Private jet to Dubai

For private aviation the emirate is one of the busiest destinations outside Europe: a financial centre for the whole region, a venue for large trade fairs and a winter holiday spot for European families. From the hubs of western and central Europe it is 4,200-5,700 km to the Gulf coast, which a heavy or long-range jet flies non-stop in five and a half to seven hours. Many clients leave in the evening, sleep on board and land in time for breakfast, local time.

Two airports take private flights. Al Maktoum International (DWC) in Dubai South serves business aviation round the clock, with a 4,500 m runway and five FBO terminals. Dubai International (DXB) lies closer to Downtown and DIFC, but it is one of the busiest airports in the world and slots for private flights are scarce at peak hours. As a broker, we compare aircraft from European and Gulf operators and arrange the landing permit, the handler and the car at the aircraft.

Send the route, the dates, the number of passengers and the hotel or office address: the address decides between DWC and DXB. A consultant replies with aircraft, airport and price.

Why charter a jet to the Emirates

Flight times from Europe and the region

Non-stop times to Al Maktoum in a Challenger 650 unless stated, taken from the price tables below and including taxi, climb and descent:

• Larnaca: 3:16 h; Istanbul: 4:13 h and Athens: 4:36 h in a Praetor 500
• Vienna: 5:29 h, Rome Ciampino: 5:35 h, Munich: 5:53 h, Berlin: 5:57 h
• Milan Linate: 6:00 h, Zurich: 6:07 h, Nice: 6:08 h, Frankfurt: 6:13 h, Hamburg: 6:16 h, Geneva: 6:18 h
• Brussels: 6:34 h, Amsterdam: 6:36 h, Paris Le Bourget: 6:41 h, London Farnborough: 7:00 h, Madrid: 7:09 h
• Muscat: 0:58 h, Doha: 0:59 h, Bahrain: 1:08 h, Riyadh: 1:38 h in a Phenom 300
• Maldives: 4:17 h, Seychelles: 4:37 h in a Praetor 500

The times follow the straight line. European operators keep out of the airspace over Iraq and Iran in line with EASA conflict-zone bulletins and usually fly over the Balkans, the eastern Mediterranean and the Arabian Peninsula, which adds several hundred kilometres. The flight home to Europe runs against the jet stream and takes another 30-40 minutes. The operator confirms the real time with the flight plan for the day.

Private jet prices to Dubai

All prices are for the whole aircraft, one way, to Al Maktoum (DWC), plus landing permit, handling, airport charges and taxes, and assume an aircraft available near the departure airport. The flight time column refers to the first aircraft in each row.

From the European hubs

A Challenger 650 with up to 12 seats costs EUR 55,000 from Vienna and EUR 65,000 from London. The Falcon 7X, with more reserve for detours and winter headwinds, costs EUR 70,000 and EUR 86,000 on the same routes. From Larnaca, under 2,400 km away, even the Global 7500 costs EUR 59,000.

From eastern and south-eastern Europe

The closer the departure city is to the Gulf, the smaller the aircraft that can fly non-stop. From Athens, Istanbul and the Balkans a midsize or super midsize jet is enough:

Beyond about 4,000 km the Praetor 500 flies close to its range limit. With every seat taken, full luggage and a winter headwind, the operator may plan a short fuel stop or offer the super midsize class instead, and says so in the quote.

Within the Gulf and to the Indian Ocean

Regional legs are short. Many clients combine meetings in Doha, Riyadh or Bahrain with the Emirates, or continue to the Maldives and the Seychelles:

The Phenom 300 would need a fuel stop to the Seychelles, so that cell is on request. Each border crossing in the Gulf means its own landing permit and passport control.

