Private jet to South Korea

South Korea brings European companies to Seoul for head offices, banks and technology groups, to the shipyards and factories around Busan, Ulsan and Daegu in the south-east, and to the volcanic island of Jeju for golf and resorts. Most private flights from Europe land in Seoul, either at Incheon, which never closes, or at Gimpo inside the city, which has the only business aviation terminal in Korea.

European operators route around closed and restricted airspace, so the aircraft flies south over Turkey, the Caucasus, Central Asia and China. An ultra long range jet covers that without landing in under twelve and a half hours from most European hubs, and a heavy jet refuels once. Every flight needs a Korean landing permit, applied for through a local sponsor after the slot is approved. As a broker, we compare operators that fly to East Asia and plan the airport, the permit and the time of arrival together.

Send the city, the dates, the number of passengers and the time of your first meeting. A consultant replies with aircraft, airport and price.

Why fly privately to Korea

Flight times from Europe

Block times from the tables below; a fuel stop adds about 1:30 h on the ground:

The distances in the tables are 20 % longer than the straight line, because of that detour, and the route needs a Chinese overflight permit, which the operator obtains with the landing permit. All of South Korea lies at almost the same distance from Europe: a Gulfstream G650 reaches Seoul, Busan and Jeju non-stop from most hubs, and only Madrid and Nice push it to a stop. Westbound, headwinds can add a stop on the way home.

Private jet prices to Korea

Each price is for the whole aircraft, one way, with handling, parking, crew hotels and passenger taxes still to add, and assumes a jet based near the departure airport. The time column shows the Challenger 650.

From European hubs and capitals

A Challenger 650 with one stop is the lowest price on every row: London - Incheon costs EUR 130,000, Frankfurt - Incheon EUR 125,000 and Helsinki EUR 105,000. Non-stop, the Gulfstream G650 costs EUR 165,000 from London and EUR 160,000 from Frankfurt or Munich. Busan and Jeju cost the same as Seoul or a few thousand euros more: Zurich - Busan is EUR 135,000 with one stop. From Madrid and Nice, the Global 7500 is the jet that stays non-stop: EUR 195,000 to Incheon and EUR 185,000 to Jeju.

From Japan, China and Taiwan

Short sectors from Korea's neighbours, flown by jets based in the region:

Tokyo Haneda - Gimpo takes 2:04 h in a Phenom 300 for EUR 14,000, so a day of meetings fits between two sectors. Fukuoka - Busan is a 48-minute hop at EUR 9,500, and Shanghai - Jeju EUR 10,500. Hong Kong - Incheon costs EUR 18,000 in the light jet.

From the Gulf

Dubai - Incheon costs EUR 90,000 in a Challenger 650 with a stop, or EUR 105,000 non-stop in a Gulfstream G650.

On sectors of eleven to fourteen hours to Korea, flight time is most of the price; the stop, not the choice between Seoul and Busan, makes the difference. Handling, parking, the landing permit, overflight charges and Korean airport fees are added in the quote. On the European side, the tax follows the departure airport: Italy EUR 200 per passenger for sectors over 1,500 km, to or from the country, Austria EUR 12, and France a business-jet tax that grows with the distance flown. Germany and Norway levy departure taxes, and the Netherlands taxes passengers when the aircraft weighs 5.7 t or more. Leaving Britain, all three jets pay Air Passenger Duty at the higher rate, being 20 t or more with fewer than 19 seats.

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 worked through

Price per person

The aircraft is chartered as a whole, so the share per seat falls with each passenger; per-passenger taxes come on top:

Calculator

For a return trip or another Korean airport, the calculator e-mails a first estimate:

The first figure is based on the direct distance; the offer then adds the real track and where the nearest free jet stands.

Airports for business jets in Korea

Several international airports take business jets from abroad, but only Gimpo has a separate terminal. At Incheon and the regional airports a handling agent escorts passengers through the passenger terminal. Most airports in Korea other than Incheon close at night.

Arriving at Gimpo, the natural fallback is Incheon; arriving at Incheon at night, another Korean airport open at that hour is planned with the handler.

Permits and domestic legs

• Every business, private or technical flight needs a Korean landing permit, applied for through a local sponsor after the slot is approved.
• The usual lead time is three working days for a civil airport and about seven for an airport shared with the military.
• Each country on the route approves the overflight, China included, and the operator files these together with the landing permit.
• A change of time, airport or aircraft means a revised permit.
• Flights between two Korean airports, such as Seoul - Jeju, are normally flown by a Korean-registered aircraft, not by the jet from Europe; on shorter distances the KTX high-speed train is often as quick.

