Private jet to the Philippines

The Philippines has more than 7,000 islands, and the reasons to fly there are spread across them. Banks and head offices sit in Makati and Bonifacio Global City in Manila, export factories in Clark and on Mactan; divers go to Cebu and Bohol, beach holidays mean Boracay, and El Nido and Coron on Palawan have the lagoons and limestone cliffs. By scheduled airline, the journey from Europe with the island connection often takes more than a day.

A business jet needs about 13 hours from central Europe in an ultra long range aircraft, or about two hours more with one fuel stop in the Gulf. In the Philippines the procedure for a foreign aircraft is longer than elsewhere in the region: a charter operator needs a Philippine foreign operator certificate, and each flight needs permits from two authorities. As a broker, we work with operators that already hold the certificate and plan the island legs with local companies.

Tell us where you are heading, the dates and the number of passengers, and whether the trip includes Boracay, Bohol or Palawan.

Why a private jet suits the archipelago

How long the flights take

Hours as shown in the price tables:

• Global 7500 non-stop: Larnaca - Manila 11:20 h, Vienna - Manila 12:32 h, Munich - Manila 12:55 h
• Global 7500 non-stop: Amsterdam - Clark 13:07 h, Zurich - Manila 13:15 h, London Farnborough - Manila 13:42 h
• Gulfstream G650 non-stop: Istanbul - Manila 11:37 h, Stockholm Arlanda - Clark 11:48 h
• Challenger 650 with one stop: Vienna - Manila 14:45 h, London Farnborough - Manila 15:58 h
• Falcon 7X from the Gulf: Dubai - Manila 8:28 h, Doha - Cebu 9:25 h
• Phenom 300 in the region: Hong Kong - Manila 2:02 h, Taipei - Clark 1:58 h

Closed airspace in Eastern Europe keeps European operators on a southern track over Turkey, the Gulf and India, about a tenth longer than the straight line. Manila and Clark are within non-stop reach of the largest business jets, and the operator confirms range and payload for the day; Cebu, Puerto Princesa and Bohol are 500 to 700 km further south, so from London or Geneva even the Global 7500 stops once on the way. With 13 hours or more in the air, the operator flies with an augmented crew, and the return against the jet stream takes longer.

What a flight to the Philippines costs

Each figure is the charter of the whole jet one way, starting near the departure city, before CAAP and CAB permits, navigation fees, handling, parking, airport charges and taxes. The time column refers to the first model priced in the row and includes any fuel stop.

From the European hubs

The Challenger 650 with one stop is the lowest price from every hub: EUR 120,000 out of Larnaca and EUR 135,000 out of Vienna, Munich or Hamburg, up to EUR 150,000 from Geneva to Cebu. The Gulfstream G550 stops too from all the western and central hubs and costs as much as the Global 7500, which flies non-stop to Manila for EUR 175,000 from Vienna and EUR 190,000 from London. Clark is priced like Manila, while Cebu, Puerto Princesa and Bohol in the south of the Philippines cost a little more.

From other European cities

From Warsaw and Stockholm the Gulfstream G650 flies non-stop for less than a Falcon 8X that has to stop; from Istanbul the Falcon 8X makes it in one go for EUR 150,000.

From the Gulf and Asia

The Gulf sectors are too long for the smaller cabins without a stop. In the region, light and midsize jets based in Hong Kong, Taipei and Singapore are the usual choice:

Flights within the Philippines are reserved for Philippine operators in principle, so a local company flies these legs:

On a sector of 13 to 16 hours the flight time is most of the price, and a one-way trip also pays for the empty return. For a stay of a week or more we price the jet flying home and coming back against parking in Clark or Cebu with crew hotels. Navigation fees are paid when the permit is issued and are not refunded. At departure, France adds a per-passenger tax on business jets that rises with distance, about EUR 2,100 to the Philippines and about EUR 420 within Europe, Austria EUR 12, and Italy charges EUR 200 per passenger at this distance on flights to or from its airports; Germany, Norway and the Netherlands (aircraft of 5.7 t or more) have their own, Sweden none, and the UK levies APD at the higher rate for private jets of 20 t or more with fewer than 19 seats, which covers every jet in the European tables.

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 in figures

Price per person

Calculator

Enter the route for a first figure, and write the islands you want to visit in the comment.

Airports for private jets

An aircraft from abroad lands first at an airport of entry with customs and immigration. The customs, immigration and quarantine authorities receive the crew, passenger and aircraft details at least 24 hours before landing; if the notice is late, the aircraft waits with its doors closed until the officers arrive.

Mindanao is not in our tables: government travel advice in several European countries warns against travel to large parts of the island, and insurance may not apply there. If a client still needs a flight, we check the airspace, the operator's approval and the insurance for the date.

Which aircraft for the trip

Several days on a yacht between the islands of Palawan means soft bags rather than hard cases, and the hold of a turboprop is smaller than that of the long-range jet. We compare both before the trip. Long-range alternatives are listed in the ultra long range jets and heavy jets sections of the catalogue.

