Private jet to Kuwait

Kuwait sits at the northern end of the Gulf, between Iraq and Saudi Arabia, and of all the Gulf monarchies its capital lies closest to Europe. Private flights here are almost always business: meetings with the oil sector, the investment authority, banks and family companies, often one or two days in Kuwait City followed by Riyadh, Bahrain or Doha. Leisure trips are rare.

Every international private flight lands at Kuwait International, about 15 km south of the city centre, the only civil airport in the country. The rules are among the strictest in the region: the operator needs a landing permit and a slot, passengers get their visa at the border or online in advance, alcohol is illegal, and many common medicines need paperwork. As a broker, we compare aircraft from operators in Europe and the Gulf and prepare all of this with the handling agent before departure.

Send the route, the dates, the number of passengers and the other stops of the programme. A consultant replies with aircraft, permit timing and price.

Why business travellers fly in privately

Kuwait flights: prices by departure city

Prices cover the whole aircraft one way, with a jet assumed to be free near the departure airport; landing permit, handling, airport charges and taxes are added. The time given belongs to the first aircraft of each row.

From the European hubs

A Praetor 500 costs EUR 29,000 from Vienna and EUR 31,000 from Munich; from London the price is EUR 36,000. The straight line crosses Syria and Iraq, which operators from the EU avoid in line with EASA conflict-zone bulletins; Kuwait borders Iraq, so the aircraft approaches over Saudi Arabia, and the real track is noticeably longer. From London or Paris with a full cabin, the operator may then plan a fuel stop for the midsize jet or propose the Falcon 2000LXS, which costs EUR 61,000 from London. From Larnaca the flight takes 2:22 h for EUR 18,500.

From Istanbul, Athens and eastern Europe

Istanbul - Kuwait is the cheapest row at EUR 18,000 in a Phenom 300, Athens EUR 19,500. From Warsaw the light jet needs a fuel stop and 6:30 h, while the Citation Latitude flies non-stop in 4:47 h for EUR 30,000.

Within the Gulf and to Jordan

Typical hops to Bahrain, Riyadh, Qatar, Dubai, Jordan and Oman:

Dammam and Bahrain cost EUR 10,000 in a Phenom 300, Dubai EUR 12,500. The flight to Amman also keeps out of Iraqi airspace, so it takes longer than the 2:04 h in the table. Every border means its own landing permit and passport control.

On a five-hour sector the quote is mostly flight hours, including any hours the jet flies empty to reach you or to get home. Long-term parking at Kuwait International is limited, so for a stay of several days we compare parking and crew hotels with two separate one-way flights. Overflight fees and, with some operators, war-risk insurance are added. Each passenger pays the tax of the departure country: about EUR 1,015 on a jet from France, where the rate depends on distance and stays near EUR 420 only for European trips; EUR 200 to or from Italy on sectors over 1,500 km; EUR 12 from Austria. Germany, Norway and the Netherlands (aircraft of 5.7 t or more) charge amounts shown in the quote next to the Kuwaiti charges. UK Air Passenger Duty does not apply to aircraft under 5.7 t; jets of 20 t or more with fewer than 19 seats pay the higher private-jet rate, other jets the standard rate of their distance band.

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 and calculator

Starting somewhere else? Enter the airport in the calculator for a first estimate by e-mail:

Its figure is based on the direct distance; the routing around closed airspace and the nearest free aircraft come into the offer.

Kuwait International and the alternates

Kuwait International (KWI, OKKK; the older code OKBK still appears in some documents) lies in the Farwaniya governorate, about 15 km south of the centre. Its runways of over 3,400 m take every business jet and airliner-based VIP aircraft, and a general aviation terminal with passport and customs control handles private passengers. A handling agent is compulsory: it requests the permit and the slot, books the terminal and the car, and reports any change of time or aircraft again. The aircraft documents go to the authority at least 72 hours ahead, and the permit usually takes a few working days, counted from Sunday to Thursday.

