Private jet to Germany

Most private flights to Germany are business trips. Boards fly in for meetings in Frankfurt's banking district, government contacts in Berlin and supplier visits to the car and engineering plants of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. Trade fairs bring a second wave: Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Munich, Cologne, Hanover, Nuremberg and Berlin hold some of the largest exhibitions in the world, and in fair weeks scheduled flights and hotels fill up long before.

The country has no single hub for business aviation. Every large city has its own airport with a general aviation terminal, and several have a smaller airfield nearby without airline traffic, such as Egelsbach near Frankfurt or Oberpfaffenhofen near Munich. Distances inside Europe are short, so the typical trip is a day return with the aircraft waiting on the ground. What shapes the plan is the night rules, which differ from airport to airport. Our job as a broker is to find a suitable aircraft among European operators and to pick the airport that fits the meeting, the fair hall and the time of the flight home.

Send the route, the date, the number of passengers and the meeting address or fair hall through the form:

Why companies fly privately within and into Germany

Flight times to German cities

Times for a Phenom 300, as in the main price table, including taxi, climb and descent:

From London the western cities are closest: Frankfurt 1:24 h, Munich 1:47 h, Berlin 1:49 h. From Stockholm to Berlin allow 1:39 h in a Pilatus PC-24, from Oslo to Munich 2:20 h, from Larnaca to Berlin 3:51 h in a Phenom 300. A Falcon 7X needs 3:33 h from Tel Aviv to Munich, and long-range jets 5:05-5:54 h from the Gulf and under eight hours from New York to Frankfurt.

Private jet prices to Germany

Each price is for the whole aircraft, one way, plus handling, landing fees and passenger taxes, with an aircraft available near the departure airport. The flight time refers to the first aircraft in the row.

From the European hubs

From London a Phenom 300 costs EUR 11,500 to Frankfurt and EUR 13,000 to Berlin. The shortest sectors are Milan Linate - Munich and Brussels - Stuttgart, both EUR 10,000 in the same light jet.

Flights between German cities

Germany is in the EU, so any EU operator may fly between two German airports. On these sectors a turboprop costs least and loses only 15-25 minutes against a jet:

Domestic flights carry the German departure tax per passenger and German VAT, both shown in the quote.

From Scandinavia, the British Isles and Poland

Long-haul flights

Munich, Frankfurt and Berlin have runways of 4,000 m and take every long-range jet. All three types fly these routes non-stop:

The price depends on flight time, the base of the nearest free aircraft and whether it waits for you. On a day trip, crew waiting time is usually cheaper than two empty positioning legs. In fair weeks fewer aircraft are free, and parking at the big airports needs early approval. Germany charges its departure tax on every passenger leaving a German airport, domestic flights included. Other departure countries add theirs: France about EUR 420 per passenger on a jet and about half on a turboprop; Italy EUR 100 up to 1,500 km and EUR 200 beyond, on flights to or from Italy; Austria EUR 12 (EUR 30 up to 350 km); Norway and the Netherlands (aircraft of 5.7 t or more) also tax departures, Sweden does not. UK Air Passenger Duty does not apply to aircraft under 5.7 t such as the PC-12; jets of 20 t or more with fewer than 19 seats pay the higher private-jet rate, other jets the standard rate. Anything else is 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

Three typical trips and what they cost

Price per person

A private aircraft is chartered as a whole, so the cost per seat falls with each passenger:

Online price calculator

Enter the route, date and number of passengers to receive an estimate by e-mail within a few minutes.

German airports for private flights

Every large German airport has a separate terminal or centre for business aviation, but almost all of them limit night movements. The main airports and their nearest alternatives, with links to our city pages:

For skiing in Bavaria and Tyrol, Munich is the large airport closest to the resorts, with Salzburg and Innsbruck across the border as alternatives. Sylt in the North Sea has a 2,119 m runway for summer trips. When an evening return is needed after the local limit, Cologne Bonn and Leipzig/Halle stay open through the night.

Which aircraft suits a German trip

On short German sectors range hardly matters, so the group size and the luggage decide. Samples, display panels and golf bags need the hold of a midsize jet; for two to four people with hand luggage a turboprop or a light jet is enough. For Egelsbach the 1,400 m runway rules out the larger classes.

Planning a fair visit or a multi-city trip? Leave your number and a consultant will call you back.

Month by month: fairs, events and seasons

In Germany the fair calendar, not the weather, drives demand. The busiest periods are March, with ITB in Berlin and ProWein in Düsseldorf, April with Hannover Messe, and from early September to mid-October, when IFA, the Oktoberfest and the Frankfurt Book Fair follow one another as business travel returns after the summer. July and August are the quietest months for meetings, and aircraft and parking are then easy to find. Empty Legs appear all year because of the many day trips, and most often right after the big fairs, when dozens of aircraft leave the same airport within a few hours.

