Private jet to the Seychelles

The Seychelles are 115 islands in the western Indian Ocean, just south of the equator and about 1,500 km east of mainland Africa. Granite islands with forested mountains, Mahé, Praslin, La Digue and their neighbours, hold most of the hotels and people; the coral islands further out hold a handful of resorts with a runway or a jetty of their own. Every international flight, private or scheduled, lands at Seychelles International on Mahé, a few kilometres from the capital, Victoria.

For a private flight the arrival on Mahé is rarely the end of the journey. Guests continue to Praslin, La Digue or a private island by domestic flight, helicopter or boat, and those links run by day, so we plan the landing time first and the departure from Europe after it. The clients are mainly families and couples, honeymooners, anglers and divers, and some travellers who combine the islands with a safari in East Africa.

Tell us the island or resort, the dates and the number of guests. We check the last transfer of the day and offer aircraft that land in time for it.

What a private flight changes on this route

Flight times

The Global 6000 is the first aircraft in the main table and flies every route in it without a stop:

• Vienna 9:22 h, Milan Linate 9:39 h, Nice 9:41 h, Munich 9:44 h, Zurich 9:53 h, Geneva 9:59 h
• Frankfurt 10:06 h, Hamburg 10:20 h, Madrid 10:26 h, Paris Le Bourget 10:29 h, Amsterdam 10:34 h, London Farnborough 10:54 h
• Larnaca 6:48 h, and in a Challenger 650 Istanbul 7:47 h and Athens 7:48 h, both without a stop
• With a fuel stop in a Challenger 650: Rome 10:34 h, Warsaw 11:02 h, Berlin 11:30 h
• Regional: Mauritius 2:51 h, Zanzibar 2:55 h, Nairobi 3:18 h, Malé 3:28 h in a Phenom 300; Dubai 4:37 h and Johannesburg 5:12 h in a Praetor 500

Operators route around closed and restricted airspace, usually over Egypt and the Red Sea or across the Gulf and the Arabian Sea, which makes the flight about 8 per cent longer than the straight line. From most hubs super midsize and heavy jets land once for fuel, usually in the Gulf or Nairobi, and reach Mahé roughly two hours after a non-stop Global 6000 would. The alternates in this part of the ocean are far apart, Mauritius is 1,768 km from Mahé, so the operator carries extra fuel, and on long sectors a heavy jet may take fewer passengers or less baggage.

Seychelles private jet prices

Prices are for the whole aircraft, one way, assuming an aircraft based near the departure airport. Permits, handling outside standard hours, the fuel stop, parking and passenger taxes are added. The flight time belongs to the first aircraft in the row.

From the main European hubs

The Praetor 600 is the budget option: up to nine seats and one stop for fuel, from EUR 78,000 out of Vienna and EUR 89,000 out of London. A non-stop Global 6000 costs EUR 115,000 from Vienna and EUR 135,000 from London, and the Gulfstream G650 adds speed and a wider cabin for a similar price. From Larnaca the Praetor 600 flies without a stop for EUR 49,000.

From other cities in Europe and Turkey

From Istanbul and Athens the Challenger 650 needs no stop and costs EUR 70,000 to EUR 71,000. From Rome, Warsaw and further north it lands once; the Falcon 8X and the Global 7500 fly direct.

From the Gulf, Africa and the Indian Ocean

The Gulf and Johannesburg are beyond the non-stop range of a light jet, hence on request in that column. A safari in Kenya or Tanzania followed by a week on the beach is a common plan: Nairobi - Mahé costs EUR 18,000 in a Phenom 300. Arriving from mainland East Africa, passengers may be asked for a yellow fever vaccination certificate.

A foreign jet does not fly between the islands of the country: Praslin and the outer islands are served by domestic aircraft, helicopters and resort planes, booked locally with the transfer. On a stay of a week or more we compare the jet waiting on Mahé, with parking and crew hotels, with two empty flights to Europe and back. Seychelles departure charges are added per passenger. In Europe each departure country has its own passenger tax: EUR 200 for flights from or to Italy at this distance and EUR 12 from Austria, while the French solidarity tax for business jets is banded by distance and charged at its long-haul rate on a flight to Mahé; UK Air Passenger Duty applies at the higher rate to jets of 20 t or more with fewer than 19 seats, at the standard rate to lighter jets, and Germany, Norway and the Netherlands charge their own taxes. All of them appear 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

Three trips priced

Cost per passenger

Divide the price of the whole aircraft by the seats taken; departure taxes and island transfers are paid per person on top:

Online calculator

For a first figure with your dates, use the calculator and name the island in the comment:

Seychelles International and the island airstrips

Seychelles International (SEZ / FSIA) lies at Pointe Larue on the east coast of Mahé, about 11 km south of Victoria. Its single concrete runway, 13/31, is 2,987 m long and takes every business jet, including fully loaded long-range aircraft. Private flights are handled by the ExecuJet FBO, which has VIP lounges, parking bays for business jets close to them and transport across the apron to the aircraft; passport and customs checks for the passengers can be done in the lounge for a fee.

A landing permit is required for every aircraft and is applied for at least 48 hours before arrival, together with the slot and the parking; a separate permit covers overflight of Seychelles airspace. Private flights are handled as standard from 08:00 to 16:00 local time; arrivals and departures outside those hours are possible with advance notice and an extra charge. Jet A-1 comes from the national fuel company. The aviation authority works in the morning hours, so a request sent in the evening is processed the next day.

