Private jet to Montserrat

Montserrat is a British Overseas Territory in the Leeward Islands, about 57 km south-west of Antigua: a green, mountainous island of about 102 km² with some 4,400 inhabitants. The Soufrière Hills volcano in the south, about 1,050 m high, buried the old capital Plymouth during its eruptions, and the southern part of the island is still an exclusion zone. Life has moved to the north, around Brades and Little Bay. People speak English, pay in East Caribbean dollars and drive on the left; many families have Irish roots, which gave the island its nickname, the Emerald Isle of the Caribbean.

No business jet can land on Montserrat. The only airport, John A. Osborne at Gerald's, has a runway of about 600 m with steep ground at both ends, used by Britten-Norman Islanders and Twin Otters. A private trip from Europe is therefore planned in two parts: a long-range or heavy jet to V. C. Bird airport on Antigua, then a short flight in a small turboprop. We say this at the first enquiry, before any quote.

Send your dates and the number of passengers with their luggage; we plan the jet and the connection together.

Prices to the Antigua gateway

Prices are for the whole aircraft, one way, to Antigua, plus handling, fees and taxes. The small aircraft to Montserrat is quoted separately by the local operator. The flight time is that of the first aircraft in the row.

From Europe

A Gulfstream G550 flies to Antigua without a stop in 8:00 h from London Farnborough for EUR 98,000, and in 8:29 h from Geneva for EUR 105,000. The Challenger 650 refuels once in the Azores from most hubs and costs EUR 87,000 from London; from Dublin, Madrid, Lisbon and Tenerife it flies non-stop, from EUR 59,000 out of Tenerife.

From the Caribbean and North America

From Miami a Citation CJ3 costs EUR 16,500 to Antigua, from San Juan in Puerto Rico EUR 9,000 and from Sint Maarten EUR 7,500. A stay on Montserrat is easy to combine with Anguilla or Saint Kitts and Nevis, both a short light-jet flight from Antigua. Every row is an international flight with Antigua's immigration on landing.

Passenger taxes follow the country of departure. The French tax on a jet runs from about EUR 420 per passenger, if Montserrat is treated like the UK, to about EUR 2,100 when the distance is used, and the quote shows which applies; Italy charges EUR 200 per passenger on a leg of this length and Austria EUR 12. In Britain, aircraft below 5.7 t are exempt from Air Passenger Duty, aircraft of 20 t or more with fewer than 19 seats pay the higher rate and other jets the standard rate for the distance band. Germany, Norway and the Netherlands (from 5.7 t) have taxes of their own. Montserrat adds an embarkation tax on departure, and we check with the operator how it is collected on a charter. Each charge is shown 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

Calculator

The calculator e-mails an estimate for the jet leg to Antigua:

The last 57 km

At V. C. Bird the jet parks at the Signature terminal, where Antigua's customs and immigration clear the party; the airport is open around the clock, but the turboprop to Montserrat flies in daylight and in reasonable weather only. Strong wind, low cloud or volcanic ash can delay it, so we plan the jet to land on Antigua by early afternoon and keep a hotel option. Another reason to plan ahead: from December to April the apron at Antigua is busy, and parking is requested with the flight.

A consultant can call to plan the jet and the island hop together; leave a number:

On the island

Visitors come to see the volcano, to visit family or for the St Patrick's festival. The south, with the ruins of Plymouth, may be entered only with a government-approved guide; Garibaldi Hill above Isles Bay gives a view of the old town from outside the zone. The Montserrat Volcano Observatory monitors the volcano, and ash warnings can change access and flight times at short notice. The beaches have dark volcanic sand, and there are only a few small hotels and villas, which we confirm when we book.

Month by month

Temperatures stay between about 24 and 31 °C all year. February to May is the driest period with the lowest storm risk; July to November brings more rain and most hurricanes. The island is quiet all year, so availability depends on Antigua: the jet apron and the small aircraft are busiest from December to April. Empty Legs to and from Antigua appear mostly after Christmas and at the end of the winter season.

Empty Legs

Heavy and long-range jets fly to Antigua full before Christmas and often return empty, and the end of the winter season sends aircraft back to Europe. Send your dates to empty-legs@jets.flights; the turboprop to Montserrat is booked separately once a leg is confirmed.

Entry, customs and permits

Dogs and cats

• Montserrat's Department of Agriculture issues the import permit; the original health certificate is signed by a licensed vet and countersigned by the state veterinary service where the trip starts.
• Rabies vaccination given when the animal was over three months old and between 30 days and 12 months before entry, with the microchip number on every document, plus the usual dog or cat vaccinations and parasite treatment.
• The Veterinary Department is told the arrival details at least 48 hours ahead; the animal must have lived in the departure country for three months, and the owner gives an address for 10 days of home quarantine.
• The animal enters at John A. Osborne airport, so the turboprop operator must agree to carry it, and the stop in Antigua is checked with Antigua's veterinary service.
• Montserrat is on the EU and UK lists, so the return needs no antibody test; dogs going to the UK need tapeworm treatment 1-5 days before arrival there.

How we book it

1. Send dates, passengers, luggage and where you are staying.
2. We plan the jet to Antigua and the turboprop to Montserrat as one schedule, in daylight.
3. You receive one offer with both parts, each with its operator and price.
4. After signing and payment the operators file the flights and the handlers book customs on Antigua and Montserrat.
5. The handler on Antigua meets the jet and takes you to the small aircraft.

Montserrat by private jet: questions

• • Can a private jet land on Montserrat?

  • No. The runway at Gerald's is about 600 m long and takes only small turboprops such as the Islander and the Twin Otter. Jets land on Antigua.

• • How much does the trip cost?

  • To Antigua, a Challenger 650 from Tenerife costs EUR 59,000 without a stop, and a Gulfstream G550 from London EUR 98,000. The turboprop to Montserrat is added.

• • How long is the flight from Antigua?

  • About 20 minutes in the air for 57 km, in daylight and in good weather.

• • Is there a ferry?

  • Not a regular one, so the connection is planned by air. For a group with a lot of luggage we also check a charter boat.

• • Do we need visas?

  • Not as EU or UK citizens for a short visit, either for Antigua or for Montserrat. Both have online arrival forms.

• • Can we visit the volcano?

  • The exclusion zone around Plymouth can be entered only with a government-approved guide. Garibaldi Hill gives a view from outside the zone.

• • Can we bring our dog?

  • Yes, with an import permit, an endorsed health certificate and 48 hours' notice to the Veterinary Department. The turboprop operator must agree as well.

• • When is the best time?

  • February to May is driest; March has the St Patrick's festival. July to November carries the hurricane risk.