Private jet to Saint Kitts and Nevis

The Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis is two volcanic islands separated by a strait about 3 km wide, 261 km² in all and about 48,000 inhabitants: the smallest sovereign state in the Western Hemisphere. It is a Commonwealth realm, English-speaking, drives on the left and pays in East Caribbean dollars. Mount Liamuiga on St Kitts rises to 1,156 m and Nevis Peak to 985 m, and Brimstone Hill Fortress is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Private flights from Europe land on St Kitts at Robert L. Bradshaw International, next to the capital Basseterre, where the KayanJet terminal handles business aviation. Guests come for villas and hotels on the south-east peninsula, the marina and golf course at Christophe Harbour, quiet stays on Nevis and the carnival at Christmas. Nevis has its own airport, but its runway suits only turboprops and light jets.

Send the dates, the number of passengers and the island you are staying on; we reply with aircraft, routing and prices.

How long the crossing takes

St Kitts is 6,600 to 7,800 km from the main European hubs. A Falcon 900EX or a Global 6000 flies it without a stop: 8:14 h from London Farnborough, 8:27 h from Paris Le Bourget, 8:45 h from Geneva and 9:02 h from Milan Linate. A Praetor 600 lands once for fuel, normally at Santa Maria in the Azores, and needs 10:13 h from London. From Madrid, Lisbon and the Atlantic islands it flies non-stop. Because the islands keep Atlantic Standard Time all year, a morning departure from Europe lands in the early afternoon local time, and the flight home with the westerly winds is shorter.

Prices to St Kitts and Nevis

Each price covers the whole aircraft for one way, with the jet positioned from a base near the city of departure; handling, parking, the fuel stop and passenger taxes come on top. The flight time is that of the first aircraft in the row.

From the European hubs

The Praetor 600 costs from EUR 52,000 out of Lisbon and EUR 56,000 out of Madrid, both without a stop, and EUR 69,000 out of London with one. Non-stop from London the Falcon 900EX costs EUR 85,000, and a Global 6000 is quoted at EUR 100,000; from Vienna the Falcon 900EX needs a stop and the price rises to EUR 115,000.

From the islands and North America

Sint Maarten is 0:41 h away in a PC-12 for EUR 6,000, or EUR 8,500 in a Phenom 300, and from there St Barths and Anguilla are short hops, so a stay on St Kitts combines easily with either. The Citation XLS+ reads on request for Nevis because the runway there is about 1,220 m. From Miami the XLS+ costs EUR 21,000. Every one of these hops is an international arrival with its own border check.

Where the flight starts decides the taxes. France charges each passenger an amount that increases with distance: about EUR 2,100 on a jet crossing the Atlantic and about EUR 420 on a European flight (about EUR 210 in a turboprop), while the band for the short hop from Guadeloupe is confirmed in the quote; Italy charges EUR 200 per passenger at this range, Austria EUR 12. Leaving Britain, Air Passenger Duty does not apply under 5.7 t, the higher rate hits aircraft of 20 t or more with fewer than 19 seats, and other jets pay the standard rate of their band; Germany, Norway and the Netherlands (from 5.7 t) add taxes of their own. Local departure charges for a private flight are collected through the handler; all of it appears 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 with the costs

Per passenger

Calculator

The calculator sends an estimate for any route by e-mail:

Robert L. Bradshaw and Vance W. Amory

Both airports close in the evening, so we plan the departure from Europe backwards from the 21:00 closing time. For a commercial charter the operator applies to the Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority at least 24 hours before landing, with the insurance certificate and the local handler named, and sends advance passenger information under the regional scheme.

Which aircraft

A Challenger 650 or a Praetor 600 crosses with one stop and keeps the price down; a Falcon 900EX or a Global 6000 flies straight through with room for a family and a fortnight's luggage. For Nevis and the hops to Antigua, Sint Maarten or Anguilla a Pilatus PC-12 or a Phenom 300 is the right size. More models in the heavy jets catalogue.

Leave a number and we will call to compare the one-stop and the non-stop options:

From the airport to Basseterre, the peninsula and Nevis

No helicopter operator is based in the federation; a helicopter is arranged from a neighbouring island when needed, with the landing site and customs agreed in advance.

Seasons on the islands

December to April is the dry, busy season, with the sea between 26 and 29 degrees all year and the highest demand around Christmas and the carnival. May, June and November are warm, mostly dry and quieter. The hurricane season runs from June to November, with the greatest risk and the most rain from August to October; September is the riskiest month. Empty Legs are most common around Christmas, when jets that brought families fly home without passengers, in early January, when aircraft come out empty to collect them, and in April and May at the end of the season.

Empty Legs

A jet that brings a family out for Christmas usually flies home empty, and one sent to collect them in January flies out empty, so these weeks give the best chances; other legs link St Kitts with Florida and the larger Caribbean bases. Write to empty-legs@jets.flights with the direction and a window of a few days.

Documents, customs and pets

• Dogs and cats need an import permit from the Chief Veterinary Officer, an ISO microchip read before the rabies vaccination, and a government-endorsed health certificate dated within 30 days of travel.
• Parasite treatment is given within five days of the flight; cats are tested for feline leukaemia and immunodeficiency within 30 days.
• Animals arrive at Robert L. Bradshaw and stay at home under veterinary supervision for 14 days, so a short stay with a pet needs careful planning.
• Pit bull and Staffordshire types, the American Bulldog and several other breeds are banned; puppies and kittens too young for the rabies vaccine are not admitted.
• The federation is on the EU and UK lists for pet travel; a dog returning to the UK needs tapeworm treatment 1-5 days before landing, through an approved route.

Booking steps

1. Tell us the dates, the passengers and the island where you will stay.
2. We compare a non-stop heavy jet with a one-stop super midsize jet and check the closing time of the terminal.
3. You receive offers with operator, aircraft, routing and the price for the whole aircraft.
4. After signing and payment the operator files the flight and the permit, and KayanJet or the Nevis handler prepares the arrival.
5. You land, clear immigration in the terminal and continue by car or by water taxi.

Questions about private flights to St Kitts and Nevis

• • What does a private jet to St Kitts cost?

  • From Lisbon a Praetor 600 costs EUR 52,000 without a stop; from London it costs EUR 69,000 with one stop, or EUR 85,000 non-stop in a Falcon 900EX, one way for the whole aircraft.

• • How long is the flight from London?

  • 8:14 h non-stop in a Falcon 900EX or a Global 6000, and 10:13 h in a Praetor 600 including a fuel stop in the Azores.

• • Can we fly directly to Nevis?

  • Only in a turboprop or a light jet, because the runway is about 1,220 m. Jets from Europe land on St Kitts, and the crossing to Nevis takes minutes by water taxi.

• • Is there a private terminal?

  • Yes, KayanJet at Robert L. Bradshaw on St Kitts, open 06:00-21:00. Nevis has no separate terminal.

• • Do we need a visa?

  • EU and UK citizens need no visa, but every visitor applies online for an Electronic Travel Authorisation before the flight.

• • Can our dog come with us?

  • Yes. The Chief Veterinary Officer issues a permit, the dog needs a chip, a rabies vaccination and an endorsed certificate, and it then spends 14 days confined at your address.

• • When is the busiest time?

  • Christmas and the Sugar Mas carnival from mid-December to early January, and the Music Festival at the end of June.

• • Can we arrive in the evening?

  • The airport and the terminal on St Kitts work until 21:00, and later arrivals need prior permission, so we plan the departure from Europe accordingly.

• • What is the time difference?

  • The islands stay on UTC-4 all year: in winter 4 hours behind London and 5 behind Paris, in the European summer 5 and 6.