Private jet to El Salvador

El Salvador is the smallest country in Central America and the only one without a Caribbean coast: about 21,000 km², with 307 km of Pacific shore and more than twenty volcanoes, several of them active. Private flights from Europe bring business travellers to the capital, surfers to the beaches around El Tunco and El Zonte, and visitors who combine the volcanoes and lakes with a tour of the neighbouring countries. The US dollar is the national currency.

Flights from Europe land at the international airport at San Luis Talpa, close to the coast and about 42 km from the capital. The tables cover 8,200-9,700 km from the European hubs, which a Gulfstream G550 flies in one go and a Challenger 650 with one landing for fuel. As a broker, we ask operators in Europe and in North America for the same dates, file the AAC charter permit through the operator and book the handler and the car at the steps.

Send the dates, number of passengers and what you plan to do in the country, and we reply with aircraft and prices.

Why fly privately

What the flight costs

One price per jet and per direction, based on an aircraft parked near the origin; the AAC permit, handling at both ends, charges at the refuelling airport and per-passenger taxes come on top. The time column shows the Challenger 650, including about an hour and a half for its refuelling stop, for example in the Azores or Newfoundland. The Gulfstream G550 needs no stop: about 10:28 h from Madrid, 10:32 h from London and 11:37 h from Munich.

From Europe

The Challenger 650 column starts at EUR 105,000 from Lisbon, then EUR 110,000 from London and Madrid and EUR 115,000-120,000 from Central Europe. Non-stop in the G550, the range is EUR 120,000-145,000. On a one-way charter the price includes the aircraft's empty return across the Atlantic, so for a stay of a week or more it is often cheaper for the jet to fly home and come back.

Within the region

A leg out of the country costs the same as the leg in. Each one is an international flight that needs permission in the country of landing and passport control at both ends. Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua share El Salvador's 90-day limit, while Costa Rica, Panama and Mexico have their own rules. El Salvador is so small that domestic flights are rarely needed; cars and helicopters cover the distances. Should one be needed, a foreign jet may fly between two Salvadoran airports only with the passengers it brought from abroad or takes abroad, with AAC permission; anyone else flies with a local operator.

Taxes

Salvadoran departure charges per passenger appear in the quote. From Milan, Italy takes EUR 200 per passenger each way, the band for routes over 1,500 km. The French business-jet tax grows with the length of the flight, so a Paris departure across the Atlantic pays more than a flight within Europe. A Challenger 650, G550 or Global 7500 leaving London pays the higher Air Passenger Duty rate, which covers jets of 20 t or more with fewer than 19 seats. Germany, the Netherlands and Norway each add 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

Two sample trips

Cost per seat

Split by the number on board, taxes not included:

Calculator

For a round trip, a tour of the neighbours or a start outside the hub list, the calculator returns a figure by e-mail:

Airports

San Luis Talpa lies almost at sea level and has 3,200 m of runway, so altitude does not cut the take-off weight as it does at highland airports in the region, and a long-range jet can usually load full tanks for Europe; only the hottest afternoons need a closer check. If weather closes the airport, the crew diverts to Ilopango or to Guatemala City, Managua or San Pedro Sula. Afternoon storms in the rainy season can delay departures, so we plan arrivals for the morning.

Aircraft for the route

One stop or none on your dates? A consultant rings back with both options if you leave a number.

When to travel

The coast of El Salvador is hot all year, the capital and the mountains cooler. The dry season from November to April brings clear skies, steady surf and passable mountain roads; Holy Week fills the beach hotels. From May to October storms come in the afternoon and evening, and the rainy season brings the biggest waves. Regional Empty Legs from Florida and the neighbouring capitals are more frequent in the dry season; transatlantic legs are rare.

Permits take longer around Holy Week and the independence holiday, so send the request early.

From the airport

Entry, permits and rules

Dogs and cats

• An import permit from the agriculture ministry, MAG, applied for online or in person against the vaccination record and a health certificate endorsed by the state vet of the departure country; it is valid for 30 days and one entry.
• Leaving the country with the animal needs a separate certificate issued no more than 15 days before departure and authenticated locally; the process starts 3-5 working days before the flight.
• For the flight home the EU and the UK treat El Salvador as an unlisted country: a blood test for rabies antibodies, drawn at least 30 days after the vaccination, and three months between that sample and arrival. Drawing it in Europe before leaving removes the wait. A dog bound for the UK is also wormed against tapeworm 1-5 days before landing there.
• Cats and dogs ride in the cabin, approved by the operator in advance, and remain on board while the jet refuels.

Empty Legs

Long-range jets that brought a party to El Salvador from across the Atlantic sometimes return to Europe empty, and between Florida, Mexico and the Central American capitals smaller jets reposition every week. An empty leg still needs a landing permit, so a few days of flexibility help. The address for requests is empty-legs@jets.flights.

How to book

1. Send the dates, passengers, luggage and any countries you plan to visit after El Salvador.
2. Our quote sets a refuelling Challenger 650 against a non-stop G550 and shows whether the jet should wait in El Salvador or return to Europe in between.
3. After you choose, the operator files the AAC permit at least five days ahead; we collect passport details at least a week before departure.
4. The operator sends the contract; you pay by bank transfer or card, and the cancellation charges, set by the operator, grow as the flight date nears.
5. On arrival the handler takes you through passport control and customs, and the car waits at the terminal.

Questions about private flights to El Salvador

• • How much does a private jet to El Salvador cost?

  • Lisbon - San Salvador in a Challenger 650 with a fuel stop is EUR 105,000, the lowest in the tables; London and Madrid come to EUR 110,000. Non-stop from London, the Gulfstream G550 is EUR 130,000. All prices are for the whole jet.

• • How long is the flight?

  • About 10:32 h non-stop from London in a G550. With a fuel stop the Challenger 650 takes 12:16 h, and the return to Europe is usually shorter.

• • Which airport in El Salvador do we land at?

  • The international airport at San Luis Talpa, with a 3,200 m runway, about 42 km from the capital. Ilopango in the city is used mainly for smaller aircraft.

• • Is a permit needed?

  • Yes, a charter carrying passengers needs a permit from the civil aviation authority, filed at least five days before arrival.

• • Do we need a visa?

  • EU and British travellers enter visa-free for up to 90 days, a total that also counts days in Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. British citizens need a visa for Honduras.

• • Can we continue to Guatemala?

  • Yes, in 0:47 h in a Citation CJ3, from EUR 8,000. It is an international flight with its own landing permit.

• • Dry season or surf season?

  • November to April for dry weather; surfers often prefer the rainy season, when the waves are biggest.

• • Can I bring my cat or dog?

  • Yes, with an import permit, the vaccination record and a health certificate. The return to the EU or the UK requires an antibody test.

• • What currency is used?

  • The US dollar, so there is nothing to change for travellers holding dollars.