On a sector of five to seven hours the price is mostly flight time, and the position of the aircraft matters more than on any European route. A one-way flight carries the empty return to base, so booking both legs together costs far less than two separate one-way charters; for a stay of a week or more the aircraft often takes other work in the region and comes back for you. Overflight and navigation fees, crew hotels and, with some operators, a war-risk insurance surcharge are added. From November to March and in the week of the Dubai Airshow, operators charge more. France charges a passenger tax on jets that depends on distance and is higher to Dubai than within Europe, and Italy EUR 200 per passenger on sectors over 1,500 km; Austria charges EUR 12, and Germany and the Netherlands have their own departure taxes. In the UK, APD applies at the higher rate to private jets of 20 t or more with fewer than 19 seats, such as the Challenger 650 and Falcon 7X, while lighter jets pay the standard rate of their distance band. UAE 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 person

The aircraft is chartered as a whole, so each additional passenger lowers the share per head. Taxes charged per passenger come on top:

Online calculator

The calculator e-mails a first estimate for your route and dates. Say in the comment if you need beds on board and whether the aircraft should wait for the return.

Al Maktoum, Dubai International and the alternates

Al Maktoum International (DWC, OMDW), also called Dubai World Central, lies in Dubai South, about 36 km south-west of the centre in a straight line and nearly 50 km by road. Its 4,500 m runway takes every business jet and VIP airliner, and the airport is open 24 hours. Business aviation has its own facilities apart from the passenger terminal, with five FBOs: DC Aviation Al-Futtaim and ExecuJet in their own buildings, and Jet Aviation, Falcon Aviation and Jetex in a shared terminal. Passport and customs checks take place there, and the car drives up to the aircraft.

Dubai International (DXB, OMDB) in Al Garhoud is about 11 km from the centre and 15-20 minutes from Downtown and DIFC outside rush hour. Private jets are still handled there, by ExecuJet and Jet Aviation among others, but the airport is coordinated at the strictest level: every private flight needs a slot, in five time windows a day private flights cannot be scheduled at all, parking is limited, and landing and handling cost noticeably more than at DWC.

The paperwork is identical at both: the operator requests the UAE landing permit with the passenger list, with a lead time of days rather than hours. We propose Al Maktoum by default, and Dubai International when the address is in Downtown or DIFC, the arrival falls outside the peaks and half an hour less on the road matters.

Other airports for the trip

In busy event weeks, or when the stay covers other emirates, one of the neighbouring airports can be the better choice. Distances are straight-line from Al Maktoum:

All of these runways take heavy and long-range jets. Flying into one emirate and out of another is common: land at Al Bateen for meetings in the capital and leave from Al Maktoum, or the other way round.

Which aircraft for a flight to the Gulf

On a sector of five to seven hours, range comes before cabin size. The table shows the classes we usually quote and where each one makes sense:

The number of beds differs between aircraft of the same type, so tell us how many passengers want to sleep and we check each aircraft before quoting. Golf bags and large suitcases are loaded at the steps. See the heavy jets and ultra long range jets in the catalogue.

Not sure which class fits your group and luggage? Leave a phone number and a consultant calls you back.

When to go: season, fairs and holidays

Weather and a handful of large events decide when aircraft, parking and hotels become scarce:

The weekend in the Emirates is Saturday and Sunday, and Friday is a short working day because of midday prayers. Meetings with government offices are easiest from Monday to Thursday.

From the airport to Downtown, the Marina and the Palm

Empty Legs to and from Dubai

Large aircraft move between the Gulf and Europe all year, and an empty sector on this route usually costs well below a normal charter. Typical directions:

The operator sets the date, the hour and sometimes the airport, so an Empty Leg suits a window of several days. The landing permit is still needed, so passport data must be ready. Write to empty-legs@jets.flights with the direction and dates.

