Private jet to Ireland

Private traffic to Ireland splits into two quite different trips. The first is a working day in Dublin: technology, pharmaceutical and finance groups run their European head offices from the Docklands and the International Financial Services Centre, and much of the world's aircraft leasing business is managed from the city. The second is the west and south-west, where links courses such as Lahinch, Doonbeg, Ballybunion, Waterville and the Old Head of Kinsale draw golf groups from May to September, and racing weeks at Punchestown, the Curragh and Galway fill the calendar.

Four airports cover almost every request. Dublin takes most business flights, Shannon serves Limerick, Clare and Galway and offers US border preclearance for private aircraft, Cork covers the south coast, and Kerry sits a short drive from Killarney. The country is in the EU but outside Schengen, so every arrival passes a passport check, which for a private flight takes place in the business aviation terminal or through the handler. As a broker, we compare aircraft from operators across Europe and choose the airport that saves the most road at the other end.

Send the route, the dates, the number of passengers and the address in Ireland, whether an office in Dublin or a hotel in Kerry, through the form:

What brings private flyers to the island

How long the flight takes

Citation CJ3 times as in the main table, with taxi, climb and descent counted:

The island lies on the western edge of Europe, so continental sectors are longer than to London or Amsterdam: Milan Linate - Dublin takes 2:29 h and Vienna - Dublin 2:52 h in the same light jet. From London, Shannon or Kerry adds only 11-14 minutes against Dublin. From Copenhagen a Phenom 300 needs 2:09 h, from Rome 3:02 h. Across the Atlantic, Boston - Shannon takes 5:40-5:58 h and New York - Shannon 6:00-6:19 h depending on the aircraft. Ireland keeps the same clock as London all year, one hour behind Paris, Brussels and Frankfurt.

Private jet prices to Irish airports

Every price is for the whole aircraft, one way, plus handling, parking, airport charges and any passenger tax, with an aircraft available near the departure airport. Flight times are given for the first aircraft of each row.

From the main European hubs

From London a Citation CJ3 costs EUR 9,000 to Dublin and EUR 9,500 to Shannon or Kerry, so the extra 140-170 km to the west coast changes little. From Paris Le Bourget the same aircraft costs EUR 10,500 to both Dublin and Cork.

Domestic legs and the Irish Sea

Ireland is an EU member, so any EU operator may fly between two Irish airports, and the aircraft that brought you to Dublin can take you on to the west. From Britain the turboprop and light jet columns are the cheapest options:

From Scandinavia, Poland and southern Europe

On sectors of two to three hours the light jet column uses the Phenom 300, which carries more luggage than the CJ3; the Legacy 500 and Gulfstream G280 have stand-up cabins:

From North America and the Middle East

Dublin's main runway of 3,110 m and Shannon's 3,199 m take any long-range business jet, and all three types below fly these routes non-stop:

The price follows flight time, plus a share for bringing the aircraft and crew to the departure airport. Ireland charges no passenger departure tax, so the way home carries only handling and airport charges. On the way out the departure country decides: UK Air Passenger Duty does not apply to aircraft under 5.7 t such as the PC-12, most jets pay the standard rate of their distance band, and the higher private-jet rate applies to aircraft of 20 t or more with fewer than 19 seats. France charges 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). Germany, Norway and the Netherlands (aircraft of 5.7 t or more) also tax departures, Sweden does not. 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 trips and their real cost

Price per seat

The aircraft is chartered as a whole, so the cost per person falls with every passenger on board:

Estimate your own route

Enter the departure airport, the Irish airport, the date and the number of passengers, and the calculator sends an estimate by e-mail.

Airports and business aviation terminals

Only Dublin, Shannon and Cork stay open through the night, and the regional fields keep a working day, so opening hours shape the plan more than runway length. The airports in use, from the capital to the north-west:

For a pet, only Dublin, Shannon and Cork are entry points, so a dog bound for Killarney lands at Cork or Shannon and finishes the trip by car. For Galway and Connemara the usual choice is Shannon, about 90 km and an hour away on the motorway.

Choosing the aircraft

Golf decides more Irish trips than range does. A full bag takes the space of a large suitcase, so four golfers fit a light jet only with light personal luggage, while six or eight need the hold of a midsize jet. At Kerry the larger long-range types are planned only after a performance check on the 2,000 m runway, so they normally land at Shannon or Cork. For a family arriving from America, the long-range aircraft is often met at Shannon by a light jet for the onward leg to Kerry or Cork.

Planning a golf week, a racing weekend or an onward flight to the United States? Leave your number and a consultant will call you back.

Month by month: golf light, racing and rugby

The mild Atlantic climate has no ski season and no real summer heat, so demand follows the sporting calendar and the length of the day. The best months for the west coast are May to September, when the links are at their best and evenings stay light until late; Dublin works all year. Empty Legs are most frequent from June to August, when golf and racing groups are dropped off in the west, and on the London - Dublin corridor in every month.

From the airport to the meeting, the course or the hotel

On racing days and big match weekends the roads around Punchestown, the Curragh, Croke Park and the Aviva Stadium close or jam, so the driver agrees a fixed meeting point for the trip back to the aircraft. Helicopter transfers to golf resorts and country estates are arranged with the flight and priced separately.

