Private jet to Kyrgyzstan

The Tian Shan covers most of the country, and the roads between north and south cross high passes. Bishkek lies in the north, Lake Issyk-Kul to the east and Osh in the Fergana Valley to the south-west; each has an international airport with a long runway and border control, so a jet from Europe can land where the trip begins. Private flights here are business visits to the capital, summer weeks by the lake, mountain expeditions with heavy kit and winter skiing near Karakol.

From Europe the jet takes a southern line over the Black Sea, the Caucasus and the Caspian, keeping clear of closed and restricted airspace to the north and of Iran to the south. From central Europe a super midsize jet reaches Bishkek without a stop. As a broker, we compare operators with the right range and arrange the permit and handling on the ground.

Give us the airport, the dates, the number of passengers and any skis or expedition kit; a consultant answers with the aircraft that fits, the routing and the price.

Why fly there privately

Skis, climbing and camera equipment travel in the hold with the passengers, within the payload of the aircraft, so tell us the volume and weight when asking for a quote.

Prices and flight times

Prices buy the whole aircraft for a one-way flight and exclude the landing permit, handling, parking and passenger taxes. From central and western Europe the tables add 10 % to the straight line for the detour, from northern Germany, Denmark and Poland 30 %.

From the European hubs

From the north of Europe

Vienna is the cheapest hub at EUR 45,000 in a Praetor 600 for 6:36 h, and London the furthest at EUR 55,000 and 8:04 h, still without a stop. Landing straight at the lake or in Osh saves hours on mountain roads: a Praetor 600 costs EUR 52,000 from Milan to Issyk-Kul and EUR 48,000 from Munich to Osh.

From Turkey, the Gulf and the neighbours

From Istanbul a Citation Latitude flies to Bishkek in 5:25 h for EUR 32,000, and from Dubai in 4:14 h for EUR 28,000. Almaty is only 0:37 h from the lake across the Kungey Alatau range, at EUR 8,500 in a Phenom 300, which makes a combined trip with Kazakhstan easy; Osh is 0:54 h from Tashkent East in Uzbekistan. European taxes follow the departure airport: France takes a per-head tax on jets that rises with distance, about EUR 1,015 to Kyrgyzstan and about EUR 420 within Europe, Italy EUR 200 a head when an Italian airport is at either end of a sector over 1,500 km and Austria EUR 12; add distance-based Air Passenger Duty in the UK (the private-jet rate starts at 20 t with fewer than 19 seats), and passenger taxes in Germany and the Netherlands, there from 5.7 t. Kyrgyz charges appear 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

Cost per passenger

The calculator gives a first figure in seconds; name the airport and the baggage in the comment.

Airports

The landing permit is requested through a Bishkek handler, normally at least three days before the flight, and it is valid for 72 hours from midnight on the given date; with overflight permits we plan on a week. The airport administration works on weekdays only. At Tamchy and Karakol the altitude means a longer take-off run on hot afternoons, and a full aircraft may have to take less fuel or baggage, so departures from the lake are planned for the morning. Domestic sectors, for example Bishkek - Osh over the Tian Shan, are cleared with the authorities before booking; if a foreign aircraft may not fly them, a local operator does.

Unsure which airport fits your plan, or whether the jet can leave the lake fully loaded? Send us a phone number, and a consultant rings back to talk it through.

The year month by month

June to September is the season for the lake and the mountains, December to March for skiing near Karakol. The lake shore is busiest in July and August, so hotels and handling are booked several weeks ahead. Most westbound Empty Legs turn up in late August and September.

Empty Legs and onward flights

Many summer flights are one-way for the aircraft, which flies back empty after dropping guests at the lake or in the capital. Typical directions are Bishkek or Issyk-Kul to central Europe at the end of August and in September, and Bishkek to Istanbul or Dubai after business trips. The timing is the operator's, and a Kyrgyz landing permit is still required. Tell empty-legs@jets.flights which way you want to fly and when.

Dogs and cats

• Out of the EU: a microchip to ISO standard, a rabies shot given 21 days or more before departure and the EU pet passport, for at most five animals, which sit in the cabin if the operator agrees.
• Entering Kyrgyzstan, the veterinary rules of the Eurasian Economic Union apply: up to two dogs or cats without an import permit, a clinical examination within 14 days before departure recorded by a state vet, and the core vaccinations for the species.
• Back into the EU: Kyrgyzstan is an unlisted country, so the animal needs an antibody titre of at least 0.5 IU/ml. Tested before departure from the EU, it skips the three-month wait, and it re-enters through an airport with a travellers' point of entry for pets.
• Dogs flying into Great Britain, Ireland, Malta, Finland or Norway are treated against tapeworm 1-5 days before landing; when the trip lasts five days or less, a UK vet can give the treatment before departure.

Entry and documents

How to book

1. Send the airport, the dates, the number of passengers and the volume of kit.
2. We check range and take-off weight, including a morning departure from the lake, and compare a nonstop jet with one that stops.
3. Our offers list the operator, the model, the routing, the flight time and the aircraft price.
4. The contract is concluded with the operator and paid by transfer or card; its cancellation scale depends on the operator and on how close the departure is.
5. Permits go in through the operator, and a Bishkek handler meets the aircraft on arrival.

Questions about private flights to Kyrgyzstan

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

  • From EUR 45,000 one way for the whole aircraft, Vienna - Bishkek in a Praetor 600. From London the same aircraft costs EUR 55,000, before permits, handling and taxes.

• • Which aircraft fly nonstop from Europe?

  • Long-range super midsize jets such as the Praetor 600, heavy jets such as the Challenger 650 and long-range jets such as the Global 6000. A Challenger 350 or a midsize jet usually stops once on the way.

• • Can we fly straight to Lake Issyk-Kul?

  • Yes. The airport at Tamchy has a 3,800 m runway and customs, so it can be the first landing in the country.

• • Why does Bishkek airport have two codes?

  • Manas used the IATA code FRU, from Frunze, the old name of the city. The code is now BSZ, while the ICAO code UCFM stayed the same.

• • Will we need visas?

  • Not as EU or UK citizens, for up to 30 days in any 60-day period. The passport should be valid for six months beyond the stay.

• • Can we continue to Almaty or Tashkent?

  • Yes, both are under an hour and a half away by light jet, with a permit and border control in both countries.

• • Which season should we choose?

  • June to September for the lake and the mountains, mid-December to March for skiing near Karakol.

• • What is the time difference?

  • Kyrgyzstan does not change its clocks: six hours ahead of London in winter and five in summer.