Private jet to Olbia

For nearly everyone who lands here in a business jet, Olbia is the way into the Costa Smeralda: a villa above Porto Cervo, a hotel on the bay of Cala di Volpe, a berth in the marina or a yacht at anchor off the La Maddalena islands. The airport lies on the south-eastern edge of the town, about 4 km from the centre, and private flights have a terminal of their own run by Eccelsa Aviation, with its own apron and handling around the clock.

The calendar here is set by the sea. From mid-July to the end of August the airport is one of the busiest in the Mediterranean for business aviation, with more than a hundred private take-offs and landings on peak days, and stands, cars and helicopters must be booked together with the flight. In winter the same apron is quiet, and a flight for a few days in a villa or a meeting in town is arranged at short notice. For the south coast, Cagliari is the better airport, and our page on Sardinia compares all three airports on the island. As a broker, we source the aircraft from operators across Europe and put the flight, the transfer and the boat into one quote.

Tell us the dates, the number of passengers and the final address: a hotel, a villa or straight to the marina, and we will send aircraft options with the transfer.

Why fly privately to the Costa Smeralda

How long the flight takes

Flight times for a Phenom 300 light jet, as shown in the tables below:

Rome, Nice and Milan are 0:51-1:10 h away, and from these three cities come most of the jets that land at Olbia in summer. Zurich takes 1:29 h, Paris Le Bourget 1:54 h, Amsterdam and Berlin about 2:15 h. On the longer sectors the larger jets save a few minutes at most: from London the Challenger 350 needs 2:15 h against 2:22 h in the Phenom 300, so the choice depends on the group and its luggage. From Copenhagen allow 2:48 h in a Pilatus PC-24, from Stockholm and Oslo 3:28-3:29 h, and from Dubai 5:34-5:52 h non-stop, depending on the jet.

Private jet prices to the Costa Smeralda

Prices cover the whole aircraft for a one-way flight; handling, parking and passenger taxes are added. They assume a free aircraft close to the departure airport, and the time shown belongs to the first aircraft in each row.

From Europe's main hubs

Rome Ciampino is the cheapest departure: a Phenom 300 costs EUR 9,500, against EUR 10,000 from Nice and EUR 10,500 from Milan Linate. From London the same light jet costs EUR 15,000; the Praetor 500 is priced at EUR 17,500 and the Challenger 350 at EUR 21,000.

From mainland Italy

Domestic sectors of about an hour, where a turboprop or a small jet keeps the cost down:

Florence has a short runway that takes turboprops, light and midsize jets; for a super midsize or a larger group the flight leaves from Pisa instead. On domestic flights the quote adds Italian VAT at the reduced rate of 10% as well as the passenger tax.

From Scandinavia, Poland and the north of England

These are flights of 2:20-3:29 h. A Praetor 600 at EUR 21,000 from Copenhagen gives a stand-up cabin and room for golf bags, and the Falcon 2000LXS suits a larger party or two families travelling together.

From the Gulf and New York

The runway takes every long-range jet, and in summer the Costa Smeralda receives non-stop flights from the Gulf and the United States:

Price is driven by flight time, by where the nearest free aircraft is based and above all by the date: outside the summer few aircraft are based in Sardinia, so a departure from Olbia may include a positioning leg from Rome or Milan, while in July and August the apron is full and the aircraft often leaves empty and comes back for the return. Italy charges a tax on every passenger of a private flight departing from or arriving in Italy, for each leg: EUR 100 up to 1,500 km and EUR 200 beyond, with the distance taken as great circle plus 95 km. Flights from the UK also carry Air Passenger Duty (the higher private-jet rate only on aircraft of 20 t or more with fewer than 19 seats), flights from Nice or Paris the French solidarity tax of about EUR 420 per passenger on a jet, and flights from Germany a departure tax.

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

Sample trips and their full cost

Cost per head

The aircraft is chartered as a whole, so the price per seat falls with every passenger added. The Italian tax is then added per head:

Online estimate

Choose the departure airport, the date and the number of passengers, and the calculator e-mails an estimate within minutes.

Olbia Costa Smeralda airport and the Eccelsa terminal

Olbia Costa Smeralda (OLB, LIEO) is run by Geasar. Its single runway, 05/23, is about 2,745 m long and takes every business jet and VIP airliner. Scheduled flights use the main passenger terminal, while private flights have their own building and apron.

Eccelsa Aviation, a company of the airport group, is the only business aviation terminal at the airport. Passengers never enter the airline terminal: passport and security checks take place inside the same building, and the car drives up to the aircraft. Besides waiting areas and a VIP lounge there are meeting rooms, a bar, a few shops and a rest area for crews. The apron for private aircraft covers about 10 hectares, and handling runs 24 hours a day all year, including winter. In the peak weeks this apron is the real limit: from late June to early September it is often full, and long stays are approved only when space allows.

Alternates in Sardinia and Corsica

If the apron is full, the weather turns or the trip ends elsewhere, one of these airports is used. Distances are straight-line from Olbia:

Choosing the aircraft

Yacht crews ask for soft bags that fold away, because there is no space on board for hard suitcases. With four sets of golf clubs or a pushchair, midsize jets are safer than a light jet. Mention the bags in the request so the operator can confirm the load.

Questions about parking in August, a helicopter or the time to meet the yacht? Leave your number and a consultant will call you.

