Private jet to Sardinia

Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean, and three of its airports take business jets: Olbia in the north-east, Alghero in the north-west and Cagliari in the south. On the map they look close, but by road they are not: Olbia to Cagliari is about 264 km and close to three hours, Alghero to Porto Cervo about two and a half. So the first question for a private flight here is not the aircraft but the address, because the right airport saves hours in a car.

This page gives the overview: which airport serves which coast, what the flights cost to each of them, how to move around the island and when to go. The detail for the two largest airports is on the pages for Olbia, with its separate terminal for the Costa Smeralda, and for Cagliari, the capital in the south. As a broker we request aircraft from operators across Europe, and we often plan a trip that lands at one end of the island and flies home from the other.

Send the dates, the number of passengers and the hotel, villa or marina through the form, and we will suggest the airport and the aircraft.

Which airport for which part of the island

The table shows where the most requested places on the island lie and which airport gives the shortest transfer:

Why fly privately to Sardinia

Flight times to the island

Times to Olbia for a Pilatus PC-24 light jet, as shown in the first price table:

Alghero takes almost the same time as Olbia from London or Geneva, and is closer from Barcelona: 1:14 h in the same jet. Cagliari, further south, adds 10-15 minutes from northern Europe: 2:38 h from London and 1:38 h from Geneva. From London, Paris, Geneva or Munich even a light jet reaches all three airports non-stop. Between the airports themselves a turboprop needs about 50 minutes, against two and a half to three hours by road.

Private flights to Sardinia: prices

Prices are for the entire aircraft and a one-way flight, before handling, parking and passenger taxes, assuming an aircraft is free close to the departure airport. Each row shows the flight time of its first aircraft.

To Olbia from the European hubs

Rome and Nice are the cheapest departures at EUR 10,000 in a PC-24, and from Milan Linate the same aircraft costs EUR 11,000. From London the PC-24 costs EUR 15,000, and the Gulfstream G280 with its stand-up cabin and large hold costs EUR 22,000.

To Cagliari in the south

The route to Cagliari is up to about 190 km longer than to Olbia, so the same aircraft costs a little more: a PC-24 from London is priced at EUR 16,000 against EUR 15,000 to Olbia, and from Rome at EUR 10,500 against EUR 10,000.

To Alghero in the north-west

Hops across the island

When the holiday starts in one corner and ends in another, a short flight replaces a long drive:

Olbia to Cagliari takes 0:53 h in a PC-12 at EUR 6,500, and Alghero to Cagliari 0:50 h for the same price. These are domestic flights, so the Italian passenger tax and VAT at 10% are added.

From the Gulf and the United States

All three runways are longer than 2,700 m, and summer brings non-stop flights from the Gulf and the United States to the Costa Smeralda:

Three things set the price: the flight time, the position of the nearest free aircraft and the date. In July and August the whole island is in demand, and in the week around Ferragosto on 15 August free aircraft are hard to find. Outside the summer few aircraft are based on the island, so a departure from Sardinia may include a positioning leg from the mainland. Italy charges a tax on every passenger of a private flight departing from or arriving in Italy, for each leg, including flights between the island's airports: EUR 100 up to 1,500 km and EUR 200 beyond, with the distance taken as great circle plus 95 km. Domestic flights also carry VAT at the reduced rate of 10%. Departure taxes of other countries are added where they apply: Air Passenger Duty from the UK, about EUR 420 per passenger on a jet from France, Corsica included, and a national tax from Germany.

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

Examples: what a trip to Sardinia costs

Price per seat

The aircraft is chartered as a whole, so the cost per seat falls with each passenger. Prices to Olbia, before the Italian tax:

Instant estimate

Pick the departure airport, one of the three Sardinian airports, the date and the number of passengers, and the estimate arrives by e-mail within minutes.

The island's airports for business aviation

Olbia is the main airport for private flights and the one used in the first price table. The other two complete the map, and all three take every class of business jet:

Figari, 76 km from Olbia across the strait, is in France, so a trip that ends there pays the French solidarity tax on departure rather than the Italian tax.

Which aircraft for a trip to Sardinia

For a yacht, crews ask for soft bags that fold away. For a villa, it is the hold rather than the seats that decides: with golf clubs, dive kit or a pushchair, midsize jets are the safer choice.

To discuss which airport fits your plans, leave your number and a consultant will call you.

