ready for it.

From the airport to the address

Which aircraft for the flight to Cyprus

On a four-hour sector the cabin matters more than on a short hop: a midsize or super midsize jet lets passengers stand, work at a table and carry villa luggage without a fuel stop. For a comparison of classes, see the catalogue pages for midsize jets and heavy jets.

When to fly: the year month by month

For the beach, May, June, September and October combine a warm sea with free aircraft and easier slots; for golf and walking, March, April, October and November are the most pleasant. Business trips to Nicosia and Limassol run all year, mostly from Monday to Thursday. Empty Legs are most frequent from the end of August to October, when aircraft that brought families for the summer return to their bases.

Empty Legs to and from Cyprus

An Empty Leg is a sector an aircraft has to fly without passengers, offered below the normal charter price. The island sits on the route between Europe, Israel and the Gulf, so empty sectors come up all year, and more of them in the holiday season. Typical directions:

An Empty Leg's date and time follow the operator's own schedule, and it can be cancelled if the paying flight moves, so it works best for travellers with open dates. Tell us at empty-legs@jets.flights where and roughly when you want to fly, and we send suitable sectors as operators release them.

Flying with a dog or cat

Cyprus is outside Schengen but applies the EU rules for pets. On a private jet the animal travels in the cabin beside you, and the operator must approve it in advance, so tell us the species, breed and weight with the passenger list.

• Microchip to ISO standard, implanted before or on the same day as the rabies vaccination.
• Rabies vaccination at least 21 days before travel for a first vaccination, given when the animal was at least 12 weeks old.
• EU pet passport; from Great Britain an animal health certificate from an authorised vet. No more than five animals per traveller on a non-commercial trip.
• The veterinary service at the arrival airport is told the date, time and flight before landing; the handler does this with us.
• No tapeworm treatment and no quarantine for entry to Cyprus.
• Pit bull terrier, Japanese tosa, dogo argentino and fila brasileiro may not be brought into the country.

From June to September the temperature often passes 30 °C, so with animals on board we plan an early or late arrival and a short walk to an air-conditioned car. Not every villa or hotel accepts dogs, so check before booking the stay.

Documents, borders and taxes

Before departure

• Passport or EU ID card for every passenger, children included; a passport for anyone from outside the EU.
• Names and passport or ID numbers of all travellers by the evening before the flight.
• The address on the island, which decides between Larnaca and Paphos.
• Number of suitcases and golf bags, so the hold is checked against the aircraft.
• Pet documents, the operator's written approval and the breed of the dog.
• For the return to the UK: the date of the dog's tapeworm treatment.

How to book

1. Send the address on the island, the dates, the number of passengers and the luggage.
2. We choose between Larnaca and Paphos and check the slot and, in July and August, the parking stand.
3. You receive aircraft options from several operators with prices, flight times and, for longer stays, the cost of the empty legs or of the aircraft waiting.
4. After you confirm, the handler books the slot, notifies the border police and, with a pet on board, the airport vet.
5. On the day, the handler meets you at the aircraft, and the car waits at the terminal or beside the apron.

Questions about private flights to Cyprus

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

  • The cheapest row in our tables is Tel Aviv - Larnaca at EUR 7,000 by turboprop. From the European hubs a midsize jet costs from EUR 22,000 (Vienna - Larnaca), from London EUR 29,000. All figures are one-way prices for the entire aircraft, before fees and taxes.

• • Larnaca or Paphos?

  • Larnaca for Nicosia, Larnaca town, Ayia Napa and Protaras; Paphos for Kato Paphos, Coral Bay, Akamas and the golf resorts. For Limassol both are about an hour away.

• • Is there a private terminal in Paphos?

  • No separate building. The FBO serves passengers at the aircraft or in a dedicated area nearby, often with a private lounge, and handles security, passport and customs control.

• • Do I need a passport if I fly from an EU country?

  • Cyprus is in the EU but outside Schengen, so documents are checked on every arrival and departure. EU citizens can use a national ID card; everyone else needs a passport.

• • Can a light jet fly non-stop from London?

  • Not with a full cabin and luggage. London - Cyprus is about four and a half hours, so we quote midsize jets or larger: a Praetor 500 takes 4:37 h to Larnaca.

• • Can the aircraft wait on the island?

  • Yes, both airports have parking, although stands are tight in July and August. For a stay of a week or more, two one-way flights are often cheaper.

• • Can I fly to the north of the island?

  • Private flights land in Larnaca or Paphos. Ercan is not a legal point of entry for the Republic of Cyprus, so a visit to the north continues by road through an authorised crossing point.

• • Can I bring my dog?

  • Yes, in the cabin, with a microchip, a valid rabies vaccination and an EU pet passport or a British animal health certificate. Four fighting breeds are banned, and the operator must approve the animal.

• • Do you have an office in Cyprus?

  • Yes, our head office is at Larnaca airport. Requests are accepted 24/7, and the team works from 08:00 to 23:30, phone +357 96407410.

• • Are there Empty Legs from Cyprus?

  • Yes, to central and western Europe, Greece, Israel and the Gulf, most often from late August to October. Requests go to empty-legs@jets.flights with the route and the dates.

• • When is the best time to fly?

  • May, June, September and October for the beach with free slots; March, April and November for golf. July, August and Orthodox Easter need booking several weeks ahead.