Which aircraft for the Seychelles

Most European families fly ultra long range aircraft for the ten-hour sector; couples and small groups who accept a stop save about a third with a super midsize. Helicopters to the islands usually carry up to four adults with a weight limit on baggage, so soft bags help, and heavy luggage can follow by boat.

To choose between a direct flight and a stop, leave your number and a consultant will call:

From Mahé to the other islands

If the plane lands late, a hotel near the airport on Mahé and a morning transfer are the usual answer. On the way home the order is reversed: the domestic flight or helicopter must arrive on Mahé before the jet's departure slot.

When to go: winds, rain and holidays

It is warm all year, between about 24 and 32 °C, so the calendar follows the winds. April and October to November are the calm changeover months with the clearest water, May to September brings the drier south-east trade wind and rougher seas on exposed coasts, and December to March the wetter north-west monsoon. Christmas, Easter and the European summer holidays are the busiest weeks. Empty Legs appear most often after Christmas and New Year, when long-range jets return to Europe, and before the holidays, when they fly out to collect guests; regional legs from Mauritius, Nairobi and the Gulf run all year.

Tropical cyclones form in the south-west Indian Ocean from about December to March, but only the most southern outer islands lie in their usual path; Mahé, Praslin and La Digue are outside it.

Empty Legs to and from Mahé

Dates are set by the operator, and the permit is still needed 48 hours ahead, so legs suit travellers with some flexibility. Write to empty-legs@jets.flights with the direction and your possible dates.

Travelling with a dog or cat

The rules are among the strictest in the region, and for a holiday most owners leave the animal at home:

• A veterinary import permit from the Seychelles Agricultural Agency, issued within seven working days on written application with the microchip number, valid for one month from the planned arrival; a second permit comes from the finance ministry.
• Rabies vaccination, a booster 30 days to 12 months before travel, and a rabies antibody test of at least 0.5 IU/ml taken at least a month after vaccination.
• At least two weeks of quarantine at the station at Union Vale on Mahé, booked at least two weeks ahead.
• Dogs of several breeds, among them German Shepherd, Rottweiler and Dobermann, must be sterilised.
• The rules describe the animal arriving as declared cargo, so carrying it in the cabin of a private jet is agreed with the authorities in advance.
• Back in the EU an antibody test done before departure and recorded in the pet passport avoids a waiting period. For Great Britain the pet arrives through an approved route only, and a dog is treated against tapeworm 1-5 days before landing there.

Entry, customs and local rules

Checklist before the flight

• Travel authorisation for every passenger, children included.
• Passports valid for the whole stay.
• Hotel or resort confirmation and the transfer time to the island.
• Soft bags for the helicopter or domestic flight.
• Yellow fever certificate if the trip includes mainland Africa.
• Names and passport numbers to us at least three days before departure.

Booking and contract

1. Send the island or resort, dates and passengers, and say whether the jet should wait on Mahé.
2. We set the landing time around the island transfer and compare a non-stop long-range jet with a cheaper one-stop option.
3. You receive the options with operator, model, cabin photos, flight time and price for the whole aircraft.
4. After the contract and payment the operator applies for the landing and overflight permits and the handler books the FBO.
5. On arrival ExecuJet staff meet the aircraft, and the transfer to the island follows directly.

Private jet to the Seychelles: questions and answers

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

  • From Larnaca a Praetor 600 costs EUR 49,000 without a stop. From the main hubs the same aircraft costs EUR 78,000 to EUR 89,000 with one fuel stop, while a non-stop Global 6000 costs EUR 115,000 to EUR 135,000, for the whole aircraft one way.

• • Can we fly non-stop from Europe?

  • Yes, in a long-range jet such as the Global 6000: 9:22 h from Vienna and 10:54 h from London Farnborough.

• • Which airport do private jets use?

  • Seychelles International on Mahé, with the ExecuJet FBO. Praslin and the outer islands are reached by domestic plane, helicopter or boat.

• • How do we get to La Digue?

  • There is no airport: by catamaran through Praslin in about one and a half hours, or by helicopter to the island's pad.

• • Can we land in the evening?

  • Yes, with advance notice and an out-of-hours charge; the standard hours for private flights are 08:00-16:00. A late landing may miss the last transfer to another island.

• • Do we need a visa?

  • No, but each traveller needs the online travel authorisation before departure, and the border officer may ask for the hotel booking and the return flight.

• • How far ahead do we need to book?

  • The landing permit needs at least 48 hours. For Christmas, Easter and August we advise several weeks, because helicopters and resorts fill first.

• • Can our dog come along?

  • Only with two import permits, a rabies antibody test and at least two weeks of quarantine on Mahé, so it rarely suits a holiday.

• • Can we combine the Seychelles with Mauritius or the Maldives?

  • Yes. Mauritius - Mahé takes 2:51 h in a Phenom 300 from EUR 16,500, Malé - Mahé 3:28 h from EUR 18,500. Each country needs its own landing permit.

• • What is the time difference?

  • The islands are four hours ahead of London in winter and three in summer; against Paris three hours in winter and two in summer.

• • Are there Empty Legs?

  • Yes, mainly long-range jets returning to Europe after a drop-off and regional legs from Mauritius, Nairobi and the Gulf. Send your dates to empty-legs@jets.flights.