Private jet to Malaysia

The country comes in two parts. The Malay Peninsula holds Kuala Lumpur, the industrial island of Penang and the beaches of Langkawi; across the South China Sea, Sabah and Sarawak on Borneo have the rainforest, Mount Kinabalu and the dive sites of the coast. European clients come for meetings with banks and energy companies in the capital, for factory visits in Penang, and for family holidays on Langkawi or in a Borneo lodge.

Business jets for the capital land at Subang, the city's old airport, 17 km from the centre, where the SkyPark terminal clears passengers on site. Penang and Langkawi take long-range jets straight from Europe, as do Kota Kinabalu and Kuching. Every flight needs a slot and an approval from the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM). As a broker, we set non-stop offers next to one-stop ones from operators based in Europe, the Gulf and Asia.

Name the city or island, the dates and the number of passengers, and say whether the trip includes Borneo.

Why charter a jet to Kuala Lumpur, Penang or Borneo

How long the flight takes

Times as in the tables below, for a Global 7500 without a stop unless another type is named:

• Larnaca - Kuala Lumpur Subang: 10:02 h, Istanbul - Kuala Lumpur Subang: 10:59 h in a Falcon 8X
• Vienna - Penang: 11:38 h, Milan Linate - Langkawi: 12:10 h
• Munich - Kuala Lumpur Subang: 12:24 h, Geneva - Penang: 12:36 h
• London Farnborough - Kuala Lumpur Subang: 13:26 h, Frankfurt - Kuching: 13:36 h
• With one fuel stop: Challenger 650 London Farnborough - Kuala Lumpur Subang 15:42 h, Global 7500 London Farnborough - Kota Kinabalu 15:48 h
• Dubai - Kuala Lumpur Subang: 7:24 h in a Praetor 600

Closed airspace in Eastern Europe sends European operators south, over Turkey, the Middle East or Central Asia and then across India, which adds about a tenth to the straight line. The Peninsula sits at the edge of what a long-range jet covers in one go: the Global 7500 manages it from every western and central hub except Madrid, the Gulfstream G550 only from Vienna, Milan and the south-east of Europe. Kota Kinabalu, about 1,600 km east of the capital, is out of non-stop reach from London even for the largest cabins, while Kuching can still be reached from Frankfurt. On the way home the jet stream adds time.

Private jet prices to Malaysia

The aircraft is priced as a whole, one way, starting near the departure city; slot, CAAM approval, handling, parking, airport charges and taxes are extra. The time shown is for the first model in the row, fuel stop included where there is one.

From the European hubs

A Challenger 650 with one stop is the most economical aircraft from every hub: Vienna to Penang costs EUR 125,000, Munich to the capital EUR 130,000 and London to the capital EUR 140,000. Non-stop, the Global 7500 costs EUR 175,000 from Munich and EUR 190,000 from London. The Gulfstream G550 pays off where it flies without a stop: Vienna to Penang for EUR 150,000, Milan to Langkawi for EUR 155,000 and Larnaca to the capital for EUR 130,000. From the western hubs it lands for fuel and costs about as much as the Global 7500. The Paris row goes to KLIA, the choice for an arrival after 23:00.

From other European cities

From Istanbul and Athens a Falcon 8X flies non-stop for EUR 135,000, almost two hours faster than the Challenger 650 with its stop. From Scandinavia only the Gulfstream G650 makes it without landing.

Gulf and South-East Asia

Light and midsize jets based in Singapore, Bangkok and Jakarta keep the regional sectors short:

Domestic sectors go to a Malaysian operator, and on landing in Sabah or Sarawak passports are checked again:

On a twelve-hour sector the flight time makes up most of the price, and a one-way trip also covers the empty return. For a stay of a week or more we quote the aircraft flying home and coming back, and compare it with parking in Kuala Lumpur and crew hotels. On the European side, a jet leaving France pays a per-passenger tax set by distance, about EUR 2,100 on a flight this long against about EUR 420 within Europe, a flight to or from Italy EUR 200 per passenger at this distance, and a departure from Austria EUR 12; Germany, Norway and the Netherlands (aircraft of 5.7 t or more) charge their own taxes, Sweden none, and UK APD applies at the higher rate for private jets of 20 t or more with fewer than 19 seats, which includes every jet in the European tables. Malaysian airport and passenger 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 trips with real figures

Price per person

Calculator

Enter the route for a first estimate, and say in the comment whether the trip continues to Borneo, Singapore or Thailand.

Airports and business aviation terminals

A flight from abroad must land at a designated international airport: on the Peninsula KLIA, Subang, Penang, Langkawi and Senai, on Borneo Kota Kinabalu and Kuching. The slot comes from the national coordinator, then CAAM issues the approval, and its number goes into the flight plan; in Sabah and Sarawak air traffic control can delay or refuse an aircraft without it.

The CAAM office works on weekdays only, so a request sent on Friday evening is read on Monday. Every flight uses a ground handler named in the application, which orders fuel against a release sent in advance and books the car. De-icing is never needed, but afternoon thunderstorms can hold a departure for a while.

Choosing the aircraft

A large cabin may not fit every stand at Subang, so the model is checked against the parking before the quote is final. On Borneo trips with lodges and boats, soft bags are easier to move than hard cases. All models are in the catalogue of ultra long range jets and heavy jets.

