Private jet to Hungary

Almost every private flight to Hungary lands in Budapest. The capital produces close to 40 % of the national output and is home to the head offices of MOL, OTP Bank and Gedeon Richter, so the week from Tuesday to Thursday is full of board meetings, pharmaceutical and software business and congresses. Outside the capital the trips are industrial: Audi builds engines at Győr, Mercedes-Benz assembles cars at Kecskemét, and BMW and the battery maker CATL have plants at Debrecen. Most of these visits are a day on the ground and home the same evening.

The other half of the market is water and speed. Budapest sits on more than a hundred medicinal springs, Hévíz at the western end of Lake Balaton has a warm thermal lake that stays open all winter, and every summer the Hungarian Grand Prix brings the busiest week of the year to the capital's apron. Four airports matter for business jets: Budapest, Hévíz-Balaton, Debrecen and Győr-Pér. Only Budapest is open day and night, so a regional landing is planned around its hours. As a broker, we compare aircraft from operators across Europe and quote the airport nearest to your address.

Tell us the route, the dates, the number of passengers and the address, and a consultant will send aircraft and airport options:

Why fly privately to Hungary

Flight times to Hungary

Phenom 300 times from the main table, taxi, climb and descent included:

Hévíz-Balaton lies west of the capital, so from London, Zurich or Hamburg it is closer than Budapest: London - Hévíz-Balaton takes 2:22 h, London - Budapest 2:31 h. From Prague a Pilatus PC-12 needs 1:28 h to Budapest, from Warsaw 1:36 h, and from Krakow 1:09 h to Debrecen; a light jet saves about a quarter of an hour on each. Larnaca and Madrid are about three hours away, Tel Aviv about three in a heavy jet, and the Gulf about five.

Prices for private flights to Hungary

One-way prices for the whole aircraft, plus handling, airport charges and passenger taxes, assuming an aircraft available near the departure airport. Flight times apply to the aircraft in the first column.

From the main European cities

Munich - Győr-Pér is the shortest sector here at EUR 10,500 in a light jet, and a plant visit in Debrecen from Munich costs EUR 11,500. From London the Phenom 300 costs EUR 15,000 to Hévíz-Balaton and EUR 15,500 to Budapest, and a Challenger 350 with a stand-up cabin EUR 21,000-22,000.

Domestic flights and the neighbours

Hungary is in the EU, so an EU operator may fly between two Hungarian airports. On these short sectors a turboprop costs least:

Budapest - Hévíz-Balaton and Budapest - Debrecen take 52 minutes in a Pilatus PC-12 for EUR 6,500, against about two hours by car to Hévíz and two and a half to Debrecen. Győr is only about 1:30 h from Budapest by road, so we rarely quote that domestic sector. Belgrade is outside the Schengen area, so passports are checked on arrival from Serbia; Romania is inside it.

From Scandinavia and Ireland

Long-haul flights

Budapest's 3,707 m runway takes any business jet and VIP airliner. None of these routes needs a fuel stop in any of the three types:

Most of the price is flight time; a fixed share covers moving the aircraft and crew to the departure airport. In Grand Prix week fewer aircraft are free and parking in Budapest is scarce, so fares rise; a week before or after the race the same trip is easier to arrange. Hungarian airport charges, handling, any night surcharge in Budapest and any extension of hours at a regional airport are listed in the quote. The departure country sets its own tax: France about EUR 420 per passenger on a jet and about half on a turboprop; Italy EUR 100 per passenger up to 1,500 km on flights to or from Italy; Austria EUR 12 per passenger, or EUR 30 up to 350 km, which applies to Vienna - Hévíz-Balaton. Germany and Norway charge departure taxes and the Netherlands taxes aircraft of 5.7 t or more. UK Air Passenger Duty does not apply below 5.7 t; aircraft of 20 t or more with fewer than 19 seats pay the higher private-jet rate and other jets the standard rate. Sweden has no passenger tax.

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 three trips really cost

Price per seat

The whole aircraft is chartered, so the cost per passenger falls as the group grows:

Online calculator

Enter the route, the date and the number of passengers, and the calculator e-mails a first estimate:

Airports and business aviation terminals

Budapest takes almost every booking; the regional airports each have one clear use and shorter hours. Our Budapest page covers the capital's terminal in full detail:

Two airfields close to the capital, Budaörs and Tököl, do not take jets. For Győr and the Austrian border, Bratislava is about 63 km away in a straight line and works 24 hours, and Vienna-Schwechat is the usual alternate when Budapest has no parking or the trip includes Austria.

Choosing the aircraft

Four people with weekend bags fit a light jet; on the 2:31 h sector from London, six or more are more comfortable in one of the midsize jets, especially against a winter headwind on the way home. Golf bags for Balaton weekends and race-week luggage take hold space too, so tell us the number of bags with the request.

Not sure whether to land in Budapest or at the regional airport? Leave your number and a consultant will call you back.

