Private jet to Equatorial Guinea

Equatorial Guinea is a small oil and gas state on the Gulf of Guinea, made of two parts: the island of Bioko, with Malabo, the commercial and financial centre, and the mainland region of Río Muni, with Bata, the largest city. Business jets flying to Equatorial Guinea land at one or the other. Most trips are made by energy company executives, engineers, contractors and officials; leisure travel is a small share.

From southern Europe a Praetor 600 reaches Malabo in under six hours, and from London in a little over seven, without a stop. Ground services for business aviation in Equatorial Guinea are basic, so the planning centres on the landing permit, the parking slot, a visa for every passenger and a yellow fever certificate.

Tell us whether the meeting is on Bioko or the mainland, the dates and the group size, and a consultant replies with the aircraft and the price.

What a trip here involves

Prices to Malabo and Bata

Each price buys the whole aircraft for one way, with a jet positioned near the departure airport. Handling, landing and parking, the permit and passenger taxes come on top, and the time column refers to the first aircraft of the row.

From the European hubs

Rome - Malabo is the cheapest sector at EUR 40,000 in a Praetor 600, and Madrid, the usual departure for Spanish-speaking clients, costs EUR 41,000 for 5:50 h. Paris - Malabo is EUR 47,000 and London EUR 49,000 with 7:12 h in the air. Bata on the mainland is a little further from the north: EUR 42,000 from Madrid and EUR 49,000 from Paris. A Challenger 650 from Madrid to Malabo costs EUR 55,000.

From the neighbouring countries

Douala in Cameroon is only 116 km from Malabo, 0:44 h and EUR 6,500 in a Pilatus PC-12. Libreville in Gabon to Bata costs the same EUR 6,500, and the island hop from São Tomé and Príncipe to Malabo EUR 7,500. Lagos in Nigeria and Accra in Ghana are 1:53 h and 2:33 h away in the PC-12; in a Citation XLS+ they cost EUR 13,000 and EUR 14,500. Each leg crosses a border and needs its own permit.

From the Gulf and Houston

Dubai - Malabo takes 6:58 h non-stop in a Falcon 900EX for EUR 73,000. Houston, home of several companies active in the offshore fields, is a long sector: the Global 7500 flies it without a stop for EUR 180,000, and a Falcon 900EX with one fuel stop costs EUR 155,000.

Passenger taxes depend on the departure country. The French solidarity tax is levied per passenger and rises with distance, so a flight to the Gulf of Guinea pays about EUR 1,015 on a jet, a European sector about EUR 420; Italy charges EUR 200 per passenger on sectors beyond 1,500 km, both when leaving and when returning; Austria charges EUR 12. Germany, the Netherlands (on aircraft of 5.7 t or more) and the UK apply departure taxes, and in the UK aircraft under 5.7 t pay no APD, while the higher rate applies only from 20 t with fewer than 19 seats. Airport charges at Malabo or Bata 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

Two trips priced

Price per person

One price covers the whole aircraft, so each extra passenger lowers the share per seat:

Calculator

The calculator gives an indicative figure to Malabo; write Bata or Mengomeyén in the comment if the meeting is on the mainland.

Airports for business jets

There is no business aviation terminal. Several international flight support companies work through agents at Malabo, fewer at Bata; the agent arranges the permit and slot, airside transport, fuel, catering, crew hotels and payment of airport charges, and we confirm in writing where passengers are processed. The permit file contains the registration, airworthiness, insurance and noise certificates and the passport details of crew and passengers. Crew visas are issued on arrival for about five days. Corisco island and Annobón also have airports, but neither is used for flights from Europe.

Which aircraft

• Up to eight passengers: a super midsize Praetor 600, non-stop from every European hub in the table.
• Up to twelve, or engineers with tools and spares: a heavy jet such as the Challenger 650.
• Northern Europe or the Gulf with a full cabin: a long-range jet such as the Falcon 7X; from Houston a Global 7500 flies non-stop.
• Short regional legs: a Pilatus PC-12 to Douala, Libreville or São Tomé, a midsize jet such as the Citation XLS+ to Lagos or Accra.

Leave your number, and a consultant will call to go through the island or mainland options and the permit.

When to fly

The two parts of Equatorial Guinea have opposite seasons. Malabo, with about 1,850 mm of rain a year, is dry from December to February, with January the driest month, and wet from March to November, peaking in September and October. On the mainland around Bata, June to August are the dry months. Business flights run all year; the dry months on Bioko suit a visit to Pico Basilé, the highest point of the island. Empty Legs are rare, with the return to Europe after a drop-off the most common.

Entry rules and documents

Restricted items and goods above the allowance are declared to customs. Cards are accepted only in a few large hotels, so the handler arranges payment of local services. Equatorial Guinea is outside Schengen and the EU customs union, so the return flight clears border control and customs at the first Schengen or UK airport.

Flying with a dog or cat

The pet travels in the cabin with the operator's approval and enters through Malabo. Equatorial Guinea publishes no import scheme of its own, and the usual requirements are an import permit from the Ministry of Agriculture, which takes four to eight weeks, an ISO microchip, a rabies vaccination at least 21 days before travel to an animal of at least 12 weeks, an antibody test for dogs and a health certificate endorsed by a government vet within 10 days of arrival. We confirm the list with the embassy in writing before booking, and the originals travel in the hand luggage.

Empty Legs

Empty Legs to Equatorial Guinea are rare. When they appear, they are usually the empty return of an aircraft that brought a team from Europe and did not wait, or an aircraft repositioning from Lagos, Douala or Libreville after a regional contract. A window of a few days improves the chance of a match; write to empty-legs@jets.flights with the direction. The e-visa, the yellow fever certificate and the permit are needed as for any charter.

How to book

1. Send the city of the meeting, the dates, the passenger names, nationalities and passport copies.
2. We confirm an operator that accepts the route and covers Equatorial Guinea in its insurance, and check the e-visa timing.
3. You receive the options with operator, aircraft, flight time and price, for Malabo or Bata.
4. You sign the contract with the operator and pay; the agent requests the permit and the parking slot.
5. Before departure we confirm the permit, the slot, fuel and the cars at the airport.

Questions about private flights to Equatorial Guinea

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

  • From EUR 40,000 one way for the whole aircraft, Rome - Malabo in a Praetor 600. Madrid costs EUR 41,000, Paris EUR 47,000 and London EUR 49,000, plus charges, the permit and taxes.

• • How long is the flight?

  • 5:50 h from Madrid, 6:50 h from Paris and 7:12 h from London to Malabo in a Praetor 600, non-stop. Local time is the same as Madrid in winter and one hour behind in summer.

• • Malabo or Bata?

  • Malabo for the oil companies, banks and hotels on Bioko; Bata for the mainland coast. A flight between the two is operated by a local company.

• • Do we need a visa?

  • Yes. Apply for the e-visa online about a week ahead; the visa is then issued at the border on arrival. A yellow fever certificate is also required.

• • Is there a VIP terminal?

  • No airport in Equatorial Guinea has one. An agent meets the aircraft and takes passengers through the terminal and formalities.

• • How early should we book?

  • At least a week, better two: the permit needs three days and the e-visa about 72 hours, and public holidays slow both.

• • Can our dog come?

  • Yes, in the cabin, but the import permit takes four to eight weeks. Plan the antibody test for the return to the EU before you leave.

• • Are Empty Legs available?

  • Rarely. Send your route and a range of dates to empty-legs@jets.flights, and we write when a matching leg appears.