Leave a number, and a consultant will call to compare a stop on the way with a non-stop jet.

When to fly: monsoons, haze and holidays

The country is hot all year, and the monsoons decide which coast is dry. For Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Langkawi the best months are December to March; the islands off the east coast, such as Tioman, Redang and Perhentian, are calm from April to September, and Borneo is drier from March to October. Hari Raya Aidilfitri, at the end of Ramadan, moves each year; around it roads are full and many offices close. Long Empty Legs to Europe appear mostly in July and in December, and short regional ones from Singapore and Bangkok throughout the year.

From the airports to the city and the resorts

Empty Legs to and from Malaysia

Aircraft that bring guests from Europe often fly home empty, and regional jets return to their bases after short trips. Typical directions:

An Empty Leg still needs the CAAM approval and a slot, so allow a few days of flexibility. Directions and dates go to empty-legs@jets.flights.

Pets on a flight to Malaysia

Dogs and cats enter on an import permit, and a quarantine of at least a week is the normal rule on the Peninsula. The way home to the EU is simpler than from most of Asia.

• Leaving the EU: up to five animals, each with an ISO microchip, the EU pet passport and a rabies vaccination at least 21 days old.
• Import permit from the Department of Veterinary Services for every animal; the animal must be at least three months old, and the microchip must be implanted before the rabies vaccination, given at least 30 days before arrival.
• On the Peninsula the animal usually spends at least seven days at the quarantine station at KLIA, so a flight with a pet lands there. Sabah asks for a rabies antibody test and at least 30 days of quarantine.
• Banned breeds include the pit bull types, American Staffordshire terrier, Akita, Tosa and Dogo Argentino; others, such as the Rottweiler and German Shepherd, need special approval.
• Malaysia is on the EU list of countries exempt from the rabies antibody test, so a pet with microchip, valid vaccination and EU pet passport returns without one.
• The animal flies in the cabin beside you, once the operator has approved it in advance.

Entry rules and permits

The aircraft from Europe may continue to Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia or Brunei with the permits of those countries. For the Andaman coast see also our page on Phuket.

Before departure

• Passports valid six months for every passenger.
• MDAC arrival card within three days before landing.
• Passenger names and passport numbers for the CAAM application, at least a week ahead.
• Arrival time checked against customs hours at Subang or Langkawi.
• Passports at hand for a domestic flight to Sabah or Sarawak.
• Pet import permit and the quarantine plan.
• Cash above USD 10,000 declared.

How to book

1. Send the airport or city, dates, number of passengers and any Borneo or Singapore leg.
2. We compare a heavy jet with one stop against a non-stop long-range aircraft, and parking in Kuala Lumpur against a return to Europe.
3. You receive two to four offers with operator, model, cabin photos, flight time and the price for the whole aircraft, with parking and crew costs shown separately.
4. After the contract and payment, the operator requests the slot and files the CAAM approval and the overflight permits; we book domestic legs with a Malaysian operator.
5. The handler's name, the crew phone numbers and the car booking reach you on the eve of the flight.

Questions about private flights to Malaysia

• • What does a private jet to Malaysia cost?

  • The lowest fare from Europe is EUR 110,000 for the whole aircraft, one way. A Challenger 650 with one stop costs EUR 125,000 to EUR 145,000 from the main hubs, and a non-stop Global 7500 from Munich to Subang costs EUR 175,000; the approval, handling and taxes are added.

• • Which airport serves Kuala Lumpur?

  • Subang, 17 km from the centre, with the SkyPark terminal and customs from 07:00 to 23:00. Later arrivals and flights with pets go to KLIA at Sepang.

• • Is there a non-stop option from Europe?

  • To the Peninsula, yes, in a Global 7500 from every hub except Madrid, and in a Gulfstream G550 or Falcon 8X from Vienna, Milan, Istanbul or Athens. Kota Kinabalu needs a stop from London even in a Global 7500.

• • Can the same aircraft fly us to Langkawi or Borneo?

  • Malaysia restricts domestic flights by foreign business jets, so a Malaysian operator usually flies those legs. The jet from Europe can land at Langkawi, Penang, Kota Kinabalu or Kuching directly instead.

• • Do we need a visa?

  • Most EU and UK citizens do not for a tourist stay of up to 90 days. Everyone completes the MDAC arrival card, and Sabah and Sarawak check passports again on arrival.

• • How much notice does a flight to Malaysia need?

  • The CAAM approval needs at least three working days, and the authority does not work at weekends, so a week is safer. Around Chinese New Year, Christmas and the MotoGP weekend, book several weeks ahead.

• • Can the jet wait at Subang?

  • Yes, if a bay is free; SkyPark has hangars, but some stands are too narrow for the largest cabins. For a long stay we also price the aircraft flying home and coming back.

• • When is the best season?

  • December to March for Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Langkawi, April to September for the east coast islands, and roughly March to October for Borneo.

• • Can a dog fly with us to Kuala Lumpur?

  • Yes, with an import permit, but expect at least seven days of quarantine at KLIA. The return to the EU needs no antibody test, as Malaysia is a listed country, but an animal from the Peninsula needs a recent Nipah test.

• • Are Empty Legs available?

  • Yes, long-range jets heading back to Europe after drop-offs and regional jets returning to Singapore or Bangkok. To hear of one, e-mail empty-legs@jets.flights.