Private jet to Macau

Four centuries as a Portuguese trading post left the city a historic centre listed by UNESCO, and the integrated resorts of Cotai turned it into one of the largest gaming and hotel markets in the world. Private flyers come for the resorts and their events, for the Grand Prix in November, for meetings with partners in the Greater Bay Area, and as a quieter way into the region than the airport across the estuary in Hong Kong.

Macau International Airport (MFM, VMMC) occupies reclaimed land at the eastern tip of Taipa, the same island as the Cotai hotels. It is open 24 hours, a single runway of over 3,200 m takes every business jet, and private passengers are driven from the aircraft to a separate business aviation terminal with its own immigration and customs. The territory belongs to China but keeps its own border, currency and entry rules. As a broker without aircraft of our own, we source the jet from operators that fly to East Asia.

Use the form for the route, dates and number of passengers, and tell us where the trip ends: Cotai, the peninsula, Hong Kong or Zhuhai.

What a private flight to Macau changes

Flight times from Europe

Global 7500 times from the price tables, non-stop unless marked:

• Larnaca: 10:49 h, Helsinki: 10:55 h, Istanbul: 11:06 h
• Stockholm: 11:26 h, Warsaw: 11:30 h, Athens: 11:49 h
• Vienna: 12:05 h, Hamburg: 12:21 h, Munich: 12:31 h, Frankfurt: 12:42 h
• Rome: 12:50 h, Zurich and Amsterdam: 12:52 h, Milan: 12:55 h
• Geneva: 13:10 h, Nice: 13:14 h, Paris Le Bourget: 13:17 h, London Farnborough: 13:23 h
• Madrid: 16:00 h including a fuel stop

The distances behind these times are route lengths about 20 % longer than the great circle, because European operators avoid the closed and restricted airspace on the direct line and fly via Turkey, the Caucasus and Central Asia or further south. A Challenger 650 or a Global 6000 lands once on the way, usually for under an hour. The flight time to Hong Kong is almost the same, since the two airports are only 38 km apart.

Macau private jet prices

Prices are for the whole aircraft and one way. Parking, crew accommodation, local charges and passenger taxes are quoted on top; the flight time column shows the first aircraft in each row.

From the main European hubs

Across western and central Europe the one-stop Challenger 650 sits between EUR 130,000 and EUR 140,000, and Larnaca and Istanbul start at EUR 115,000 and EUR 120,000. The Global 6000 also stops on most routes, so for a non-stop flight the Global 7500 is the relevant figure: EUR 150,000 from Larnaca and EUR 185,000 from London. From Larnaca the Global 6000 just reaches without landing, at EUR 140,000.

From other cities in Europe

Across the region

Hong Kong is too close for a jet to make sense, but Taipei, Manila, Shanghai, Bangkok and Singapore are short sectors where a light or midsize aircraft from a regional operator is enough:

From the Gulf

From Dubai and Doha every aircraft in the table flies non-stop; the operator confirms the routing over the region for the date:

A fare grows with the hours in the air and includes positioning the aircraft and crew to your departure airport. After 12 hours or more on duty the crew rests before flying back, or a second crew travels on board, and the quote shows which. Departure taxes follow the country you leave from: from France a per-passenger tax that depends on distance, about EUR 2,100 on a jet to Macau, five times the European rate of about EUR 420; Italy takes EUR 200 per passenger on routes beyond 1,500 km and Austria EUR 12. The UK applies the higher rate of Air Passenger Duty to jets of 20 t or more with fewer than 19 seats, which includes the Challenger 650, the Global 6000 and the Global 7500; lighter jets are charged the standard rate for their distance band. Germany and Norway charge departure taxes, the Netherlands taxes passengers on aircraft of 5.7 t or more and Sweden has none. Macau airport 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

Three sample trips

Price per seat

The aircraft is booked as a whole, so the cost per passenger depends on how many travel. Passenger taxes come on top:

Online estimate

The calculator gives a first figure for your route; add the number of nights in the comment so that parking can be included.

The airport on Taipa and Hong Kong as an alternative

The airport sits 6 m above sea level on land reclaimed from the estuary, about 8 km from the Macau peninsula. Business aircraft use a terminal separate from the airline building: passengers go by car from the aircraft door to the lounge, where immigration and customs officers clear them, and TAG Aviation handles private flights round the clock. The airport has no night curfew, which helps after a flight of 11-13 hours that can arrive at any hour.

Landing permits and overflight approvals for every country on the route are arranged by the operator in advance. Apron space is easier to find than at Chek Lap Kok, but during the Grand Prix, Chinese New Year and Golden Week the stands are booked early, together with the hotel.

If the whole programme is in Hong Kong, landing at Chek Lap Kok is usually simpler, provided a slot and a parking stand are confirmed. Mainland airports nearby mean a Chinese permit and Chinese border control, so we choose them only for meetings across the border:

Choosing the aircraft

A group with large suitcases for a long resort stay fits best in a heavy or long-range jet, whose holds can be reached during the flight. For the long sector compare heavy jets with ultra long range jets, and remember that a full cabin on the westbound return may need a fuel stop even in the largest aircraft.

