Private jet to Doha

Qatar's capital draws two kinds of private traffic: executives heading for the energy companies, the sovereign wealth fund and the towers of West Bay, and guests for the sporting calendar, from tennis in February to Formula 1 at Lusail late in the year. From central Europe it is 3,900-4,700 km to the city, a little closer than the Emirates, and a heavy jet flies it non-stop in five to six hours. Families often use it as a stop on the way to the Maldives or the Seychelles.

There are two airports with long runways only 5 km apart. Hamad International (DOH) is the country's international hub, open round the clock. The old Doha International (DIA) is where Qatar Executive runs its business aviation FBO. Which of the two your flight uses depends on the operator, the handler and slot availability, and we confirm it in writing. As a broker, we compare aircraft from operators in Europe and the Gulf.

Write the route, dates and number of passengers, and the hotel or office in the city. A consultant answers with the aircraft, the airport and the price.

Why go by private jet to Qatar

How long the flight takes

In a Challenger 650 unless stated, non-stop, including taxi, climb and descent, as in the price tables:

• Larnaca: 2:53 h; Istanbul: 3:55 h and Athens: 4:15 h in a Citation Latitude
• Vienna: 5:10 h, Rome Ciampino: 5:13 h, Munich: 5:34 h, Milan Linate: 5:39 h
• Zurich and Nice: 5:47 h, Frankfurt: 5:54 h, Geneva: 5:57 h, Hamburg: 5:59 h
• Brussels: 6:15 h, Amsterdam: 6:18 h, Paris Le Bourget: 6:21 h, London Farnborough: 6:41 h, Madrid: 6:46 h
• Bahrain: 0:44 h, Abu Dhabi: 0:58 h, Dubai: 1:05 h, Riyadh: 1:16 h in a Citation M2

The straight line from much of Europe crosses the airspace over Syria and Iraq, which operators from the EU avoid in line with EASA conflict-zone bulletins. The usual track goes over the Balkans, the eastern Mediterranean and the Arabian Peninsula, so the flight takes longer than the table shows, and the return westbound adds time against the jet stream. With a full cabin the operator checks the fuel reserve of a midsize jet on the longer track and may propose a larger aircraft.

Private jet prices to Doha

All figures are for the whole aircraft, one way, to Hamad International, plus landing permit, handling, airport charges and taxes; Doha International costs the same. They assume an aircraft near the departure airport, and the flight time column refers to the first aircraft in each row.

From the European hubs

The Challenger 650 ranges from EUR 52,000 from Vienna to EUR 63,000 from Madrid. A Falcon 7X from Milan costs EUR 71,000 and a Global 7500 from London EUR 96,000. From Larnaca, less than three hours away, a heavy jet costs EUR 36,000.

From other European cities

Because Qatar lies closer than the Emirates, a midsize Citation Latitude reaches it non-stop from south-eastern Europe, Budapest and Warsaw. Further north and west it stops once for fuel, and the Praetor 600 or the Falcon 2000LXS is quicker:

From Prague, Copenhagen and Dublin the Latitude flies with one stop, about 1:35 h longer, for a price close to the non-stop Praetor 600.

Across the Gulf and to the Indian Ocean

Most Gulf capitals are about an hour away. Typical connections with Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain and Riyadh, and onward to the Maldives:

The Citation M2 would need a fuel stop to Mumbai, and both small jets to Malé, so those cells are on request. Every border in the Gulf means a separate landing permit.

Most of the price on a sector of five or six hours is flight time, and where the aircraft comes from matters a great deal: a jet that positions from far away, or returns empty, is paid for in the quote. Both legs booked together cost less than two separate one-way charters, and for a longer stay the aircraft may fly other trips in the region before collecting you. Overflight permits, crew hotels and, with some operators, war-risk insurance are added, and prices rise from November to March and in big event weeks. The departure country adds passenger taxes. A jet leaving France pays a per-passenger tax that rises with distance, about EUR 1,015 on a Gulf flight compared with about EUR 420 within Europe, and Italy charges EUR 200 per passenger on sectors over 1,500 km; in Austria the tax is EUR 12. Germany and the Netherlands have separate departure taxes, and the UK charges APD at the higher rate for jets of 20 t or more with fewer than 19 seats, other jets the standard rate of their distance band. Qatari 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

Examples of a full trip

Price per passenger

With the whole aircraft chartered, the cost per head drops as more seats are filled. Per-passenger taxes are added:

Online estimate

Enter your route and dates in the calculator for a first figure by e-mail.

Hamad International and Doha International

Hamad International Airport (DOH, OTHH) replaced the old airport as Qatar's international gateway. Built on land reclaimed from the sea about 10 km south-east of central Doha, at an elevation of 4 m, it has two runways, 16L/34R of 4,850 m and 16R/34L of 4,250 m, among the longest in the world. It is open 24 hours, slots are required, and in the airline peaks fewer slots are free. Besides the main terminal, the airport has a general aviation area and a separate terminal for state flights. Pets may enter Qatar only through Hamad.

Doha International (DIA, OTBD), about 5 km away and 7 km south-east of the centre, has a runway of about 4,570 m and is a joint civil and military airfield, open round the clock, with slots and handling mandatory. It no longer handles scheduled airline traffic and serves executive, government and special flights. Qatar Executive, the business aviation division of Qatar Airways, runs its FBO there. Because availability can change, we never take either airport for granted and confirm the airport, the terminal and the handler for each flight.

