Private flights for athletes and sports teams
For a team, the journey is part of the preparation. A squad that flies home on the night of an away match gains a full day of recovery, and a tennis player who flies straight from one tournament to the next avoids a connection and an extra night in a hotel. On a chartered aircraft the club or the athlete sets the departure time, the airport and the service on board around the fixture list, not around an airline timetable.
European Private Jets arranges flights for individual athletes, clubs, national federations, coaching and medical staff, club executives and agents. We are a broker and have no aircraft of our own: for each trip we compare offers from licensed operators, from a turboprop for a cyclist and a coach to a regional airliner for a full squad with staff and kit. The offer and the contract name the operator responsible for each flight. General charter formats are explained on the private jet charter page.
Send the fixture, the date, the number of travellers and a rough list of the kit, and we will reply with options:
Who flies on a sports charter
Sports charters cover very different trips. The size of the group, the amount of kit and the part of the schedule that cannot move decide which aircraft fits.
Tennis, golf, motor racing, cycling, skiing. Short notice, plans that change with each result, long bags in the hold.
2-6 peopleAnalysts, scouts, kit managers, mechanics, doctors. Often more technical kit per person than the team itself.
3-9 peopleClub or federation executives, agents, a player signing for a club. Fixed meeting times, a same-day return, a discreet arrival.
2-8 peopleA basketball, volleyball or handball team with staff, a cycling team, a national squad in an individual sport. Legroom for tall players, hold volume, one or two aircraft.
15-30 peopleA squad with staff and club officials. A regional airliner or a narrow-body aircraft, coach access to the aircraft, a night return.
40-70 peopleTheir own aircraft and timetable, separate from the squad.
10-180 people
Many clubs split one trip between two aircraft: the squad and staff fly on an airliner, while the board and guests travel on a business jet with their own times. Corporate hospitality packages and incentive trips built around a sporting event are covered on the MICE flights page.
Which aircraft for which squad
The count starts with the number of people, but the kit corrects it. With a full set of team bags, medical cases and video equipment, the real capacity of an aircraft is often a few seats below the figure in the catalogue.
The bags run out of space long before the seats do.
| Group | Aircraft | Seats | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-6 | Turboprop or light jet: Pilatus PC-12, Citation CJ3, Pilatus PC-24 | 7-8 | Athlete with coach; the PC-12 and PC-24 have a large cargo door for bike cases and ski bags |
| 6-9 | Midsize jet: Citation XLS+, Citation Latitude | 9 | Small delegation, golf or tennis group with full kit |
| 10-14 | Heavy jet: Challenger 650, Legacy 650 | 12-14 | Federation delegation, technical staff, a small team on longer routes |
| 15-19 | VIP airliner: Embraer Lineage 1000 | up to 19 | A large group in one cabin; few aircraft available |
| 20-50 | Regional jet: Embraer ERJ-145 | about 50 | Basketball, volleyball or handball team with staff |
| 50-100 | Regional jet: Embraer E190 or E195 | 100-120 | Football squad with staff and officials |
| 100-180 | Airliner: Airbus A320, Boeing 737-800 | 150-180 | Squad with sponsors and press, or a supporters' flight |
A small number of Boeing 737s fly with business-class seats instead of the usual airline layout: fewer seats, more legroom and seats that recline far enough to sleep on the way home. Teams book them early in the season, so ask about them as soon as the fixture is known.
Height matters as much as numbers. The cabin of a heavy business jet such as the Legacy 650 is about 1.83 m high, so basketball and volleyball players rarely stand upright on board. For them we compare the distance between seat rows rather than the total number of seats, and on longer flights we often suggest leaving every second seat free.
Prices for athletes and small teams
One-way prices for the whole aircraft on routes that athletes, coaches and team staff fly often. The flight time is that of the light jet. Under each Legacy 650 price is the cost per person when all 13 seats are taken; in smaller aircraft the price is split the same way between the people on board.
| Route | Light jetCitation CJ3 | Midsize jetCitation XLS+ | Heavy jetLegacy 650, 13 seats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Munich - InnsbruckAlpine ski races, 0:41 h | EUR 7,500 | EUR 9,500 | EUR 17,000about EUR 1,300 each |
| Nice - Milan LinateGrand Prix at Monza, San Siro, 0:51 h | EUR 8,000 | EUR 10,500 | EUR 18,000about EUR 1,400 each |
| Frankfurt - LiègeSpa-Francorchamps circuit, 0:49 h | EUR 8,000 | EUR 10,500 | EUR 18,000about EUR 1,400 each |
| Paris Le Bourget - London FarnboroughFrom clay to the grass-court season, 0:59 h | EUR 8,500 | EUR 11,000 | EUR 19,000about EUR 1,500 each |
| Amsterdam - EdinburghGolf in Scotland, 1:26 h | EUR 10,000 | EUR 13,000 | EUR 22,000about EUR 1,700 each |
| Vienna - Rome CiampinoTennis at the Foro Italico, 1:34 h | EUR 10,500 | EUR 13,500 | EUR 23,000about EUR 1,800 each |
| Zurich - BarcelonaAway match, Catalan circuit, 1:41 h | EUR 10,500 | EUR 14,000 | EUR 24,000about EUR 1,800 each |
| London Farnborough - Milan LinateMedical and signing at a club, 1:52 h | EUR 11,500 | EUR 14,500 | EUR 25,000about EUR 1,900 each |
| Madrid - Milan LinateEuropean cup tie, 2:08 h | EUR 12,000 | EUR 16,000 | EUR 27,000about EUR 2,100 each |
| Hamburg - ValenciaWinter training camp, 2:57 h | EUR 14,500 | EUR 19,000 | EUR 33,000about EUR 2,500 each |
Filling a heavy jet brings the cost per head down quickly: from Munich to Innsbruck the Legacy 650 costs EUR 17,000, about EUR 1,300 a seat when all 13 seats are taken. On longer routes the per-person figure rises with the flight time, from Hamburg to Valencia to about EUR 2,500.
