Private jet to Liberia
Private jets to Liberia land at Roberts International (ROB / GLRB) at Harbel in Margibi County, the country's main airport, about 56 to 60 km by road from Monrovia. Its 3,352 m runway has an ILS and takes any business jet, and a Praetor 600 reaches it without a stop from every major European hub. The airport began during the Second World War as a ferry stop for Pan American Airways and stands next to the Firestone rubber plantation.
Clients are mostly mining and agricultural companies, contractors, international organisations and diplomatic missions; a smaller group of surfers heads for Robertsport. Scheduled connections from Europe run via Brussels, Casablanca, Addis Ababa or Nairobi, so a private flight saves a long connection and lets a team travel on its own dates.
Tell us the dates and the number of passengers, and a consultant replies with the aircraft, the ground plan and the price.
What shapes a flight to Monrovia
Prices to Roberts International
Prices are for the whole aircraft, one way, with an aircraft available near the departure airport. Handling, landing and parking, the permit, passenger taxes and any crew nights are added in the quote. The flight time is that of the first aircraft in each row.
From European hubs
| Route | Distance | Flight time | Super midsize Praetor 600 |
Heavy jet Challenger 650 |
Long range Falcon 7X |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| London Farnborough - Monrovia | 5,086 km | 6:51 h | EUR 47,000 | EUR 61,000 | EUR 80,000 |
| Paris Le Bourget - Monrovia | 4,902 km | 6:38 h | EUR 46,000 | EUR 60,000 | EUR 78,000 |
| Brussels - Monrovia | 5,154 km | 6:57 h | EUR 48,000 | EUR 62,000 | EUR 81,000 |
| Amsterdam - Monrovia | 5,307 km | 7:08 h | EUR 49,000 | EUR 63,000 | EUR 83,000 |
| Frankfurt - Monrovia | 5,179 km | 6:58 h | EUR 48,000 | EUR 62,000 | EUR 81,000 |
| Munich - Monrovia | 5,130 km | 6:55 h | EUR 47,000 | EUR 62,000 | EUR 81,000 |
| Zurich - Monrovia | 4,924 km | 6:39 h | EUR 46,000 | EUR 60,000 | EUR 78,000 |
| Geneva - Monrovia | 4,721 km | 6:24 h | EUR 44,000 | EUR 58,000 | EUR 76,000 |
| Milan Linate - Monrovia | 4,754 km | 6:27 h | EUR 44,000 | EUR 59,000 | EUR 76,000 |
| Vienna - Monrovia | 5,308 km | 7:08 h | EUR 49,000 | EUR 63,000 | EUR 83,000 |
| Nice - Monrovia | 4,502 km | 6:08 h | EUR 42,000 | EUR 57,000 | EUR 73,000 |
| Madrid - Monrovia | 3,869 km | 5:20 h | EUR 38,000 | EUR 52,000 | EUR 65,000 |
Madrid - Monrovia costs EUR 38,000 in a Praetor 600 for 5:20 h, the lowest price in the table. Nice costs EUR 42,000, Geneva and Milan EUR 44,000, Paris EUR 46,000 and London EUR 47,000 for 6:51 h. From Amsterdam and Vienna the sector exceeds seven hours and costs EUR 49,000. A Challenger 650 costs EUR 60,000 from Paris.
From Lisbon, Gran Canaria and Casablanca
| Route | Distance | Flight time | Midsize jet Citation Latitude |
Super midsize Praetor 600 |
Heavy jet Challenger 650 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lisbon - Monrovia | 3,621 km | 5:05 h | EUR 31,000 | EUR 36,000 | EUR 50,000 |
| Gran Canaria - Monrovia | 2,470 km | 3:38 h | EUR 25,000 | EUR 27,000 | EUR 40,000 |
| Casablanca - Monrovia | 3,031 km | 4:20 h | EUR 28,000 | EUR 31,000 | EUR 45,000 |
Lisbon - Monrovia takes 5:05 h in a Citation Latitude for EUR 31,000. From Gran Canaria the same aircraft costs EUR 25,000 and from Casablanca EUR 28,000.