The landing permit comes from Qatar's civil aviation authority and usually takes days, not hours, so a short-notice trip means asking early.

Alternates in the region

Apart from Doha International, Qatar has no other airport for international flights, so the other alternates lie across the water. Straight-line distances from Hamad:

Aircraft for the Gulf route

At four to five thousand kilometres a heavy jet does the job as reliably as an ultra long range one and costs much less; the larger class makes sense for groups over 14, for a separate bedroom or when the trip continues to Asia. In the heavy jets and ultra long range jets sections of the catalogue you find the cabins in detail.

Want to talk it through? Leave your number and a consultant calls back.

Calendar: when Qatar is busiest

From the airport into the city

Empty Legs to and from Doha

An empty sector between Qatar and Europe is priced well below a normal charter, which on a heavy jet makes a large difference. Typical directions:

The operator decides the date and hour. The landing permit is needed for an empty leg too, so passports must be ready, and a last-minute request may not work even with a free aircraft. Send the route and dates to empty-legs@jets.flights.

Flying with a dog or cat

Qatar has some of the strictest pet rules among destinations where pets are allowed at all, and the preparation takes months. On a private jet the animal travels in the cabin beside you, if the operator approves it in advance:

• Import permit from the Qatari ministry, which cannot be requested from abroad by the owner; a local agent or pet relocation company applies.
• Rabies antibody test taken no earlier than 12 months and no later than 3 months before arrival; take it in Europe before departure and it also covers the return to the EU.
• Microchip, the usual vaccinations and a rabies vaccination given after microchipping; young animals usually enter only from about seven months of age.
• A wide list of restricted dog breeds, including boxer, bulldog, Boston terrier, bull terrier, Great Dane, Dobermann, Rottweiler, Akita and shar pei, needs special approval.
• Pets enter only through Hamad International; with complete papers there is no quarantine.
• Qatar is not on the EU list of approved countries, so the return to the EU or Great Britain requires a valid antibody test result; done before the trip, it avoids the three-month wait.
• For the UK, dogs need tapeworm treatment 1-5 days before arrival (on a trip of five days or less a UK vet can give it before leaving) and arrive only at approved airports with an approved handler; Ireland, Malta, Finland and Norway also require the tapeworm treatment.

Entry, customs and local rules

Checklist before the flight

• Passports valid six months for every passenger, children included.
• Passport data for the landing permit, sent as soon as the offer is accepted.
• Luggage without alcohol or e-cigarettes.
• Prescriptions packed with a doctor's letter in English.
• Hotel or office address for the car.
• For pets: import permit, antibody test, microchip and health papers, arrival at Hamad.
• Return date, or whether the aircraft goes home in between.

How to book a private jet to Doha

1. Send the departure airport, dates, number of passengers and the address in the city.
2. We compare a midsize, super midsize or heavy jet against the distance and your luggage, and check whether the aircraft waits or flies home.
3. You receive several options with operator, aircraft, cabin photos, flight time and price, with the airport and handler named.
4. After the contract and payment, the operator files the Qatari landing permit and the overflight permits, and we book the car.
5. You check in at the private terminal 20-30 minutes before take-off; in Doha the handler takes you through passport control and to the car.

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

Frequently asked questions about private jets to Doha

• • What does a private jet to Doha cost?

  • A Challenger 650 from the European hubs costs from EUR 52,000 (Vienna) to EUR 63,000 (Madrid) one way for the whole aircraft. From Istanbul a Citation Latitude costs EUR 26,000. The cheapest regional flight is a Citation M2 from Bahrain at EUR 7,500.

• • Which airport do private jets use?

  • Either Hamad International or the old Doha International, where Qatar Executive has its FBO. The two are 5 km apart, and we name the airport and handler in the offer.

• • How long is the flight from London?

  • About 6:41 h non-stop from Farnborough in a Challenger 650; the detour around closed airspace can add time.

• • Do we need a visa for Qatar?

  • No visa in advance for EU and UK citizens: a free visa waiver is issued on arrival. Passports must be valid six months.

• • Can we bring alcohol on board?

  • Alcohol may not be brought into Qatar, including duty-free purchases. Licensed hotels serve it.

• • How far ahead should we book?

  • The landing permit takes days, so send passport data early. For Formula 1, the tennis weeks or the winter season, book several weeks ahead.

• • Is a same-day return possible?

  • Out and back means 10-14 hours in the air, beyond one crew's duty day, so a second crew is needed. Most clients let the crew rest and return the next day.

• • How much luggage can we take?

  • A heavy jet takes a week's luggage for every seat, plus sports bags. Give us the number of bags so the operator can confirm the weight.

• • Can we take our dog?

  • Possibly, but it takes months: an import permit through a local agent, an antibody test 3-12 months before arrival and a check against the restricted breed list. Pets enter only through Hamad.

• • Are there Empty Legs to Doha?

  • Yes, most often between Gulf capitals, and between the Gulf and Europe in summer and autumn. Dates and direction go to empty-legs@jets.flights.

• • Can Doha be combined with Dubai or the Maldives?

  • Yes. Dubai is about an hour away in a light jet, and Malé 4:38 h in a Challenger 350.