Private jet to Nicaragua

Nicaragua lies between Honduras and Costa Rica, with two coasts, the lakes of Managua and Nicaragua and a chain of volcanoes. Private flyers come for the colonial cities of Granada and León, the surf beaches of Rivas on the Pacific, the island of Ometepe and business in the capital. From Lisbon to Vienna, Managua is 8,000-9,900 km away, so a long-range jet crosses without landing and a heavy jet stops once for fuel.

Every private flight from abroad lands first at Augusto C. Sandino International in Managua, the only standing port of entry for such traffic, and needs a landing authorisation from INAC, the civil aviation institute. As a broker, we ask operators in Europe and North America for the crossing and use regional aircraft for hops to Costa Rica, El Salvador or Florida.

Give the dates, the number of passengers and the purpose of the trip in the form, as the purpose goes into the permit application.

What a private flight changes

Flight times and the fuel stop

Non-stop block times, Global 7500 unless another type is named:

• London: 10:06 h non-stop in a Global 7500, 10:26 h in a Gulfstream G550
• Madrid: 9:58 h; Lisbon: 9:27 h, the shortest crossing
• Paris 10:23 h, Amsterdam 10:30 h, Geneva 10:44 h
• Vienna 11:32 h; Larnaca 13:37 h, still without landing in a Global 7500

A heavy jet such as the Falcon 900EX refuels in the Azores or Atlantic Canada, about an hour on the ground. The flight home, with the westerly wind behind, is usually shorter.

What Managua costs from Europe

Every figure is the cost of the entire jet in one direction; INAC permit fees, handling, the refuelling stop and per-passenger taxes are billed in addition. Times in the table refer to the Falcon 900EX, including about an hour and a half for its stop; the non-stop times are listed above.

From the European hubs

Lisbon is the closest start: EUR 120,000 in a Falcon 900EX with a stop or the same figure in a non-stop Gulfstream G550. From London and Madrid the heavy jet costs EUR 125,000. Larnaca is the exception: at 11,804 km the Gulfstream G550 needs a stop too, and at EUR 190,000 it costs as much as the non-stop Global 7500.

From the neighbours and Florida

These short international legs are flown by aircraft based in the region; the table shows flights into Managua, and the reverse direction costs the same:

Each landing in a neighbouring country is a new international arrival with its own permit, in Costa Rica at Liberia or San José. On a leg to Miami every passenger holds a US visa, or an ESTA when the operator belongs to the Visa Waiver Program. Within Nicaragua, a foreign jet may fly between two airports only with the passengers it brought from abroad or takes abroad, with INAC approval; everyone else flies with a Nicaraguan operator. In Europe, Italy collects EUR 200 per passenger each way on routes this long, Austria EUR 12, and France about EUR 2,100, its tax rising with distance from EUR 420 in Europe. All three European types weigh over 20 t with fewer than 19 seats, so a London departure pays the higher Air Passenger Duty rate. Germany, Norway and the Netherlands levy their own taxes; INAC fees and Nicaraguan 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

Two trips worked out

Price per seat

A charter is paid for the aircraft, so the cost per person falls with every seat filled; taxes are charged per passenger:

Calculator

The calculator gives a first figure; mention any onward leg in the comment.

Airports for private aircraft

Managua takes almost every arrival from Europe. The other airfields serve the resorts and the Caribbean side and accept an international flight only on a separate application, usually with about five working days' notice:

Alternates for Managua lie abroad, at Liberia or San José in Costa Rica, San Salvador or Panama City, and their distance sets the fuel reserve for the crossing.

Aircraft for the route

For the regional hops, light jets cost a fraction of the long-range aircraft, which meanwhile flies home or waits.

For a call that sets the refuelling option against the non-stop one, leave a phone number.

The year on the Pacific side

Managua, Granada and León lie in the Pacific lowlands, where the dry season runs from December to April with highs of about 29-32 degrees. The rains come back in May and last until November, and the Caribbean coast gets rain most of the year. Empty Legs are rare across the Atlantic; between Florida, Costa Rica and Managua they turn up mostly in the dry months.

Empty Legs around Managua

A window of a few days gives a much better chance of a match, and the INAC permit still has to be filed in time. Write to empty-legs@jets.flights with the direction and the dates.

Taking a dog or cat

A dog or cat sits with its owner in the cabin, approved by the operator beforehand, and does not leave the jet at the refuelling airport. Nicaragua requires:

• A health certificate completed by a vet within 14 days before arrival and issued or endorsed by the state veterinary service of the departure country.
• Rabies vaccination given between 30 days and 12 months before entry; puppies and kittens under three months are not vaccinated.
• Treatment against internal and external parasites within 15 days before the flight, with the product and date recorded.
• Managua airport vets are told before arrival, so landings are planned in office hours; fresh wounds or ticks can lead to refusal.
• There is no quarantine for an animal with complete papers.

Entry, permits and local rules

Before departure

• Passport data, valid at least six months for everyone including children, and the purpose of the trip a week ahead, for the INAC application.
• US dollars in cash for the tourist cards; no drone in the luggage.
• For a pet: the endorsed certificate and the antibody test result for the return.

Booking step by step

1. Send the dates out and back, the number of passengers, their nationalities and the purpose of the trip.
2. We compare a heavy jet with one stop against a non-stop long-range jet and say whether the aircraft should wait in Managua or fly home in between.
3. After the contract and payment, the operator applies for the INAC permit and we confirm handling, fuel and the car.
4. A change of date goes to us at once, so the permit is amended in time.
5. On landing an agent takes you through passport and customs checks, the tourist cards are paid, and the driver waits at the terminal.

Questions about flying privately to Nicaragua

• • How much does a private jet from Europe to Managua cost?

  • From EUR 120,000 one way from Lisbon in a Falcon 900EX with a fuel stop, or EUR 125,000 from London or Madrid. A non-stop Gulfstream G550 costs EUR 130,000 from London. Prices are for the whole aircraft.

• • Can we fly to Nicaragua without a stop?

  • Yes, in a long-range jet. A Global 7500 flies from London in about 10:06 h and from Vienna in 11:32 h; a Falcon 900EX lands once for fuel.

• • Where do private jets land?

  • At Augusto C. Sandino International in Managua, the only standing port of entry for private flights from abroad. Other airports need a separate application, about five working days ahead.

• • Do we need a visa?

  • Most EU citizens and British citizens do not, for up to 90 days shared with Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. Each passenger buys a tourist card in cash on arrival.

• • Can my dog fly with us?

  • Yes, in the cabin, with an endorsed health certificate issued within 14 days before arrival and a rabies vaccination given 30 days to 12 months before entry. For the return to Europe, plan the antibody test months ahead.

• • What is the time difference?

  • Clocks stay on UTC-6 with no summer time, so Managua is 6 hours behind London from late October to late March and 7 hours behind in the British summer.

• • Can we combine Nicaragua with Costa Rica?

  • Yes. Liberia and San José are under an hour away in a light jet, from EUR 7,500, and the long-range jet can collect you there for the flight home.

• • Are there Empty Legs to Managua?

  • Mostly short ones from Florida and Costa Rica; a transatlantic one turns up only now and then. Send your window to empty-legs@jets.flights.