Within West Africa
| Route | Distance | Flight time | Light jet Citation CJ3 |
Midsize jet Citation XLS+ |
Super midsize Challenger 350 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freetown Lungi - Monrovia | 410 km | 1:04 h | EUR 8,500 | EUR 11,500 | EUR 13,000 |
| Abidjan - Monrovia | 720 km | 1:30 h | EUR 10,000 | EUR 13,000 | EUR 15,500 |
| Accra - Monrovia | 1,130 km | 2:04 h | EUR 12,000 | EUR 15,500 | EUR 19,000 |
| Lagos - Monrovia | 1,512 km | 2:36 h | EUR 13,500 | EUR 17,500 | EUR 22,000 |
| Dakar - Monrovia | 1,191 km | 2:09 h | EUR 12,000 | EUR 16,000 | EUR 19,500 |
Freetown in Sierra Leone is 1:04 h away at EUR 8,500 in a Citation CJ3. Abidjan in Côte d'Ivoire costs EUR 10,000 and Accra in Ghana EUR 12,000; these two are also the usual alternates for Monrovia. Lagos in Nigeria costs EUR 13,500 and Dakar EUR 12,000.
From New York and Dubai
| Route | Distance | Flight time | Long range Falcon 7X |
Ultra long range Gulfstream G650 |
Ultra long range Global 7500 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York - Monrovia | 7,356 km | 8:57 h | EUR 110,000 | EUR 115,000 | EUR 120,000 |
| Dubai World Central - Monrovia | 7,251 km | 8:50 h | EUR 110,000 | EUR 115,000 | EUR 120,000 |
New York - Monrovia is 7,356 km, 8:57 h in a Falcon 7X at EUR 110,000; a Global 7500 costs EUR 120,000. Dubai is 8:50 h at the same Falcon 7X price. All these sectors are flown without a stop.
From Europe, the departure country adds its passenger tax. France applies a per-passenger solidarity tax whose rate goes up with distance, so a sector to Monrovia pays more than one within Europe. Italy charges EUR 200 per passenger beyond 1,500 km and Austria EUR 12. Germany and the UK have departure taxes as well; in the UK aircraft under 5.7 t pay no APD, and the higher rate applies to aircraft of 20 t or more with fewer than 19 seats. Liberian charges are listed in the quote.
Business jet price per flight hour
Worked examples
Price per seat
Dividing the aircraft price by the number of people on board:
| Route | Aircraft | Whole aircraft | 2 passengers | 4 passengers | 8 passengers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geneva - Monrovia | Praetor 600 | EUR 44,000 | EUR 22,000 | EUR 11,000 | EUR 5,500 |
| Paris Le Bourget - Monrovia | Challenger 650 | EUR 60,000 | EUR 30,000 | EUR 15,000 | EUR 7,500 |
Price calculator
For another origin or a return with nights in Monrovia, the calculator gives an estimate.
Roberts International and Spriggs Payne
| Airport | Codes | Runway | Use for private flights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roberts International, Harbel | ROB / GLRB | 3,352 m | Main gateway; handling compulsory; jet fuel; listed 24 hours |
| Spriggs Payne, Monrovia | MLW / GLMR | 1,829 m | City airport for domestic and UN flights; only with handler confirmation |
| Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire) | ABJ / DIAP | 3,000 m | Alternate 720 km to the east |
| Accra (Ghana) | ACC / DGAA | 3,403 m | Alternate 1,130 km to the east |
The passenger terminal at Roberts International was rebuilt after the civil war and has a business class lounge, and a separate VIP building stands beside the old terminal. There is no FBO lounge for private passengers. Handling is compulsory and is provided by flight-support agents, who also arrange Jet A-1 and catering; whether the party is met in the terminal, at the VIP building or at the aircraft is agreed before departure. Crew visas are issued on arrival, usually for up to 14 days.
Spriggs Payne in the Sinkor district is only about 5 km from downtown Monrovia and has immigration facilities, but its 1,829 m runway is used mainly for domestic and United Nations flights. The national airport list includes fields at Buchanan, Harper, Greenville and Voinjama, none with verified data for a business jet, so domestic legs are not offered.