Planning a Grand Prix trip or a stay split between Macau and Hong Kong? Leave your number and a consultant will call back.

When to go

The eastbound flight costs a calendar day: leave Europe late in the evening and you land in the afternoon or evening of the next day, local time. For that first day we plan only the transfer and rest.

Transfers from the airport

Empty Legs to and from Macau

Empty Legs are sectors an aircraft flies without passengers, sold at a lower price. To Taipa they come mostly from the region:

The operator fixes the date, and permits for the route are needed exactly as on a normal charter. Send the direction and a range of dates to empty-legs@jets.flights and we will contact you when a matching flight comes up.

Bringing a dog or cat

Macau has its own veterinary rules, separate from Hong Kong and the mainland, administered by the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM):

• An import licence from IAM before departure: applications are processed within three working days and the licence is valid for 30 days. From countries where rabies occurs, IAM advises contacting it at least four months before applying.
• An ISO microchip, a valid rabies vaccination, a valid antibody test result and a health certificate from a government veterinarian.
• An inspection at the airport, booked at least one working day ahead, held Monday to Friday from 9:30 to 19:00 except public holidays, so a night or weekend arrival means the animal waits.
• With complete documents there is no quarantine; with missing papers the animal is detained and the owner pays for return or quarantine.
• A dog staying in Macau needs a local licence valid for three years; one person may import animals no more than once every six months, and some breeds are banned.

Passports, borders and rules

Checklist before take-off

• Passports for all passengers, valid for the whole trip.
• A passenger list with passport details, sent early for the permits.
• The final destination: Cotai, the peninsula, Hong Kong or Zhuhai.
• Whether the aircraft waits in Macau or flies home during the stay.
• Chinese entry rules checked if the programme includes Zhuhai.
• The IAM licence and a booked inspection if a pet travels.
• Hotel and car confirmed for Grand Prix week or Chinese New Year.

Booking your flight

1. Give us the hotel or meeting place, the dates, the number of passengers and any onward travel to Hong Kong or Zhuhai.
2. We compare a one-stop heavy jet with a non-stop ultra long range jet and show both prices.
3. The operator applies for the landing permit and overflight approvals, and we reserve parking early for event weeks.
4. You sign the contract and pay; the car, the bridge transfer or the helicopter are booked at the same time.
5. On arrival a car takes you from the aircraft to the business aviation terminal, and the driver waits at the exit.

Our team

Charlotte McKinney

Commercial Director

charlotte.m@jets.flights

Henry Richter

Head of Aviation Department and Data Protection Officer

henry.r@jets.flights

Emma Miller

Director of Development

emma.m@jets.flights

Liam Bishop

Senior Aviation Consultant

liam.b@jets.flights

Oliver Davis

Aviation Consultant

oliver.d@jets.flights

Anna Laurent

Aviation Consultant

anna.l@jets.flights

Questions about private flights to Macau

• • What does a private jet to Macau cost?

  • A Challenger 650 with one fuel stop costs from EUR 115,000 one way from Larnaca and from EUR 140,000 from London. A non-stop Global 7500 costs from EUR 150,000.

• • Is it cheaper to land in Macau than in Hong Kong?

  • The flight costs almost the same, because the airports are 38 km apart. The difference lies in parking: Macau usually has more room for an aircraft that waits several days.

• • Is the airport open at night?

  • Yes, the airport and the business aviation terminal work 24 hours, so the arrival time can follow your programme.

• • What is the flying time from Europe?

  • Between 10:49 h from Larnaca and 13:23 h from London non-stop in a Global 7500. A one-stop heavy jet adds about two hours.

• • How do we get to Hong Kong from the airport?

  • By bus over the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge in about 40 minutes plus border checks, by ferry from Taipa, or by chartered helicopter in about a quarter of an hour.

• • Do Europeans need a visa?

  • No, citizens of the EU, the UK, Switzerland and Norway enter visa-free; most EU passports receive 90 days. Zhuhai and mainland China have separate rules.

• • When is it hardest to find hotels and parking?

  • During the Grand Prix in November, around Chinese New Year and in Golden Week at the start of October.

• • Can our dog come with us?

  • Yes, with an IAM import licence obtained beforehand and an airport inspection booked for a weekday between 9:30 and 19:00.

• • Are there Empty Legs to Macau?

  • Mostly from Taipei, Manila, Bangkok and Singapore, and occasionally long-range legs between Macau and Europe or the Gulf. Write to empty-legs@jets.flights.

• • Is a there-and-back day trip possible?

  • Not from Europe, as crews must rest after such a long sector. From Taipei or Manila a day trip is possible.

• • How early should we book?

  • Allow at least a week for permits; for the Grand Prix and Chinese New Year, several weeks.