When to fly to Sardinia

On Sardinia the beach season sets the pace, with a few fixed dates in the calendar:

For many clients June and September are the best months: warm water, fewer guests and easier stands. Strong maestrale days keep boats in harbour and can make the approach bumpy, so a sailing programme keeps one spare day.

Getting around the island

Helicopters fly from Olbia to hotels and villas with their own landing site; we check the site before the trip. On the south coast, Pula and Villasimius lie on opposite sides of the bay of Cagliari, and the drive depends on the hotel's address.

Empty Legs to and from Sardinia

In summer many aircraft bring passengers to the island and return empty straight away, because parking is short at Olbia and usually refused at Cagliari. Typical directions:

The date and time are fixed by the original booking, so Empty Legs suit flexible plans. Each passenger still pays the Italian tax. Write to empty-legs@jets.flights with the direction and a date range.

Taking a dog or cat to Sardinia

The dog or cat flies in the cabin beside you, not in the hold, and the operator must approve it before booking. 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.
• 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.

Rules for dogs on the beaches are set by each municipality and beach operator, and on a yacht the owner and captain decide. 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.

Entry rules, customs and taxes

What to prepare before the flight

• Valid passport or ID card for every passenger, children included.
• Names, dates of birth and document numbers, sent at least the day before.
• The address of every stay on the island, so we can choose the arrival and departure airports.
• Whether the aircraft waits or flies two one-way legs.
• Luggage: how many bags, soft or hard, plus golf clubs or pushchairs.
• Yacht name, marina and boarding time, if you are sailing.
• Pet documents and the consent of the yacht owner or hotel.
• Company name and VAT number for the invoice.

Planning and booking

1. Send the departure airport, dates, passengers, luggage and every address on the island.
2. We propose the arrival and departure airports, check parking or permission, and price two one-way flights where the aircraft cannot stay.
3. You receive 2-4 aircraft options with operator, model, cabin photos and the price for the whole aircraft, plus cars, helicopter or a hop between airports.
4. You sign the contract with the operator and pay; we confirm handling, the transfers and the times with the yacht.
5. The car meets you at the aircraft, at whichever of the three airports you land.

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

Sardinia by private jet: frequent questions

• • Which airport in Sardinia should we fly to?

  • Olbia for the Costa Smeralda and La Maddalena, Alghero for the north-west, Cagliari for the capital and the south coast. The airports are hours apart by road, so the address decides.

• • What do private flights to Sardinia cost?

  • To Olbia, a Pilatus PC-24 costs from EUR 10,000 one way from Rome or Nice and EUR 15,000 from London, for the whole aircraft. A turboprop between two of the island's airports starts at EUR 6,500. The Italian tax and transfers come on top.

• • Can we land at one airport and leave from another?

  • Yes, and it often saves a long drive. The trip is then planned as two one-way flights, for example into Olbia and home from Cagliari.

• • How long does it take from London?

  • About 2:26 h to Olbia and 2:38 h to Cagliari in a Pilatus PC-24, non-stop.

• • Can the aircraft stay on the island?

  • Outside the summer usually yes. In July and August parking is short at Olbia and usually refused for overnight stays at Cagliari, so the aircraft leaves and comes back for the return.

• • Is there a private terminal?

  • Olbia has the separate Eccelsa terminal with handling 24 hours, and Cagliari a general aviation terminal with a meeting room. At Alghero the airport's handling agent looks after private flights.

• • How is the Italian tax charged?

  • Italy charges EUR 100 per passenger for each leg up to 1,500 km and EUR 200 beyond, also between the island's airports, plus VAT on domestic flights.

• • When is the best time to go?

  • June and September give warm water and easier stands. The week around 15 August and the first half of September, with the regatta in Porto Cervo, are the busiest.

• • Can we combine Sardinia and Corsica?

  • Yes. Figari in southern Corsica is 76 km from Olbia, and the ferry from Santa Teresa Gallura to Bonifacio takes about 50 minutes. Departures from Corsica pay the French tax.

• • Can our dog come along?

  • Yes, in the cabin, with a microchip, a valid rabies vaccination and an EU pet passport. Beach rules for dogs differ from one municipality to the next.

• • Where do Empty Legs to and from Sardinia fly?

  • Mostly between the island and the mainland: in summer many jets fly back empty to Rome, Nice, Milan and Geneva, especially on Saturdays. Write to empty-legs@jets.flights with your direction and dates.