Which aircraft suits the trip

For a small team the Challenger 650 with a stop gives the lowest price. For a board or a group of ten with luggage, an ultra long range cabin saves two hours and lets everyone sleep. A sector of more than twelve hours means an augmented crew or a rest day before the aircraft continues. The catalogue lists the heavy jets and ultra long range jets by model.

When to go: the Korean year

Business travel runs all year; leisure trips peak in spring and autumn, when the weather is dry and mild, and Jeju is busiest in summer. Two lunar holidays, Seollal and Chuseok, empty offices for several days and fill roads, hotels and airports. Empty Legs are most frequent after those holidays and after the September art fairs, when jets that brought guests from Europe fly home.

Entry rules and documents

Korea is outside Schengen, so passports are checked when you leave Europe and again on arrival.

Flying with a dog or cat

Leaving the EU, a pet needs an ISO microchip, a rabies vaccination at least 21 days before travel and an EU pet passport, up to five animals per owner. For Korea the EU pet passport alone is not enough:

On a private jet the dog or cat travels in the cabin beside you; the operator sets the conditions and approves the animal in advance. Dogs flying on to the UK, Ireland, Malta, Finland or Norway need tapeworm treatment 1-5 days before arrival, and the UK admits pets only on approved routes. For Japan, the next stop on many trips, the rules are far stricter, with a 180-day wait.

Empty Legs to and from Korea

After dropping a group in Seoul, many long-range jets return to Europe empty. A leg that matches your dates costs much less, but it still needs the Chinese overflight permit and the Korean landing permit, so it is found a few days ahead. Typical patterns:

Send the direction and a range of dates to empty-legs@jets.flights, and we match them with jets due to leave Korea.

Before departure

• A passport for each traveller that stays valid until the day you leave Korea.
• K-ETA status checked and the electronic arrival card completed within three days of landing.
• The local time of the first meeting, which decides between Gimpo and Incheon.
• A passenger list for the landing permit, final a few working days before departure.
• Pet documents: chip, vaccination, blood test result and health certificate.
• Any domestic leg booked with a Korean operator, or the KTX tickets.

How to book

1. Send the city, the dates, the number of passengers and the time of the first meeting.
2. The arrival hour decides between Gimpo and Incheon, and we set a one-stop heavy jet against a non-stop ultra long range jet.
3. Each offer names the operator and the aircraft, with cabin photos, routing, price and the parking and crew costs.
4. After you sign and pay, the operator applies for the slot, the landing permit and the overflights.
5. On landing the handler takes you through passport and customs control, and the car waits at the terminal.

Questions about private flights to South Korea

• • How much does a private jet to South Korea cost?

  • From Helsinki a Challenger 650 with one stop flies to Incheon for EUR 105,000 one way for the whole aircraft. London - Incheon costs EUR 130,000 in the same jet and EUR 165,000 non-stop in a Gulfstream G650. Handling, parking and taxes are extra.

• • Can we fly non-stop from Europe?

  • Yes. A Gulfstream G650 flies to Seoul non-stop from most European hubs, London - Incheon in 12:21 h. From Madrid and Nice the Global 7500 is needed for a non-stop flight.

• • Gimpo or Incheon?

  • Gimpo for a daytime arrival and meetings in the city: it is close to the centre and has a business aviation centre, but takes international private flights only from 06:00 to 23:00. Incheon for night arrivals and large groups.

• • Can we fly straight to Busan or Jeju?

  • Yes, both take flights from abroad, and the price is close to that of Seoul. Gimhae is also a military base, so the time is confirmed for the date.

• • Can the jet from Europe fly us from Seoul to Jeju?

  • Normally not: flights between two Korean airports are flown by a Korean-registered aircraft. We book a Korean operator, or the jet lands on Jeju directly from Europe.

• • How far ahead should we book?

  • The landing permit usually needs three working days after the slot is approved, about a week for an airport shared with the military, and China must approve the overflight. A week's notice is comfortable.

• • Do we need a visa or K-ETA?

  • EU, UK and Swiss citizens need no visa for up to 90 days. The K-ETA exemption for many European countries has an end date, so we check it for the travel date; everyone completes the free electronic arrival card.

• • What is the time difference?

  • Korea does not change the clocks, so Seoul is 9 hours ahead of London in winter and 8 hours in summer.

• • Can our dog come with us?

  • Yes, in the cabin, with a microchip, rabies vaccination, a blood test of at least 0.5 IU/ml and a health certificate. Start several weeks ahead because of the blood test.

• • Are there Empty Legs to Korea?

  • Mostly on short routes from Tokyo, Osaka and Beijing, and long-range jets returning to Europe after a drop-off. Write to empty-legs@jets.flights with your dates.

• • Can we continue to Japan or China with the same jet?

  • Yes. Tokyo is about two hours from Seoul, and Beijing and Shanghai are as close; each country needs its own landing permit, which we file with the first.