Private jet to Madrid

The Spanish capital is the country's main business centre: ministries, banks and company headquarters line the Paseo de la Castellana, and the IFEMA exhibition grounds hold large trade fairs for most of the year. For a private flight there is effectively one airport. Barajas is about 13 km from Puerta del Sol, on the north-eastern edge of the city, works 24 hours and has four runways, the longest about 4,350 m, so it accepts anything from a turboprop to a VIP airliner.

Most clients come for a day of meetings, a fair, a football match at the Bernabéu or the Metropolitano, or to change to a long-haul jet for Latin America. Business aircraft park on a separate apron with their own terminal, well away from the airline terminals, and customs and border police clear passengers there. Every movement needs a slot, but the slot office works around the clock and normally answers within an hour. As a broker we compare aircraft from operators across Europe, book the handler, the slot and the car, and put everything in one quote.

Send the route, the date and the number of passengers through the form, and we will come back with aircraft options and a price.

Why business travellers fly privately to the Spanish capital

How long the flight takes

Times for a Phenom 300 light jet from the main business airports, including taxi, climb and descent, as shown in the price tables:

Because the capital lies at the centre of the peninsula, from central Europe it is a longer sector than most people expect: Frankfurt takes 2:24 h, Vienna and Hamburg 2:52-2:54 h in a Phenom 300. On these distances the cabin starts to matter more than the minutes, because a Challenger 350 from Munich saves only 8 minutes against the Phenom 300 but lets everyone stand up. From Copenhagen allow about 3:20 h in a Pilatus PC-24, from New York about 7 h in a long-range jet.

What a private flight to Madrid costs

Prices are for the whole aircraft, one way, with an aircraft available near the departure airport. Handling, parking and the departure country's passenger taxes come on top. The flight time refers to the first aircraft in each row.

Hub airports across Europe

Lisbon is the cheapest of the hubs at EUR 10,500 in a Phenom 300, followed by Nice at EUR 12,500. From London the same aircraft costs EUR 14,000, and the Challenger 350 with its stand-up cabin EUR 19,500. Larnaca, at about 3,300 km, is beyond the practical range of the two smaller jets, so only the Challenger 350 is priced.

Within Spain and from Portugal

Short Iberian sectors are billed mainly for the aircraft and crew rather than the distance, and on routes under about 500 km a turboprop takes only 10-20 minutes longer than a jet:

From Scandinavia, Ireland and Poland

Stockholm is close to 2,600 km away, about four hours in a light jet. For that distance a Praetor 500 or a Gulfstream G280 is quicker and has a larger baggage hold.

Long-haul flights, including Latin America

Historical and language ties make the capital a common European arrival point for private flights from Latin America. Barajas has the runway length for every long-range type. The Challenger 650 needs one fuel stop from Miami, Mexico City and São Paulo, while the Falcon 7X and the Global 7500 fly non-stop:

Prices follow flight time, the position of the nearest free aircraft and demand: in the week of the Formula 1 race, during big IFEMA fairs and on derby weekends fewer aircraft are free. Spain charges no national per-passenger tax on private flights, so the flight home from Barajas to another country carries only airport charges. A domestic Spanish leg, for example on to Seville or Palma, is subject to 10% Spanish VAT. Departures from France pay about EUR 420 per passenger on a jet, departures from Italy EUR 100 per passenger up to 1,500 km and EUR 200 beyond, and departures from the UK and Germany their own departure taxes. All of it 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 with the full bill

Price per seat

The aircraft is chartered as a whole, so the cost per person falls with every seat filled. Departure taxes, where they apply, are added per passenger:

Get an estimate for your route

Pick the departure airport, the date and the number of passengers, and the calculator sends an indicative price for the suitable aircraft classes.

Barajas and the other airfields around the city

Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas (MAD, LEMD) is Spain's largest airport, run by the state company Aena. It stands at about 610 m above sea level, which matters on hot summer afternoons: thin, warm air reduces the payload a heavily loaded jet can carry on a long sector, and the operator checks the figures before confirming a full cabin with fuel for a long onward flight.

Every aircraft must use a handler, named in the flight plan, who applies for the slot, reserves the stand and organises the steps, the crew transport and the car. AviaVIP and United Aviation run FBOs on the executive side, and Jetex, Sky Valet and Universal Aviation also handle business aircraft. The quote states which handler we have chosen for your trip. A car reaches the aircraft only if both driver and vehicle are registered with the airport, which is why the handler books it; any other driver has to wait at the terminal.

Why not Torrejón or Cuatro Vientos

Several airfields around the city appear in older listings, but none of them replaces Barajas for a business jet:

Helicopter flights to and from the city usually use Cuatro Vientos. Heavier aircraft need permission from the airport in advance, and flights from outside Schengen must send the names of passengers and crew 48 hours before arrival. Since it has no instrument approach, a flight planned there in poor weather has to divert, which is why we plan almost every jet into Barajas.

Choosing the aircraft

On a sector of two to three hours a light jet is the cheaper option, but the cabin is low and the hold small. With golf bags for the courses north of the city, sample cases for a fair or more than four passengers from northern Europe, midsize jets are worth the difference. Tell us the number and size of bags when you send the request.

To talk through the aircraft, the handler or the timing, leave your number and a consultant will call you back.