Taking a dog or cat to the Emirates

On a private jet the pet travels in the cabin beside you, if the operator approves it in advance. The UAE is outside the EU, so the EU pet passport alone is not enough:

• Import permit from the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, applied for online before the trip and valid for 30 days.
• Microchip implanted before the rabies vaccination, the vaccination at least 21 days before travel and a health certificate issued shortly before departure; an antibody test can be required.
• Minimum age of 15 weeks, and no more than two pets per person per year.
• Pit bull types, tosa, cane corso, dogo argentino and their crosses cannot be imported.
• UAE rules require pets to be declared as manifested cargo, also on private jets, even though the animal stays in the cabin; the operator and the handler arrange this, and a vet checks the papers on arrival.
• Back to the EU: the UAE is on the EU list of approved countries, so a dog or cat with microchip, valid rabies vaccination and EU pet passport returns without a blood test, up to five animals per person.
• Back to Great Britain: dogs need tapeworm treatment by a vet 1-5 days before arrival (on a trip of five days or less it can be given in the UK before leaving), and pets may arrive only at approved airports with an approved handler. Ireland, Malta, Finland and Norway also require the tapeworm treatment for dogs.

Passports, permits and local rules

Before departure: checklist

• Passports valid six months after arrival for every passenger.
• Names, dates of birth and passport numbers for the landing permit, several days ahead.
• Hotel or meeting address, so we choose DWC or DXB.
• Number of passengers who need a bed on board, and any golf bags or bulky luggage.
• Doctor's letter in English for prescription medicines.
• Pet import permit, microchip, vaccination and health certificate.
• Return date and time, so the crew's rest can be planned.

How to book a private jet to Dubai

1. Send the departure airport, dates, number of passengers and the address in the emirate; the address decides between Al Maktoum and Dubai International.
2. We check range against your passengers and luggage and compare a heavy jet with a long-range aircraft, including whether it waits in the Gulf or flies home in between.
3. You receive 2-4 options with operator, model, cabin photos, flight time and the price for the whole aircraft, with permits, parking and crew costs listed separately.
4. You sign the contract and pay; we pass the passport data to the operator for the landing and overflight permits and book the handler and the car.
5. You arrive at the private terminal 20-30 minutes before departure; in the Emirates the handler meets you at the aircraft and takes you through passport control.

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

Questions about flying privately to Dubai

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

  • From the main European hubs a Challenger 650 costs from EUR 55,000 one way (Vienna) to EUR 66,000 (Madrid) for the whole aircraft. From Istanbul a Praetor 500 costs EUR 27,000, and within the Gulf a light jet from Doha EUR 10,000.

• • Which airport do private jets use, DWC or DXB?

  • Most land at Al Maktoum (DWC), which is open 24 hours and has five FBOs. Dubai International (DXB) is closer to Downtown but needs a slot, and in five time windows a day private flights cannot be scheduled.

• • How long is the flight from Europe?

  • In a Challenger 650 about 5:29 h from Vienna, 6:18 h from Geneva and 7:00 h from London Farnborough. Detours around closed airspace can add time, and the return westbound is 30-40 minutes longer.

• • Can a midsize jet fly non-stop?

  • From Istanbul, Athens and the Balkans, yes. From western Europe the distance is close to or beyond its range, so we quote heavy or long-range jets.

• • Do we need a visa?

  • EU and UK citizens need no visa in advance and are stamped in on arrival. Passports must be valid for six months.

• • How far ahead should we book?

  • The landing permit needs passenger data several days before the flight. For the season from November to March, Christmas or the Airshow week, book the aircraft weeks ahead.

• • Can we fly there and back on the same day?

  • A return trip means 11-15 hours of flying, which exceeds one crew's duty day. It needs a second crew; usually the aircraft stays overnight.

• • How much luggage can we take?

  • Heavy and long-range jets carry luggage for a full cabin on a holiday trip, golf bags included. Tell us the number and size of the bags so the operator can confirm the weight for the non-stop flight.

• • Can our dog fly with us?

  • Yes, in the cabin, with a UAE import permit, microchip, rabies vaccination and health certificate. Some breeds are banned, and the return to the EU needs no blood test.

• • Are there Empty Legs to Dubai?

  • Yes, mainly from May to September towards Europe and in autumn back to the Gulf, plus short legs between Gulf cities. Send your dates to empty-legs@jets.flights.

• • Can we combine the trip with Abu Dhabi or Doha?

  • Yes. Abu Dhabi is about 1:15 h by car from DWC, and Doha is under an hour by air, with a separate Qatari landing permit.