When to fly to Hungary

Business demand to Budapest is steady through the year, and the dates that tighten aircraft, parking and hotels fall mostly in summer and December. The calmest months are January to March and November, when short-notice flights are easy to arrange. Empty Legs are most frequent in the days after the Grand Prix, when many aircraft leave Budapest at once, and on weekday evenings between Budapest, Vienna and Munich.

Transfers from the airports

On a summer weekend the roads to Balaton add 30-60 minutes. In race week a helicopter can cover the last stretch from the airport to the circuit, but capacity is limited and has to be held weeks ahead; the car is booked with the flight in any case.

Empty Legs to and from Hungary

An Empty Leg is a sector the operator flies without passengers, for example to return an aircraft to base after a drop-off. It is sold well below the normal fare, but the operator fixes the date and time. Typical directions:

Send the direction and a range of dates to empty-legs@jets.flights, and we will forward matching flights as they come up.

Travelling with a dog or cat

Hungary applies the standard EU rules. The animal flies in the cabin beside you, and the operator must approve it in advance:

• ISO microchip, fitted before or at the same time as the rabies vaccination.
• Rabies vaccination given at 12 weeks or older; the first one at least 21 days before travel.
• EU pet passport; pets from Great Britain need an animal health certificate issued no more than ten days before arrival in the EU.
• A maximum of five pets per person on a non-commercial trip.
• No tapeworm treatment and no quarantine for Hungary.

Ireland, Malta, Finland and Norway also ask for the dog's tapeworm treatment before arrival. For a UK trip of five days or less, a vet in Britain can give it before departure. Give us the species, breed and weight with the request, as some operators require a carrier or charge for cabin cleaning.

Entry, currency and customs

Checklist before departure

• Passport or ID card for each passenger, children included.
• Every traveller's name, date of birth and document number, the day before.
• Return time: after 22:00 in Budapest, or within the hours of a regional airport.
• Address in Budapest, the plant, the circuit or the hotel at Balaton.
• Number of suitcases, golf bags and other bulky items.
• Pet passport or health certificate and, for the UK, the tapeworm appointment.
• Company name and VAT number, if the invoice goes to a business.

How to book

1. Send the address in Hungary, the dates, the number of passengers and their luggage, for example a plant in Debrecen or a hotel at Hévíz.
2. We choose the airport and check its hours, the night quota in Budapest or the notice needed at Győr and Pécs.
3. In race week we request parking together with the slot, and plan a positioning flight to Vienna or Bratislava if it is refused.
4. You receive 2-4 aircraft options with the operator, model, cabin photos and the price for the whole aircraft, plus the car or helicopter.
5. Once you have signed with the operator and paid, we confirm handling, fuel and the transfer and send the final schedule.

Frequently asked questions about flights to Hungary

• • What does a private jet to Hungary cost?

  • A Pilatus PC-12 from Budapest to Debrecen or Hévíz-Balaton costs EUR 6,500 one way. A Phenom 300 costs EUR 12,000 from Frankfurt to Budapest and EUR 15,500 from London, for the whole aircraft; handling, airport charges and taxes come on top.

• • Is it more expensive to fly straight to Lake Balaton?

  • No. From London a Phenom 300 costs EUR 15,000 to Hévíz-Balaton against EUR 15,500 to Budapest, because the airport lies further west, and it saves about two hours by road to Hévíz or Keszthely.

• • Can we land at Hévíz-Balaton in the evening?

  • The airport usually works in daytime, around 09:00-16:00, and customs follows those hours. A later landing can be requested for a fee; otherwise the flight goes to Budapest.

• • Where do we land for the Hungarian Grand Prix?

  • In Budapest, about 34 km from the Hungaroring. Parking in race week must be approved in advance, so book the aircraft and the stand months ahead.

• • Can we return from Budapest late at night?

  • Yes, the airport is open 24 hours, but between 22:00 and 06:00 a quota limits movements and a noise surcharge applies. We check a late departure against the quota before confirming.

• • Which airport serves the plants in Debrecen and Győr?

  • Debrecen airport is about 5 km from the city, and Győr-Pér about 15 km from Győr. Debrecen takes any business jet and Győr-Pér light and midsize jets; Győr needs 24 hours' notice for flights from outside Schengen.

• • What is the flight time from London?

  • About 2:31 h to Budapest and 2:22 h to Hévíz-Balaton in a Phenom 300, non-stop.

• • Do we need passports for Hungary?

  • There is no passport check from Schengen countries, but the operator needs a passport or ID card for every passenger. From the UK, border control takes place at the first Hungarian airport.

• • Can the dog come with us?

  • Yes. Dogs fly in the cabin with a microchip, a valid rabies vaccination and an EU pet passport. Hungary does not require tapeworm treatment.

• • When do Empty Legs come up?

  • Most often in the days after the Grand Prix and on weekday evenings between Budapest, Vienna and Munich. Send the route and the dates to empty-legs@jets.flights.

• • Do we need forint?

  • The flight is paid in euros. On the ground forint or a card works for drivers, restaurants and tips.