Private jet to Spain

Spain is one of the busiest private aviation markets in Europe. The traffic splits into three kinds of trip: business in Madrid and Barcelona, summers on Majorca, Ibiza and Menorca, and the long season on the Costa del Sol and the Canary Islands, where villas, golf and mild winters keep aircraft coming from October to May. Most of these airports are run by the state company Aena, and the large ones have a separate terminal for business aviation with passport control and customs on site.

The country is easy to fly to and hard to park in. From June to September the island airports ration slots and stands, and a jet often drops its passengers and leaves for the mainland. On the mainland the constraints are milder: a slot for every movement at the big airports and limited parking in the busiest weeks. We are brokers, so the aircraft comes from whichever European operator fits, and the slot, the parking and the onward car or boat arrive in one quote.

Send the route, the dates and the number of passengers through the form, and we come back with aircraft options, the slot situation and a price.

What brings private flyers to the Iberian peninsula and the islands

Flight times from the main hubs

Times for a Phenom 300 light jet, taken from the price tables, including taxi, climb and descent:

The mainland and the Balearics are all within reach of a light jet from anywhere in western and central Europe. Malaga is the long sector of the group: from Manchester or Dublin a light jet needs 2:59 h, from Stockholm 4:29 h. The Canaries are another matter. Tenerife South is 4:10 h from London in a Citation Latitude and 4:05 h from Geneva, and on these distances we quote midsize and larger aircraft that fly with a full cabin and no fuel stop.

What a private flight to Spain costs

Each price is for the whole aircraft, one way, with an aircraft available near the departure airport, plus handling, parking and passenger taxes. The flight time is that of the first aircraft in the row. Rows go to different Spanish airports to show the spread of distances across the country.

From the European hubs

The short sectors from the Alps and the Riviera are the cheapest: Nice - Ibiza costs EUR 11,500 in a Phenom 300, Geneva - Palma EUR 12,000. From London a light jet to Malaga costs EUR 16,000 and a Challenger 350 with a stand-up cabin and room for golf bags costs EUR 23,000.

Within Spain and from Portugal

Domestic legs are short, and a turboprop or a light jet covers them. Any operator licensed in the EU may fly between two Spanish airports; Spanish VAT is added to the price of a domestic leg.

From the UK regions, Ireland, Scandinavia and Poland

Edinburgh - Palma and Manchester - Malaga are both just under 1,900 km, three hours in a light jet. For a family with summer luggage the Praetor 500 at EUR 21,000 has a larger hold and a stand-up cabin.

To the Canary Islands

Light jets are left out of this table: with a full cabin they would need a fuel stop on the way. From Madrid the island is 2:49 h away, and EUR 21,000 buys a Citation Latitude.

Long-haul flights

All three types fly these routes non-stop. Malaga is the usual destination for summer flights from the Gulf, Madrid for flights from North America.

Season and the base of the nearest free aircraft set the price. In July and August fewer jets are free, and a stay on the islands often adds two empty positioning legs because the aircraft cannot park. Spain charges no national per-passenger tax on private flights, so a flight home from Madrid or Malaga carries only airport charges. The departure country can add its own: France about EUR 420 per passenger on a jet (about half on a turboprop); Italy EUR 100 per passenger up to 1,500 km and EUR 200 beyond on flights to or from Italian airports; Austria EUR 12 per passenger on these distances; Germany and the Netherlands their own departure taxes; and UK Air Passenger Duty, which exempts aircraft under 5.7 t, charges most jets the standard rate of their distance band and applies the higher rate to jets of 20 t or more with fewer than 19 seats. All of it is listed 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 worked through

Price per person

A private jet is hired as a whole, so the share per seat falls with every extra passenger. Light jet prices from the main table:

Calculator

For another Spanish airport or a return trip, the calculator gives an estimate in a few seconds:

Airports and business aviation terminals

Spain has more than forty airports with international traffic, and six of them take most private flights. The right one is chosen by the address, not by the city name: a villa in Sotogrande is closer to Malaga than Marbella is to Seville, and the Costa Brava is often better served by Girona than by Barcelona.

Other airports for business jets

Distances are straight-line from the nearest main airport:

Two neighbours are often booked together with a Spanish trip. Gibraltar, a British overseas territory, has an airport on the isthmus by the border, about 25 minutes from Sotogrande; every private flight there needs prior permission. Andorra has no airport for jets: clients land at Barcelona or Girona and drive about three hours into the Pyrenees.

From the airport to the address

Which aircraft for which part of the country

For a choice between classes, see the catalogue pages for light jets, midsize jets and heavy jets. Golf bags and summer luggage are the usual reason to move up a class: the hold of a light jet fills quickly, and a midsize or super midsize jet gives more room for clubs and suitcases.