In spring and summer, winds from the desert carry dust that can reduce visibility for a few hours; the operator then moves the departure or the arrival.

Aircraft for the route

Daytime readings above 45 °C are common from June to September and lengthen the take-off run, so flights out of Kuwait are timed for the evening or early morning. See light jets and midsize jets in the catalogue.

The year in Kuwait

The most comfortable months are October to April; business travel continues all year. Empty Legs appear mostly on short Gulf routes and after delegation visits, when jets fly back to Europe empty. Ramadan shifts by about 11 days each year; during it offices keep shorter hours, and eating, drinking and smoking in public are not allowed by day, also in a car.

Empty Legs to and from Kuwait

Jets that bring delegations from Europe often return without passengers, and short empty sectors between Kuwait, Dammam, Bahrain, Riyadh and Doha appear all year. The operator fixes the date and time, and the visa and the landing permit must be ready, so an Empty Leg works only with documents in hand. Send the direction and dates to empty-legs@jets.flights.

Pets

A dog or cat can share the cabin with you if the operator agrees in advance. Kuwait has its own import rules:

• Import permit from the animal health department of the Kuwaiti agriculture authority, obtained before departure; its conditions are checked on arrival.
• Microchip, and a rabies vaccination given at least 30 days and no more than one year before arrival.
• Health certificate from a government vet, valid for 30 days, matching the permit.
• Kuwait is not on the EU list of approved countries: the return to the EU needs an antibody result of at least 0.5 IU/ml from a blood sample taken at least 30 days after vaccination. Taken in Europe before the trip and recorded in the pet passport, it avoids the three-month wait.

Visa, customs and conduct

Flights to Kuwait leave the Schengen area, so passport control applies at the European airport in both directions.

How to book

1. Send the departure airport, dates, number of passengers and the further stops; mind the Friday-Saturday weekend.
2. We check passports and visas and choose a light, midsize or heavy jet for the distance, the detour and the luggage.
3. The offers show the operator, the aircraft with cabin photos, the flight time and the price, with parking and crew costs on separate lines.
4. After you sign the contract with the operator and pay by bank transfer or card, the handling agent requests the permit and the slot.
5. Cancellation terms depend on the operator and the time left before departure and are written into the contract; on the day, the agent meets you at the general aviation terminal.

Questions about private flights to Kuwait

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

  • From the European hubs a Praetor 500 costs from EUR 29,000 (Vienna) to EUR 36,000 (London) one way for the whole aircraft. From Istanbul a Phenom 300 costs EUR 18,000, and from Dammam or Bahrain EUR 10,000.

• • Where do private jets land?

  • At Kuwait International, about 15 km south of the city centre, the only civil airport for international flights. Private passengers use the general aviation terminal.

• • How long is the flight from London?

  • London Farnborough - Kuwait takes 6:22 h in a Praetor 500 in a straight line. The detour around Iraqi and Syrian airspace makes it longer, and the operator may plan a fuel stop with a full cabin.

• • Do we need a visa?

  • Yes. EU and UK citizens can get it on arrival or apply a few days ahead online, with a passport valid six more months and in good condition.

• • Can we have alcohol on board?

  • No. Alcohol is illegal in Kuwait, duty-free included, and catering is ordered without it.

• • How far ahead should we book?

  • The aircraft documents go to the authority at least 72 hours ahead, and the permit takes a few working days from Sunday to Thursday. Send passport data as soon as you accept the offer.

• • Can we continue to Riyadh or Bahrain?

  • Yes, both are about an hour away in a light jet. Each stop needs its own permit, and Saudi Arabia needs an e-visa for every passenger.

• • Can our dog come?

  • Yes, with a Kuwaiti import permit, microchip, rabies vaccination and a health certificate. The return to the EU needs an antibody test, best done before departure.

• • Are there Empty Legs?

  • Mostly on short Gulf routes and after delegation visits towards Europe. Write to empty-legs@jets.flights.