Private jet to Iraq

Iraq has five airports with regular international traffic, from Erbil in the Kurdistan Region to Basra on the Gulf, and long runways at all of them. For a business jet from Europe the obstacle is the airspace: a bulletin of EASA, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, recommends that operators under its rules do not fly in the Baghdad flight information region at any altitude. The region covers the whole country, the Kurdistan Region included, and European governments advise against travel to parts of Iraq and against all but essential travel to the rest.

Most clients who need to be in Baghdad, Erbil or Basra therefore fly privately to an airport nearby and continue on a regional airline. Amman is the closest to Baghdad, Istanbul has the widest choice of flights to the north, and Doha and Dubai serve the south and the shrine cities. A request for an Iraqi airport is not refused out of hand: we check the airspace status, an operator from the region willing to fly, its insurance and the landing permit for the date, and tell you the result.

Tell us the Iraqi city, the dates and the size of the group, and a consultant replies with the hub, the aircraft, the price and the onward connection.

Which hub for which part of the country

Distances are straight lines between airports. The onward flight is booked with an airline that serves the route under its own permissions; schedules change, so we confirm the connection for your date before the private flight is fixed.

Prices to the hubs

Each price is for the whole aircraft, one way, with handling, airport charges and passenger taxes added. The flight time is that of the first aircraft in the row. The airline ticket onward and anything on the ground in Iraq are not included.

To Amman

London - Amman takes 5:07 h and costs EUR 31,000 in a Praetor 500; from Vienna the same aircraft is EUR 24,000 for 3:34 h. Munich and Milan both cost EUR 26,000, and a Challenger 650 at EUR 50,000 from London seats twelve.

To Istanbul, Doha and Dubai

Istanbul is the shortest sector: EUR 15,000 from Frankfurt in a Citation CJ3, 3:03 h. Doha and Dubai are about seven hours from London or Paris and cost EUR 48,000 in a Praetor 600 to either, and Geneva - Doha costs EUR 43,000. For Basra and Najaf the longer flight leaves only a short regional hop.

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 worked through

Price per person

You pay for the aircraft, not the seat, so the share falls as the group grows:

Calculator

The calculator prices the flight to the hub; add the Iraqi city in the comment and we look up the connection.

Airports of Iraq and the hubs

The Iraqi airports below take regional airlines; they are listed so that you know where the last leg ends. Landing and overflight permits are issued by the Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority, and slots are required at Baghdad, Erbil, Basra and Najaf.

In Amman, Queen Alia is the airline airport with two parallel runways, and Marka near the city centre is the alternative for business aircraft when its hours and parking suit the trip. In Doha, Qatar Executive runs the business aviation terminal at the old Doha International, 5 km from Hamad.

Choosing the aircraft

• Amman from Germany, Austria or Switzerland: a midsize jet such as the Praetor 500 or the Legacy 500 flies non-stop.
• From London or Paris to Doha and Dubai: a super midsize jet such as the Praetor 600 non-stop, or a Challenger 650 for more passengers and baggage.
• Engineers with tools and samples: a heavy jet with a large hold, after the onward airline's baggage rules are checked.

Seasons and holidays

Iraq is easiest to visit from November to March; from June to September daytime heat across most of the country often passes 45 °C, and meetings move to the early morning and the evening. Ramadan, the two Eids, Ashura and Arbaeen follow the lunar calendar and move about eleven days earlier each year: offices close on the holidays, and the pilgrimages to Karbala and Najaf fill regional flights. Empty Legs from the Gulf to Europe are most frequent in April and May, and in the other direction in October and November.

Visas, documents and taxes

For the hubs: citizens of most EU countries and the UK enter Turkey without a visa for up to 90 days in 180, receive a free visa waiver on arrival in Qatar and need no visa in advance for the UAE; Jordan issues visas on arrival. Passenger taxes come from the departure country: about EUR 1,015 per passenger on a jet from France, where the tax climbs with distance from about EUR 420 within Europe, and EUR 200 per passenger from Italy on these distances; Austria adds EUR 12 per passenger, and Germany and the UK charge departure taxes (no APD under 5.7 t, the higher rate only for 20 t or more with fewer than 19 seats, the standard rate for other jets). The quote lists all of them.

Dogs and cats

A pet can fly in the cabin to the hub with the operator's approval. Iraq itself asks for an import permit from its Ministry of Agriculture, a 15-digit microchip, a rabies vaccination given between 30 days and 11 months before entry and a health certificate issued shortly before the flight; the regional airline must also agree to carry the animal. Qatar has some of the strictest pet rules in the region and the paperwork takes months, while the UAE needs an import permit arranged online. Jordan checks the health certificate on arrival and normally receives animals at Queen Alia, so a pet on the Amman flight is agreed in writing in advance.

Empty Legs

Aircraft that drop passengers in Doha, Dubai or Amman often return to Europe without anyone on board, and Istanbul sees such legs all year. A return date that can move suits these flights best, because the operator sets the time. Write to empty-legs@jets.flights with the route and a range of dates.

Booking step by step

1. Send the Iraqi city, the dates, the passengers and any equipment or extra baggage.
2. We pick the hub, check the onward flights and, if you ask for an Iraqi airport, the airspace and operator position for the date.
3. You receive aircraft options with operator, model and price.
4. You sign the contract with the operator and pay by bank transfer or card; we request the permits and the slot.
5. Before departure we confirm the connection, the handling and the bulletins again.

Questions about getting to Iraq by private jet

• • Can a private jet from Europe fly to Baghdad or Erbil?

  • Operators under EASA rules follow a bulletin that recommends not flying in Iraqi airspace at any altitude, and Erbil is in the same region. We fly you to Amman, Istanbul, Doha or Dubai and check any request for an Iraqi airport with operators from the region.

• • Which hub is best?

  • Amman for Baghdad, Istanbul or Amman for the Kurdistan Region, Doha for Basra and Dubai or Doha for Najaf. The choice follows the onward flight available on your date.

• • What does the flight cost?

  • From EUR 15,000 one way for the whole aircraft, Frankfurt - Istanbul in a Citation CJ3. Amman starts at EUR 24,000 from Vienna in a Praetor 500, and London - Doha costs EUR 48,000 in a Praetor 600; handling, charges and taxes come on top.

• • How long does it take?

  • From London: 3:59 h to Istanbul in a Citation CJ3, 5:07 h to Amman in a Praetor 500 and 7:04 h to Doha in a Praetor 600. The regional flight into Iraq adds roughly one to two and a half hours.

• • Do I need a visa for Iraq?

  • Yes for most nationalities. Federal Iraq issues visit visas through its e-visa portal before travel, while the Kurdistan Region has its own e-visa and visa on arrival, valid only in the region.

• • Can the aircraft wait for us at the hub?

  • Yes. Parking is arranged with the handler, and the crew rests at a hotel; for longer stays two one-way flights are often cheaper.

• • Can I bring my dog?

  • To the hub, yes, in the cabin with the operator's approval. Entering Iraq needs an import permit and a health certificate, and the regional airline must accept the animal.

• • How early should we book?

  • Three to five working days covers the permits and slots at the hubs. Around Christmas in the Gulf and before the big pilgrimages, book earlier.