Aircraft choice
- Up to eight passengers: a super midsize Praetor 600, non-stop from all hubs listed.
- Up to twelve with luggage: a heavy jet such as the Challenger 650.
- A range reserve and a quieter cabin: a long-range jet such as the Falcon 7X.
- From New York or Dubai: the Falcon 7X, the Gulfstream G650 or the Global 7500, non-stop.
- From Lisbon or the Canaries: a midsize jet such as the Citation Latitude.
Leave your number and a consultant will call back to plan the flight and the drive from Harbel.
Weather and the best months
November to April is the drier half of the year and the best time for roads and travel; the harmattan blows from November to March, and January is the driest month in Monrovia with about 51 mm. From May to October heavy rain falls, about 4,600 mm a year in Monrovia and about 958 mm in June alone, and many roads become impassable. For surfers, swells at Robertsport are more frequent from April to October, most reliable in July and August. Empty Legs are infrequent; the best chance is an empty return to Europe in the dry months.
From Harbel to Monrovia and beyond
A helicopter could cover the 46 km from Roberts International to Spriggs Payne in about 20 minutes, but no charter operator is confirmed in the country; most clients travel by car with a driver from the handler, often two vehicles together.
Visa, money and safety
The flight back lands from a country outside the EU and Schengen, so the first Schengen or UK airport handles immigration and customs.
Pets
A dog or cat travels in the cabin when the operator approves. The usual requirements are an import permit from the Ministry of Agriculture obtained before arrival, a health certificate endorsed by the government vet of the departure country, and a rabies vaccination given between 30 days and 12 months before entry, with no quarantine when all is in order. We obtain the conditions and the entry point from the Ministry in writing before the flight.
Empty Legs to and from Liberia
Empty Legs on this route come from charters that land at Roberts International and do not wait, or from aircraft repositioning after a contract elsewhere in West Africa. They are infrequent and their dates are fixed. Write to empty-legs@jets.flights with the route and a few possible dates.
How to book
- Send the dates, passenger names and nationalities and the programme in Liberia.
- We check operators that accept Monrovia, their insurance and the customs hours at Harbel.
- You receive aircraft options with operator, model, flight time and full price.
- You sign the contract with the operator and pay; the visas are issued and the permit with the parking slot is filed.
- Before departure we send the handler, the convoy plan from the airport and the crew contacts.
Questions about private flights to Liberia
-
- How much is a private jet to Liberia?
-
From EUR 38,000 one way for the whole aircraft, Madrid - Monrovia in a Praetor 600. Paris costs EUR 46,000 and London EUR 47,000, plus charges and taxes.
-
- How long is the flight from Europe?
-
6:38 h from Paris, 6:51 h from London and 5:20 h from Madrid in a Praetor 600, without a stop.
-
- Which airport do we use?
-
Roberts International at Harbel, about 56 to 60 km from Monrovia, with a 3,352 m runway. Spriggs Payne in the city is used only when the handler confirms it.
-
- Is there a VIP terminal?
-
A separate VIP building stands beside the old terminal; the handler arranges its use. There is no FBO lounge.
-
- Do we need a visa?
-
Yes. Residents of countries with a Liberian embassy obtain it there before departure; others apply online at least 7 days ahead and receive the visa on arrival at Roberts International.
-
- How much notice is needed?
-
At least 48 to 72 hours for the permit, plus the time for the visas.
-
- Can we combine Monrovia with Freetown or Abidjan?
-
Yes. Freetown is 1:04 h and Abidjan 1:30 h in a Citation CJ3, each with its own permit.
-
- Can we bring our dog?
-
Yes, in the cabin, with an import permit, an endorsed health certificate and a rabies vaccination. Do the antibody test for the EU return before leaving.
-
- Are there Empty Legs?
-
Occasionally, mostly empty returns to Europe in the dry season. Write to empty-legs@jets.flights.
The aviation expert will answer all your questions about business aviation and private flights. We will help you to compare and choose the best business jet for your flight.