Full squads: two business jets or one airliner
Business jets carry up to 19 passengers. From about 20 people an airliner usually costs less per head, while two or three business jets give more freedom with times and airports. A group of 26 between Madrid and Milan shows the difference:
The E190 still has some 70 empty seats in that example, which is why clubs often add staff, officials or guests. Airliner prices depend more on the date than business jet prices do, because only a few aircraft of each type are free for charter in any given week.
For business jets, the calculator gives a first estimate for any route:
For a squad on an airliner, send us the request instead: the price depends on which aircraft are free on your date. The estimate and the search are free and commit you to nothing.
The fixture list decides the timetable
A sports flight is planned backwards from the kick-off or the start time. Four situations come up again and again.
Arriving the day before
In the UEFA club competitions the regulations require teams to be on site no later than the evening before the match, in time for their media duties. A charter that leaves after the morning training session lands in time for the evening press conference and a session at the stadium. Other competitions have their own rules, so tell us which one applies.
Flying home straight after the match
The aircraft waits at the airport while the team showers, talks to the press and boards the coach. After an evening kick-off the take-off is usually between midnight and about 01:30, and the players sleep at home.
A midweek cup tie before a weekend league match
Between a match on Wednesday evening and another on Sunday, every hour of recovery counts. A direct flight cuts out connections, waiting at the gate and a night in a hotel, and the team trains at home the next afternoon.
Extra time, postponement and late changes
The departure can move, within the crew duty limits, the airport slot and the opening hours. For a cup match that may go to extra time and penalties we plan the take-off with a margin of about an hour. If a match is postponed, we first try to move the flight to the rescheduled date; the terms depend on the operator's contract and are stated in the offer.
Airports near stadiums, circuits and slopes
A charter can land at the airport closest to the venue rather than at the nearest airline hub. Business jets use many smaller airports, which saves time on the coach both before and after the event.
Exact dates change from season to season, and we check them when we prepare the offer. In the week of a Grand Prix or a final, the airports nearest the venue run out of slots and parking space early, so book as soon as the date and venue are confirmed.
At many airports the team coach can drive onto the apron and stop next to the aircraft, with the approval of the airport, which we request together with the slot. Where this is not allowed, the team passes through a business aviation terminal or a separate gate. From the airport to a paddock or a ski resort the last stretch is often by car or helicopter.
Sports kit in the hold
On a chartered aircraft there is no fee per bag. The limits are the volume of the hold, the size of the cargo door and the take-off weight, which is why we ask for the kit list together with the passenger list.
| Sport | Kit | What we check |
|---|---|---|
| Football | Player bags, kit managers' trunks, physio tables, medical bags, video equipment | Volume more than weight: dozens of bags and heavy trunks need the hold of a regional jet or an airliner |
| Ice hockey | Sticks, pads, goalkeeper bags, skate sharpening kit | Very high volume per player; a full team almost always needs an airliner |
| Basketball, volleyball, handball | Personal bags, balls, recovery equipment | Legroom in the cabin matters more than the hold |
| Cycling, triathlon | Bikes in hard cases, spare wheels, tools | Bike cases are over a metre long: a wide cargo door and a long hold, as on the Pilatus PC-12 and PC-24 |
| Skiing, snowboarding | Long ski bags, boots, waxing kit | Ski length decides the aircraft; mountain airports narrow the choice further |
| Golf, tennis | Golf bags, racket bags, stringing machine | A light jet takes a few golf bags; with four or more players a midsize jet is safer |
| Motor sport | Helmets, race suits, telemetry, spare parts | Lithium batteries and gas cylinders are dangerous goods and must be declared |
| Shooting, biathlon | Sporting guns in locked hard cases, ammunition packed separately | Advance notice to the operator, firearms documents for every country on the route |
| Equestrian sport | Saddles and tack | Horses do not fly on business jets: they travel on freighters with stalls |
Within the EU, a sport shooter travels with a European Firearms Pass listing the guns and a document proving the trip, such as an invitation to the competition or proof of registration with its date and place. Some countries require their own authorisation, and outside the EU national rules apply, so a shooting team should contact us earlier than other teams.
