Private jet to Honduras

Honduras has a long Caribbean coast in the north and only a short Pacific shore on the Gulf of Fonseca. Private flights from Europe go mostly to the Bay Islands, where Roatán, Utila and Guanaja sit on the reef, to the Maya city of Copán near the Guatemalan border, and to the business centres of San Pedro Sula and Tegucigalpa. San Pedro Sula is the main commercial city, Tegucigalpa the seat of government.

Four airports matter for a private flight: a long runway at San Pedro Sula, the island airport at Roatán, Palmerola for the capital and the old city airport of Toncontín for smaller jets. Our European hubs lie 7,800-9,300 km away: a Challenger 650 refuels once on the way, a Gulfstream G550 makes it in one leg. As a broker, we put operators from Europe and from the United States side by side and take care of the landing permit, the handler and the transfer after landing.

Send your dates, passengers and destination in the country, island, Copán or the capital, and we reply with aircraft and prices.

Why fly privately to Honduras

Prices and flight times

Each figure covers the whole jet for a one-way flight, counted from a base close to the origin; the quote adds handling, the Honduran permit, fees at the refuelling airport and passenger taxes. The time column belongs to the Challenger 650 with its refuelling stop, for example in the Azores, which the tables count at about an hour and a half. The non-stop Gulfstream G550 needs about 10:03 h from London to Roatán, 10:11 h from Madrid to San Pedro Sula and 11:11 h from Zurich to Palmerola.

From Europe

Lisbon - Roatán is the cheapest row at EUR 100,000 in the Challenger 650, London to Roatán costs EUR 105,000 and to San Pedro Sula EUR 110,000. Without a stop, the G550 column runs from EUR 115,000 to EUR 135,000. Roatán and San Pedro Sula cost almost the same from Europe, so the choice depends on the plan: the islands, or Copán and the mainland.

From the United States and the neighbours

Northbound legs cost the same. Each border crossing means a new set of entry forms, and for Florida or Texas every passenger needs a US visa or an ESTA, the latter only when the operator belongs to the Visa Waiver Program. See also Belize, Guatemala, Mexico and Miami.

San Pedro Sula to Roatán by local operator

Between two Honduran airports a foreign jet may carry only the passengers it brought from abroad or takes abroad, with the authority's permission; every other domestic flight is flown by a Honduran operator, which is why this table shows a local PC-12 and CJ3. Utila and Guanaja have short strips for turboprops only.

Taxes

Honduras charges an international departure tax per passenger, USD 40-55 depending on the airport; on a private flight the handler confirms what is due, and it appears in the quote. On the European side, the French tax on business jets rises with distance, so a departure from Paris to Central America pays about EUR 2,100 per passenger, five times the European rate of about EUR 420; Italy charges EUR 200 per passenger on a route of this length, leaving and also returning. Every jet in the European table weighs 20 t or more and seats fewer than 19, so a London departure pays the higher rate of Air Passenger Duty. German, Dutch and Norwegian airports add national departure taxes.

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

Worked examples

Share per traveller

Divided by the people on board, before passenger taxes:

Calculator

Planning a return, a stop in Belize or a start from another city? The calculator sends a first estimate to your inbox:

Airports for business jets

Golosón at La Ceiba, with a runway of about 3,000 m shared with the military, serves Pico Bonito, the Río Cangrejal and the ferries to the islands; customs is available and the tower closes at 20:00. Airport offices keep daytime hours, so we schedule landings for the morning or early afternoon, while the customs officers are on duty.

Aircraft for the route

Island or mainland first? Leave a phone number, and we ring back to sort out the order.

Seasons and events

Weather sets the plan more than the calendar. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June to November, and storms can close an airport at short notice, flood roads and trigger landslides; the months before it are the usual window for the islands, diving and Copán. On the Caribbean coast and the Bay Islands the heaviest rain usually falls from October into the winter. Empty Legs come mainly from Florida and the neighbouring countries in the busy winter and spring months; legs to Europe are rare.

Around public holidays offices keep reduced hours and the roads to the north coast fill, so permits and transfers get extra margin.

Entry, permits and safety

Dogs and cats

• The agricultural health service, SENASA, issues an import permit, requested through an agent before travel.
• A health certificate from a licensed vet within 10 days of travel, endorsed by the animal-health authority of the departure country, and a rabies vaccination given at least 21 days and no more than 12 months before entry; other core vaccines and recent parasite treatment are also required.
• A microchip is recommended, and a Honduran vet who will look after the animal during the stay must be named. Animals enter through San Pedro Sula or Tegucigalpa; other airports are confirmed with SENASA before the date is fixed.
• Coming home is the slow part: Honduras is not among the countries listed by the EU, so the EU and the UK ask for a rabies antibody test and three months between the blood sample and entry. A sample drawn in Europe before the trip avoids the wait. A dog returning to the UK also needs tapeworm treatment 1-5 days before landing there.
• On board the animal stays in the cabin with its owner once the operator has agreed.

Empty Legs

Jets bringing American visitors to Roatán often fly back to Florida or Texas empty, and traffic between Belize, Guatemala and Mexico leaves aircraft out of position. Transatlantic legs are rare. Mail empty-legs@jets.flights with the direction and a range of dates; because the Honduran permit is still required, an empty leg needs a couple of days' notice.

How to book

1. Send dates, passengers, luggage and the part of the country you are heading for.
2. We choose the gateway, San Pedro Sula, Roatán or Palmerola, and offer a heavy jet with a stop and a non-stop long-range jet.
3. We check visas and the children's letters, and the handler files the landing permit with the passenger list.
4. The contract is signed with the operator, payment goes by bank transfer or card, and the cancellation terms, which depend on the operator and how close the flight is, are written into it.
5. On arrival the handler takes you through immigration and customs, and the car, helicopter or turboprop waits.

Questions about private flights to Honduras

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

  • The lowest table price is EUR 100,000, Lisbon to Roatán in a Challenger 650 that refuels once; London to the island is EUR 105,000. Flying non-stop in a Gulfstream G550 from London costs EUR 125,000. Each price is for the whole jet.

• • Can a jet from Europe land on Roatán?

  • Yes. The runway of about 2,240 m takes heavy and long-range jets, and the island has a separate area for private aircraft. The tower closes at 20:00.

• • Which airport serves Tegucigalpa?

  • Palmerola for heavy jets, an hour or more by road; Toncontín, closer to the city, for light and midsize jets after the operator checks the approach and weight.

• • Do we need a visa?

  • British citizens do, obtained before travel. Most EU citizens do not; we check every passport before booking.

• • Is a landing permit needed?

  • Yes, from the civil aviation authority before landing. The handler applies, and we allow 48-72 hours.

• • Which months suit the islands?

  • Roughly February to May, before the hurricane season and after the heaviest rain on the Caribbean side.

• • Can we combine Honduras with Belize?

  • Yes. A Citation CJ3 links Roatán and Belize City in 0:49 h for EUR 8,000.

• • Can I bring my dog?

  • Yes, with a SENASA import permit, a recent health certificate and a rabies vaccination. Plan the rabies antibody test for the way home before you leave.

• • What is the time difference?

  • The country stays on UTC-6 all year, so the gap to London is six hours in the British winter and seven in summer.