The Costa Smeralda year

Demand at Olbia follows the beach season far more than any event in town:

For August and the September regatta, confirm the aircraft, parking, car and helicopter together and several weeks ahead. June and late September give warm water, easier stands and lower hotel rates.

From the airport to Porto Cervo and the coast

On August afternoons the road through Arzachena slows down, and the drive to Porto Cervo can take 40 minutes. Eccelsa arranges helicopters from the apron to hotels and villas with their own landing site; we check the site before the flight, and in August the helicopter is booked as early as the jet. For a yacht, we agree the boarding time and the quay with the captain so that the car goes to the right berth.

Empty Legs to and from Olbia

Because the apron fills in summer, many jets drop their passengers and leave empty, then return days later to collect them. These legs are sold at a large discount. Typical directions:

The date and time depend on the original booking, so an Empty Leg suits a flexible plan rather than a fixed boarding time on a yacht. The Italian passenger tax applies as on any charter. Send your direction and dates to empty-legs@jets.flights and we will forward matching legs.

Bringing a dog or cat

Your pet flies in the cabin beside you and goes through the Eccelsa terminal, away from the crowds of the main building. The operator must approve the animal in advance, so tell us the species, breed and weight with the request. Italy applies the EU rules without extra national conditions:

• Microchip, implanted before the rabies vaccination.
• Rabies vaccination at least 21 days before travel when it is the first one, given at an age of at least 12 weeks.
• EU pet passport; pets from Great Britain need an animal health certificate from an authorised vet.
• Up to five dogs, cats or ferrets per person on a private trip.
• No tapeworm treatment is needed to enter Italy.

Flying on to the UK, Ireland, Malta, Finland or Norway, dogs need tapeworm treatment 1-5 days before arrival, and the UK accepts pets only through approved routes and handlers. In July and August the apron gets very hot, so a morning or evening arrival is kinder to the animal.

Border, customs and tax rules

Before you leave

• Valid passport or ID card for every passenger, children included.
• Names, dates of birth and document numbers, sent at least the day before.
• Arrival and departure times, and whether the aircraft waits or flies two one-way legs.
• Hotel or villa address, or the yacht's name, marina and boarding time.
• Number and type of bags: soft bags for a yacht, golf clubs, pushchairs.
• Helicopter landing site, if you want to skip the road.
• Pet documents and the consent of the yacht owner.
• Company name and VAT number for the invoice.

Booking, step by step

1. Send the departure airport, dates, passengers, luggage and the address on the coast or the name of the marina.
2. We check the stand at Olbia for your stay and price both options: the aircraft waiting or two one-way flights.
3. You receive 2-4 aircraft options with operator, model, cabin photos and the price for the whole aircraft, plus car, helicopter or boat.
4. You sign the contract with the operator and pay; we confirm the slot, the stand, handling at Eccelsa and the transfer.
5. The aircraft stops at the Eccelsa terminal, the checks take a few minutes and the luggage goes straight from the hold to the car.

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

Questions about flying privately to Olbia

• • What is the price of a private flight to Olbia?

  • From Rome a Phenom 300 costs from EUR 9,500 one way for the whole aircraft. From Nice the price is EUR 10,000 and from London EUR 15,000. A turboprop from Florence or Pisa starts at EUR 7,000. The Italian passenger tax, parking and transfers come on top.

• • Where do private jets arrive at Olbia?

  • At the Eccelsa Aviation terminal, a separate building with its own apron. Checks take place inside it, and the car comes to the aircraft.

• • Can we land at night?

  • Yes. Business aviation handling at Olbia works 24 hours a day, all year.

• • How do we get to Porto Cervo?

  • By car in 30-40 minutes, about 30 km via Arzachena, or by helicopter in about 10 minutes if the hotel or villa has a landing site. We book either with the flight.

• • Can the aircraft wait for us in August?

  • Only if the apron has space, which is rare from late June to early September. Usually the aircraft flies away after landing and returns on the day of departure, and we show both options in the quote.

• • What is the flying time from London?

  • About 2:22 h from Farnborough in a Phenom 300 and 2:15 h in a Challenger 350, non-stop.

• • Which taxes are added to the price?

  • Italy charges EUR 100 per passenger for each leg up to 1,500 km and EUR 200 beyond, with VAT at 10% on domestic flights. Departures from the UK, France or Germany add their own taxes.

• • Which documents do we need?

  • From Schengen countries there is no passport check, but the operator needs a valid passport or ID card for everyone. From the UK, passports are checked inside the Eccelsa terminal.

• • Can our dog fly with us?

  • Yes, in the cabin, with a microchip, a valid rabies vaccination and an EU pet passport. Beach rules differ by municipality, and the yacht owner decides about animals on board.

• • Can we save with an Empty Leg?

  • Often, especially in summer: many legs fly on Saturdays and towards Rome, Milan, Nice and Geneva. Write to empty-legs@jets.flights with your direction and dates.

• • When should we book for Ferragosto or the September regatta?

  • Several weeks ahead, together with parking, car and helicopter. Around 15 August the free aircraft go first, and in the first half of September the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup fills Porto Cervo again.

• • Is Olbia the right airport for all of Sardinia?

  • No. It serves the north-east and the Costa Smeralda. For Alghero and the west coast use Alghero-Fertilia, and for Pula, Chia or Villasimius fly to Cagliari, almost 3 h south by road.