The Madrid calendar: fairs, football and heat

The rhythm here is set by fairs, congresses and sport rather than by a beach season. These recurring dates fill hotels and make free aircraft harder to find:

Outside the Formula 1 week and the largest fairs, a flight to Barajas can usually be arranged within a few days, often within hours, because capacity is rarely the problem. The city stands on a high plateau with hot summers and cool winters, so April, May, late September and October are the most comfortable months for a visit.

From Barajas to the city and beyond

A prepaid driver arranged with the flight is the usual choice: he meets the aircraft on the apron, loads the bags and avoids the taxi queue at the terminals. For Toledo, Segovia, Aranjuez or El Escorial a helicopter can take over, but helicopters use Cuatro Vientos, about 22 km across the city from Barajas, so the jet-to-helicopter change has to be planned as a separate transfer.

Empty Legs on Iberian routes

The capital is the private aviation hub of the peninsula and a turning point for transatlantic flights, so aircraft often have to reposition empty. Such legs are sold well below the normal price, with the same crew and service. Typical directions:

Dates and times are set by the original booking, so these flights suit flexible plans. Write the direction and a range of dates to empty-legs@jets.flights, and we will send matching offers as they come up.

Travelling with a dog or cat

Your animal stays in the cabin beside you for the whole flight. Tell us the species, breed and weight when you book, because each operator decides for itself whether it carries pets and some charge for cabin cleaning. Spain applies the standard EU rules:

• Microchip, implanted before the rabies vaccination.
• Valid rabies vaccination; the first one must be given at least 21 days before travel.
• EU pet passport; animals from Great Britain travel with an animal health certificate instead.
• Up to five dogs, cats or ferrets per person on a non-commercial trip.
• No tapeworm treatment is required to enter Spain.

If the trip continues to the UK, Ireland, Malta, Finland or Norway, dogs need tapeworm treatment 1-5 days before arrival, and the UK admits pets only through approved routes and handlers. Outside the EU, the rules of the destination country apply and we check them for each trip.

Passports, borders and taxes

Before you fly

• Valid passport or ID card for every passenger; a passport for anyone coming from outside Schengen.
• Names, dates of birth and document numbers, sent to us at least the day before.
• Times of arrival and departure, so the handler can request both slots.
• Whether the aircraft waits, and for how long, or flies home between the legs.
• Number and size of bags, sample cases or golf bags.
• Exact address in the city: office, hotel, fair hall or stadium entrance.
• Pet documents, if an animal travels.
• Company name and VAT number for the invoice.

Booking in five steps

1. Send the departure airport, the date and times, the number of passengers and bags, and the address you are heading to.
2. We check aircraft near your departure point, the slot window at Barajas and, for the Formula 1 week or a big fair, parking for the stay.
3. You receive two to four options with operator, model, cabin photos and the price for the whole aircraft, plus the car and catering.
4. You sign the contract with the operator and pay; the handler confirms slots, parking and apron access for the driver.
5. The aircraft parks on the executive apron, you pass the terminal in a few minutes, and the driver is waiting at the steps.

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

Madrid by private jet: frequent questions

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

  • From Lisbon a Phenom 300 costs EUR 10,500 one way, from Nice EUR 12,500 and from London EUR 14,000, for the whole aircraft. Short domestic flights in a turboprop start at EUR 7,000. Handling and the departure country's taxes are added in the quote.

• • Which airport do private jets use?

  • Barajas, at the business aviation terminal. Torrejón is closed to civil traffic and Cuatro Vientos only suits small aircraft in daylight and good weather.

• • How long is the flight from London?

  • About 2:07 h from Farnborough in a Phenom 300 and 2:01 h in a Challenger 350, non-stop.

• • Are slots a problem?

  • Rarely. A slot is needed for every movement, but the slot office works 24 hours and usually confirms within an hour, sometimes moving the time by a few minutes.

• • Can I fly in and out on the same day?

  • Yes. The airport is open around the clock, so a late return is possible. On longer sectors, such as from northern Europe, a long day may need a second crew, which is shown in the quote.

• • How far is the airport from the business district?

  • About 9 km, 15-20 minutes by car to the Castellana and the Cuatro Torres. The old town is 15-30 minutes away depending on traffic.

• • Can the car drive up to the aircraft?

  • Yes, if it is an approved vehicle with a registered driver. We book it through the handler, so it is waiting when you land.

• • Do I need a passport?

  • Within Schengen there is no check, but the operator needs a valid passport or ID card for each passenger. From the UK and other non-Schengen countries passports are checked in the executive terminal.

• • Can my dog travel with me?

  • Yes, in the cabin, with a microchip, a valid rabies vaccination and an EU pet passport. The operator has to agree before booking.

• • Are there Empty Legs to Madrid?

  • Yes, mostly within the peninsula, to London and Paris and after big events. Send your direction and dates to empty-legs@jets.flights.

• • When is it hardest to find an aircraft?

  • In the Formula 1 week in September and during the largest IFEMA fairs. In August the city is quiet and aircraft are easy to find.

• • How early should I book?

  • For ordinary dates a few days are enough, and urgent flights can often be arranged within hours. For the Formula 1 race or ARCO, book as soon as the dates are fixed.