From the airport to the city centre and the fair

In fair weeks the roads around the exhibition centres jam in the morning, so the driver goes to the entrance nearest your hall, not to the main gate. In Berlin the car waits at the General Aviation Terminal, and from landing to the car usually takes 10-15 minutes.

Empty Legs within and from Germany

Empty Legs are positioning flights that an operator would otherwise fly with nobody on board, typically after a drop-off when the aircraft does not wait. With so many day trips, such legs come up every week and sell well below the normal price. Typical directions:

Because the operator sets the date and hour, an Empty Leg fits a flexible schedule better than a fixed meeting. Tell us at empty-legs@jets.flights which direction and which dates interest you, and suitable legs are passed on as soon as they are offered.

Bringing a dog or cat

Germany follows the EU rules and has no quarantine. The animal flies in the cabin with you, and the operator must approve it, with breed and weight, before the flight is confirmed:

• Microchip implanted before the rabies vaccination.
• Rabies vaccination at least 21 days before travel when it is the first one.
• EU pet passport; pets from Great Britain need an animal health certificate.
• Up to five dogs, cats or ferrets per person on a private trip.
• No tapeworm treatment is required to enter Germany.

A dog returning to the UK, Ireland, Malta, Finland or Norway must be treated against tapeworm by a vet 1-5 days before it lands there; on a UK trip of five days or less a UK vet can give it before leaving. Pets enter Britain only on approved routes and with approved handlers, which narrows the choice of return airport. Hotels set their own rules for animals, so mention the dog when you book the room.

Documents, customs and taxes

Checklist before departure

• Passport or ID card for every passenger.
• Names, dates of birth and document numbers, sent no later than the day before.
• Return time checked against the night rules of the departure airport.
• Fair hall or meeting address, so the driver goes to the right entrance.
• Samples, display material or goods for customs, with documents.
• Pet passport and the breed of the dog.
• Whether the aircraft waits or flies away between the legs.
• Company name and VAT number for the invoice.

How to book

1. Send the departure airport, dates, preferred times, passengers and the address of the meeting, plant or fair hall.
2. We check the night rules and slots at both ends and choose between the main airport and a nearby airfield such as Egelsbach, Oberpfaffenhofen or Cologne Bonn for a late return.
3. You receive 2-4 aircraft options with operator, model, cabin photos and the price for the whole aircraft, with waiting time or positioning shown separately.
4. You sign the contract with the operator and pay; we book slots, handling, parking and the car.
5. On the day, the driver waits at the general aviation terminal and takes you straight to the meeting or the hall.

Questions about private flights to Germany

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

  • A Phenom 300 costs from EUR 10,000 one way from Milan Linate to Munich or from Brussels to Stuttgart. From London it costs EUR 11,500 to Frankfurt and EUR 13,000 to Berlin, always for the whole aircraft. Handling, landing fees and passenger taxes are added.

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

  • Yes, it is the most common trip to Germany. The aircraft waits at the airport and the crew waiting time is shown in the quote.

• • What does a flight between two German cities cost?

  • A Pilatus PC-12 costs from EUR 7,500 for Berlin - Frankfurt or Cologne - Berlin, and Hamburg - Munich costs EUR 9,500 in a Citation CJ3. German VAT and the departure tax are added.

• • How late can we fly home?

  • Munich takes private flights until 22:00, Düsseldorf jet departures until 22:00, Frankfurt and Hamburg until 23:00, and Berlin until midnight. Cologne Bonn is open 24 hours.

• • Which airport is best for a trade fair?

  • Düsseldorf and Stuttgart are next to their exhibition centres. For Frankfurt and Munich it depends on the aircraft and the time; tell us the hall and the programme and we will suggest the airport and the car.

• • Why land at Egelsbach instead of Frankfurt?

  • Egelsbach has no airline traffic and no slots, so arrival is quicker. It suits turboprops, light and midsize jets on flights from within the EU, but closes earlier in the evening.

• • Do we need passports for Germany?

  • Within Schengen there is normally no check, but temporary border checks are possible and the operator needs a valid document for everyone. From the UK passports are checked at the terminal.

• • Can my dog come along?

  • Yes, in the cabin, with a microchip, rabies vaccination and an EU pet passport. Pit bull type breeds are banned except for visitors staying up to four weeks.

• • When is it hardest to find an aircraft and parking?

  • In the weeks of the largest fairs, such as ITB, ProWein and Hannover Messe, during the Munich Security Conference and the Oktoberfest. Book several weeks ahead for those dates.

• • Are there Empty Legs in Germany?

  • Yes, every week, and especially right after the big fairs. Write to empty-legs@jets.flights with the direction and dates.

• • How far in advance should we book?

  • Outside fair weeks a flight within or to Germany can often be arranged the day before. For the big fairs and the Oktoberfest, book several weeks ahead.