A consultant can call to go through the stop-or-non-stop choice; leave a number below.

When to fly: the dry months and the typhoons

In the Philippines the dry season from December to May is the main time for island trips, with peaks around Christmas and New Year and in Holy Week before Easter. March to May is hot but brings the clearest water for diving. From June to November rain and typhoons are more frequent, prices fall and the islands are quiet; most typhoons pass between July and October. Long Empty Legs back to Europe appear mostly before Christmas and around Holy Week, and regional legs from Hong Kong and Singapore all year.

Transfers from the airports

Empty Legs to and from the Philippines

Long-range aircraft that bring guests from Europe to the Philippines often fly back empty, and regional jets return to Hong Kong or Singapore after a drop-off:

An Empty Leg still needs the Philippine permits and an operator with the foreign operator certificate, so a few days of flexibility help. Send the direction and dates to empty-legs@jets.flights.

Dogs and cats on the trip

A dog or cat with complete papers can enter the Philippines without quarantine. The way home is the harder half, because the Philippines is not on the EU list of countries exempt from the antibody test.

• Leaving the EU: up to five animals per person, microchipped to ISO standard, vaccinated against rabies at least 21 days earlier and carrying the EU pet passport.
• Import permit from the Bureau of Animal Industry, applied for online; processing takes 11 working days, the permit is valid for 60 days, and one person may import at most three animals a year.
• The animal must be at least four months old and vaccinated against rabies after 12 weeks of age; after a first vaccination, the application waits at least 14 days.
• A vet's health certificate issued no earlier than 30 days before arrival is checked on landing; with missing papers the animal may be quarantined or sent back.
• For the return to the EU a rabies antibody test is needed at least 30 days after vaccination; if the sample is taken at home before departure and recorded in the pet passport, there is no three-month wait.
• Pets ride in the cabin with their owners after the operator's approval; for an island leg we confirm that the Philippine operator takes animals.

Entry rules and permits

From Manila the aircraft can continue to Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia or Singapore with those countries' permits.

Before departure

• Passports valid six months beyond the stay for every passenger.
• eTravel registration within 72 hours before arrival, and again before leaving the country.
• Names and passport numbers for the permits, at least a week ahead.
• Island plan, which decides where the large jet waits.
• A spare day at the end of the trip from June to November.
• Pet import permit and health certificate.
• Cash above USD 10,000 declared, pesos within the limit.

How to book

1. Send the departure city, dates, number of passengers and the islands of the Philippines you plan to visit.
2. We select operators with the Philippine certificate and compare a heavy jet with one stop against a non-stop ultra long range aircraft, and parking in Clark or Cebu 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 permits, navigation fees and parking shown separately.
4. After the contract and payment, the operator files the CAAP and CAB permits, the overflight permits and the arrival notice; we book island legs with a Philippine operator.
5. The crew and the Manila or Clark handler send their contacts before the flight, and a car is at the aircraft on arrival.

Questions about private flights to the Philippines

• • How much does a private jet to the Philippines cost?

  • The lowest one-way price from Europe is EUR 120,000 for the whole aircraft. From the main hubs a Challenger 650 with one stop costs EUR 135,000 to EUR 150,000, and a non-stop Global 7500 from Vienna to Manila EUR 175,000; permits and taxes come on top.

• • Can we fly non-stop?

  • To Manila and Clark, yes, in a Global 7500 from most hubs or a Gulfstream G650 from Warsaw, Stockholm or Istanbul. From Geneva to Cebu and from London to Bohol even the Global 7500 stops once.

• • Manila or Clark?

  • Manila is closest to Makati but has limited general aviation slots and parking. Clark is quieter and better for a stay of several days, about two hours by road from the business district.

• • Can the jet take us to Boracay or Palawan?

  • Puerto Princesa can take the long-range jet straight from Europe if customs can receive it on the date. Domestic legs are reserved for Philippine operators in principle, and the strips at Caticlan and El Nido suit turboprops, so a local aircraft flies to Boracay or El Nido while the large jet waits.

• • Why does a booking take longer than elsewhere?

  • The operator needs a Philippine foreign operator certificate, and each flight needs permits from CAAP and CAB. We plan a week for the permits and work with operators that already hold the certificate.

• • Do we need a visa?

  • Not for up to 30 days as an EU or UK citizen. Every passenger registers in eTravel within 72 hours before arrival.

• • What about typhoons?

  • Most pass between July and October. From June to November we plan an alternate airport and a spare day at the end of the trip.

• • Which season suits the islands?

  • December to May, with March to May best for diving. Christmas and Holy Week are the busiest weeks.

• • Can we take our dog?

  • Yes, with an import permit from the Bureau of Animal Industry, which takes 11 working days. For the return to the EU the dog needs a rabies antibody test, best done before leaving home.

• • Are there Empty Legs?

  • Yes: long-range jets flying back to Europe before Christmas and around Holy Week, and regional jets heading back to Hong Kong or Singapore. Ask at empty-legs@jets.flights.