Private jet to Moldova

Moldova lies between Romania and Ukraine, a country of vineyards, low hills and the Dniester river, and practically all of its international air traffic goes through one airport, in the capital Chișinău. Business jets come for meetings with ministries and companies, for the wine estates and for trips that combine Moldova with Romania. This page gives the overview for the country; the airport, the cellars and the city are described in detail on our page private jet to Chișinău.

Ukrainian airspace is closed to civil flights, so aircraft from western and northern Europe reach Moldova over Hungary and Romania, and the prices below include this detour. Moldova is outside the EU and Schengen: passports are checked on arrival and again on return to the EU, and the operator needs clearance from the Moldovan civil aviation authority. As a broker, we compare aircraft from operators across Europe and plan the route, the clearance and the transfer.

Send the departure airport, the date, the number of passengers and your programme in the country, and we reply with aircraft, routing and prices.

Why fly privately to Moldova

Prices for a private jet to Moldova

Prices are for the whole aircraft, one way, assuming an aircraft available near the departure airport; handling, airport charges and passenger taxes are added in the quote. The flight time is for the first aircraft in each row. On routes from the European hubs we add about 7 % to the straight-line distance for the detour around Ukraine and airway routing.

From the European hubs

Vienna is the cheapest hub at EUR 11,500 in a light jet; London costs EUR 17,500 and Madrid EUR 19,500, still non-stop in a Citation CJ3 at 4:30 h.

From Romania, the Balkans and Turkey

These routes do not touch Ukrainian airspace and are priced on the direct line. Bucharest - Chișinău costs EUR 7,000 in a Pilatus PC-12; on the longer routes from Istanbul, Budapest or Athens the light jet saves 26-42 minutes over the turboprop. Passenger taxes depend on the country of departure: about EUR 1,015 per passenger on a jet from France and EUR 675 on a turboprop, since the French tax rises with distance and only EU and nearby destinations pay about EUR 420; Italy EUR 200 per passenger from Milan, as the distance used for the tax exceeds 1,500 km; Austria EUR 12. Germany charges a departure tax, the Netherlands taxes aircraft of 5.7 t or more, and UK Air Passenger Duty does not apply under 5.7 t, follows the standard rate on most jets and the higher rate only on jets of 20 t or more with fewer than 19 seats.

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

Two typical trips

Calculator

The calculator uses the straight line, so for routes from the west its estimate can be lower than the tables; a consultant then confirms the real routing:

Chișinău airport and the Romanian alternates

Chișinău International Airport Eugen Doga (RMO, LUKK) lies about 13 km south-east of the city centre. Its IATA code was KIV until it changed to RMO, and the old code still appears in some systems. Private passengers use a VIP terminal separate from the airline hall.

Euro Jet, FCG Ops and Evropa Jet Services are among the handlers in Chișinău. The handler reports every passenger to border police and customs, so names and passport numbers are needed by the day before. The airport warns crews about birds at dawn and dusk, and photographing airport installations is forbidden; pictures next to the aircraft only with the handler's consent.

Aircraft for the trip

From every hub on this page a light jet such as the Citation CJ3 flies non-stop, and it is the usual choice for up to six people. For eight or nine passengers, or several cases of wine on the way home, a midsize jet like the Citation XLS+ has the larger hold. From the Gulf, Israel or North America, heavy and long-range jets use the 3,590 m runway without restriction.

Questions about the route around Ukraine or a combined trip with Romania? Leave your number and a consultant will call back.

The year in Moldova

Business travel runs through the whole year. September and October are the busiest months for private trips, with the grape harvest and National Wine Day, while May, June and early autumn give the most comfortable weather. Empty Legs appear mostly after the autumn wine weekends and around the summer holidays, when aircraft from Bucharest, Istanbul or Central Europe reposition.

Beyond the capital

Empty Legs

An Empty Leg is a flight without passengers, for example back to base after a drop-off, sold below the normal price. Moldova is not on the busiest routes, but regional aircraft reposition through it: Bucharest - Chișinău, Istanbul or Sofia - Chișinău, and Chișinău back to Vienna or Munich. The operator fixes the date and time, so an Empty Leg suits a flexible plan. Write to empty-legs@jets.flights with the direction and a range of dates.

Flying with a dog or cat

The pet flies in the cabin beside you, with the operator's approval. Entry to Moldova is simple; the return to the EU needs planning weeks ahead, because Moldova is not on the EU list of countries exempt from the rabies antibody test:

• ISO microchip and valid rabies vaccination, at least 21 days before travel for a first vaccination; at most five animals per trip, through a crossing with a veterinary post.
• Antibody test before leaving the EU: blood taken at least 30 days after vaccination, at least 0.5 IU/ml in an EU-approved laboratory, entered in the pet passport.
• Without that entry, the pet cannot return to the EU until three months after a blood test.
• On return, the animal enters the EU through an airport designated for pets from non-EU countries.

Entry, customs and taxes

How to book

1. Send the departure airport, date, passengers, luggage and your programme in Moldova or Romania.
2. We check the routing around Ukraine with the operator and send two or three aircraft options with real flight times and prices.
3. You sign the contract with the operator and pay by bank transfer or card; cancellation terms depend on the operator and the time left before departure.
4. The operator files the clearance with the Moldovan civil aviation authority, and we send the passenger list to the handler by the day before.
5. After landing you pass control in the VIP terminal, and the car waits outside.

Questions about private flights to Moldova

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

  • From Bucharest a Pilatus PC-12 costs EUR 7,000 one way. From Vienna a light jet costs EUR 11,500 and from London EUR 17,500, for the whole aircraft, with the detour around Ukraine included.

• • Which airports can we use?

  • Chișinău is the airport for practically all international flights to Moldova. Iași, Bacău, Suceava and Bucharest in Romania serve as alternates or as the second stop of a combined trip.

• • Why is the flight longer than the map suggests?

  • The direct line from western and northern Europe crosses Ukraine, whose airspace is closed to civil flights. Aircraft fly over Hungary and Romania instead, which adds about 7 % to the distance from the main hubs.

• • Do we need a visa?

  • No, not for EU, UK or US citizens staying up to 90 days in 180. There is passport and customs control on arrival and on return to the EU.

• • Is there a time difference?

  • Yes. Moldova is two hours ahead of London and one hour ahead of Paris, Berlin and Rome all year.

• • Can our dog fly with us?

  • Yes, in the cabin, but do the rabies antibody test before leaving the EU and have it entered in the passport, otherwise the dog waits three months before it can return.

• • Can we bring wine home?

  • Yes, within the duty-free allowances for non-EU countries; larger quantities are declared at the arrival airport, and an invoice from the producer helps.

• • Can we combine Moldova with Romania?

  • Yes. Bucharest is 0:58 h away in a light jet and Iași even closer. Each flight between Moldova and the EU includes passport control at both ends.

• • When is the busiest time?

  • September and October, with the harvest and National Wine Day on the first weekend of October. Book aircraft, hotels and cellar visits early for those weeks.