Empty Legs to and from Ireland

An Empty Leg is a flight the operator has to make without passengers, for example after dropping a group in Kerry. Business jets cross the Irish Sea several times a day, so such sectors are more common here than the size of the country suggests. Typical directions:

The operator fixes the date and time of an Empty Leg, so it suits a flexible plan more than a fixed meeting. Send the direction and a range of dates to empty-legs@jets.flights and we forward matching flights as they appear.

Flying with a dog or cat

The animal flies in the cabin beside you, and the operator must approve it before the flight is confirmed. Ireland applies the EU rules with one addition for dogs:

• Microchip, fitted before or on the same day as the rabies vaccination.
• Rabies vaccination at least 21 days old for a first vaccination, given from 12 weeks of age.
• EU pet passport, or an animal health certificate for a pet coming from Great Britain.
• Up to five pets per owner on a private, non-commercial journey.
• Dogs only: tapeworm treatment by a vet 24-120 hours before arrival, with date and time in the document. Cats and ferrets are exempt, and so are dogs flying in directly from Finland, Malta, Norway or Northern Ireland.

If the departure moves by a day, check that the tapeworm treatment still falls inside the 24-120 hour window, which counts to the time of landing, not take-off. The import of XL Bully type dogs is banned, and certain other breeds must be muzzled and kept on a short lead in public. On the way back, a dog flying directly from Ireland to Great Britain needs no new tapeworm treatment; one that stops in another country on the way does.

Documents, customs and taxes

Checklist before departure

• Passport or EU ID card for each traveller, babies and children too.
• British ETA or US ESTA if the trip continues to the UK or the United States.
• Each passenger's name, date of birth and document number, sent by the day before.
• Arrival time checked against the hours of Kerry, Knock or the Signature terminal at Dublin.
• Number of suitcases and golf bags, so the aircraft and the car have room.
• Pet passport or health certificate and, for a dog, the tapeworm treatment within 24-120 hours of landing.
• Hotel, course or meeting address for the driver.
• For the invoice: company name and VAT number.

Booking a flight to Ireland

1. Send the departure airport, dates, preferred times, passengers and luggage, and the address in Ireland, whether a Dublin office, a hotel in Clare or a lodge in Kerry.
2. We choose the airport that saves the most road, check slots at Dublin, permissions at Cork, Kerry or Knock, and the entry points if a dog travels.
3. You receive 2-4 aircraft options with operator, model, cabin photos and the whole-aircraft price, with waiting time or positioning flights shown separately.
4. Once the operator's contract is signed and paid, we confirm slots, handling, customs notice, cars and catering.
5. On the day the handler meets you at the aircraft or in the business aviation terminal, and the car takes you straight to the meeting or the first tee.

Questions about flying privately to Ireland

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

  • A Citation CJ3 costs EUR 9,000 one way from London to Dublin and EUR 9,500 to Shannon or Kerry. From Paris it is EUR 10,500 to Dublin or Cork, always for the whole aircraft plus handling, airport charges and the departure country's taxes.

• • Is it worth flying to Shannon or Kerry instead of Dublin?

  • For the west coast, yes. The fare is only slightly higher than to Dublin, and it saves two to three hours by road to Clare, Limerick, Galway or Killarney.

• • Which airport is best for golf?

  • Shannon for Lahinch, Doonbeg and Adare, Kerry for Ballybunion, Waterville and Killarney, Cork for the Old Head of Kinsale. For the K Club and Portmarnock, land at Dublin.

• • Do we need a passport?

  • Yes, in practice. Ireland is outside Schengen, so every arrival is checked; EU citizens may also use a national ID card, and British citizens travel within the Common Travel Area.

• • Can we fly late at night?

  • Dublin, Shannon and Cork are open around the clock, although the Signature terminal at Dublin works 06:00-22:00 and opens later on request. Kerry and Knock close in the evening, so a late return is planned from Shannon or Cork.

• • Can a private jet clear US border control in Ireland?

  • Yes, at Shannon. Passengers and the aircraft are cleared before take-off, and the flight then lands in the United States as a domestic arrival.

• • Can we bring our dog?

  • Yes, in the cabin. The dog needs a microchip, rabies vaccination, EU pet passport or animal health certificate and tapeworm treatment 24-120 hours before landing, and the flight must arrive at Dublin, Shannon or Cork.

• • Can we fly between Dublin and Kerry?

  • Yes, with an EU operator. A Pilatus PC-12 costs EUR 7,000 one way and takes 1:02 h; a Citation CJ3 costs EUR 8,000 and takes 0:52 h.

• • Is there a passenger tax on leaving Ireland?

  • No. The return flight carries handling and airport charges only, while the outbound leg carries the tax of the departure country, if it has one.

• • How far ahead should we book?

  • A few days are usually enough outside the peaks. For St Patrick's week, Six Nations weekends, the Galway Races and the summer golf season, book several weeks ahead, as slots, stands and hotels go first.

• • Are Empty Legs available to Ireland?

  • Yes, mostly between Dublin and London and from the west coast to Britain in summer. Tell us your direction and dates at empty-legs@jets.flights.