When to fly: the year month by month

For the mainland and the Balearics, May, June, late September and October combine warm weather with free slots and parking. For the Canaries, Andalusia and winter golf, November to April is the season. Empty Legs are most frequent in the weeks after the summer, when aircraft return north from the islands and the coast, and in the first days of January, when families fly home after New Year.

Empty Legs between Spain and the rest of Europe

An Empty Leg is a positioning flight with no passengers, sold at a reduced price. Spain produces them in both directions because so many trips are one-way: the family flies south for the summer and the jet goes home. Typical patterns:

Date and hour are set by the operator, who can cancel the leg if the original booking changes, so it suits a trip with some slack. Mail empty-legs@jets.flights with where you want to go and when you could leave, and offers that fit reach you as soon as operators list them.

Flying with a dog or cat

Spain applies the EU rules for pets, and on a private jet the animal travels in the cabin beside you. The operator must approve it in advance, so tell us the species, breed and weight with the passenger list.

What the animal needs:

• Microchip, implanted before the rabies vaccination.
• Rabies vaccination at least 21 days before travel for a first vaccination.
• EU pet passport for animals from the EU; up to five animals per trip. The same rules apply to the Canaries.
• From Great Britain: an animal health certificate from an authorised vet, issued no more than 10 days before arrival in the EU.
• Spain has rules for dog breeds classed as potentially dangerous, such as a lead and a muzzle in public; details differ by region.

Documents, borders and taxes

Before departure

• Passport or EU ID card for every passenger, a passport for anyone arriving from the UK or outside Europe.
• Names and document numbers of all passengers, sent to us by the day before departure.
• Number of suitcases, golf bags, bicycles or surfboards, so the hold is checked against the aircraft.
• Pet documents and the operator's written approval for the animal.
• The address of the villa, hotel or berth, so the airport and the transfer can be chosen.
• For a stay on the islands in summer: whether the aircraft waits or comes back, decided before the slot request.

How to book

1. Send the address, dates, number of passengers and luggage. For the islands in summer, say how long you stay.
2. We check slots and parking at the airport you need and suggest an alternative where the summer rules bite, for example Girona or Valencia for parking.
3. Options from several operators follow, each with price, flight time and any empty positioning legs shown.
4. You sign the charter contract and pay; we book the handler, the car, the boat or the helicopter.
5. On the day, the driver meets you at the business aviation terminal, and a manager follows the flight until you land.

Questions about private flights to Spain

• • How much does a private jet to Spain cost?

  • The cheapest row in our tables is Palma - Ibiza at EUR 6,500 by turboprop. From the European hubs a light jet costs from EUR 11,500 (Nice - Ibiza), from London to Malaga EUR 16,000. Prices are for the whole aircraft, one way, plus fees and taxes.

• • Which airport is best for Marbella?

  • Malaga-Costa del Sol, 40-55 minutes by car or a short helicopter flight. For Sotogrande, Gibraltar is an option too.

• • Can my jet stay on Ibiza or Majorca in summer?

  • Often not. From June to September parking is scarce, and the aircraft usually drops you and waits on the mainland, at Valencia, Barcelona or Girona. The quote shows these positioning legs separately.

• • How long is the flight from London?

  • About 2:42 h to Malaga in a light jet and about 4:10 h to Tenerife South in a Citation Latitude.

• • Can a light jet fly non-stop to the Canary Islands?

  • Not with a full cabin from London or central Europe. We quote a Citation Latitude or larger, which flies non-stop.

• • Do I need a passport?

  • EU citizens flying from a Schengen country can use an ID card, but a passport is safer. From the UK every passenger needs a passport, which is checked in the business aviation terminal.

• • Is there a passenger tax on private flights in Spain?

  • Spain has none. Domestic legs carry Spanish VAT, and the departure country may charge its own tax, for example France or the UK.

• • Can my dog fly with us?

  • Yes, in the cabin. It needs a microchip, a rabies vaccination at least 21 days old and an EU pet passport, or an animal health certificate when coming from Great Britain.

• • Are there Empty Legs to and from Spain?

  • Many, especially from the Balearics and the Costa del Sol to northern Europe in September and October. Write to empty-legs@jets.flights with your direction and dates.

• • Can I fly between two Spanish airports?

  • Yes, with an operator licensed in the EU. Palma - Ibiza takes 0:47 h in a turboprop and Madrid - Malaga 1:23 h; Spanish VAT is added.

• • How far ahead should I book for August on the islands?

  • As early as the dates are known. Slot requests open about 15 days before the flight, but the aircraft and the parking plan should be fixed well before that.