On board: food, recovery and privacy
- Menu from the medical staff. Meals follow the club nutritionist's plan: timing, portions and foods to avoid. We order them from the caterer in advance, including a recovery meal for the flight home after the match.
- Recovery in the air. Water and electrolyte drinks, room to stand and stretch on larger aircraft, the cabin lights dimmed on a night return. After an evening match many players sleep for most of the flight.
- Physiotherapy. Treatment tables travel in the hold. On a business jet a divan lets an injured player keep a leg up during the flight.
- Team meetings. On heavy jets the coach and analysts can work around a table with a screen to review match video.
- Privacy. Boarding from a business aviation terminal or directly from the coach, away from fans and photographers. The passenger list goes only to the operator, the handling agent and the authorities, and we ask the crew for discretion.
- Club colours. Headrest covers with the club crest, and on an airliner a logo on the fuselage, can be arranged with the operator's approval if requested well before the trip.
Medicines, anti-doping and travel documents
These points rarely appear in a charter offer, but on a sports trip they cause more delays than the aircraft itself.
Athletes in a registered testing pool must update their whereabouts in ADAMS when the travel plan changes. We send every change of time or airport straight away, so the athlete or the team doctor can update the entry.
Prescription medicines travel with their prescriptions. For narcotic or psychotropic medicines prescribed to an athlete, a Schengen certificate issued on the basis of the prescription covers trips of up to 30 days within the Schengen area; outside it, the rules of each destination country apply.
A product with the same name can have a different composition in another country, so athletes should bring what they need from home, together with any therapeutic use exemption. Large quantities of supplements may be treated as goods rather than personal luggage at customs outside the EU.
Most squads include players from outside the EU. We collect the nationality of every traveller with the passenger list and check visas before confirming the flight, because a missing visa is the most common reason for someone to miss a trip at the last minute.
Injured athletes
Three options, depending on the athlete's condition. The doctor treating the athlete decides which option is safe; we arrange the aircraft and the ambulance at the aircraft steps.
- Seated with the leg up. An athlete travelling to a specialist or home after an injury can often fly seated in a business jet, with the leg resting on the divan and the team doctor alongside.
- Lying flat. If the athlete has to lie flat, a stretcher is installed and a nurse or doctor flies along, as described on the page about flights for bedridden patients.
- Continuous medical care. The flight becomes an air ambulance with an intensive care team.
How we organise a team trip
- RequestThe competition, date and kick-off time, the departure city, the number of people and the kit list.
- OptionsEach option shows the aircraft, the number of seats, the hold volume, the operator, the times and the price. For groups over 20 we also show the cost per person and, where it makes sense, a version with two aircraft.
- Passenger listNames, documents and nationalities, with a visa check for players from outside the EU.
- ContractSigned by the club, federation or agency that organises the trip, with the times, the services included, the payment dates and the terms if the match is postponed.
- PreparationThe operator requests slots and permits. We arrange the terminal, coach access to the apron, catering and the paperwork for medical kit and dangerous goods.
- Flight briefAbout 24 hours before departure the team manager receives the times, the terminal address, the aircraft registration and the crew details, ready to forward to the squad.
For a European cup tie, start right after the draw: aircraft that can carry a full squad are few, and in cup weeks many clubs look for them at the same time. A group of up to 19 can usually be organised within days, and with an aircraft and crew nearby an urgent flight can leave about 4 hours after the booking is confirmed. Clubs and federations that travel often can agree terms for the season, with one consultant who knows the fixture list and the team's preferences.
The contract and the invoice are issued to the club, the federation or the agency. Payment by bank transfer, card or cryptocurrency is described on the payment page, and cancellation charges follow the contract and our terms and conditions. To cut the cost of a small group, ask about Empty Legs on your route, 30-60% below a normal charter when the dates match, or about seats on a shared flight.
For an urgent trip, call +357 96407410 or write on WhatsApp to +49 157 33565927. Or leave your number, and a consultant will call you back:
Questions about flights for athletes and teams
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- How many people can fly on one aircraft with a team?
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Business jets take up to 19 passengers, heavy jets usually 12-14. A squad with staff flies on a regional jet with about 50 or 100 seats, or on an airliner with up to 180. With full kit on board, plan on a few seats fewer than the catalogue figure.
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- Do we pay extra for sports equipment?
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No. The price is for the whole aircraft, and the kit travels without fees within the hold volume and the take-off weight. Send the kit list with the request so the operator can check that it fits.
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- Can the team fly home on the night of the match?
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Yes, if both airports are open at night or the operator gets an extension. Some airports, such as Frankfurt, have a night ban, so we check the opening hours before we offer the flight.
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- What happens if the match goes to extra time or is postponed?
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The take-off moves later, as long as crew duty limits, the slot and the airport hours allow. For a postponed match we first try to move the flight to the rescheduled date, on the terms stated in the contract.
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- Can the team coach drive up to the aircraft?
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At many airports, yes, with the airport's approval, which we request together with the slot. Otherwise the team goes through a business aviation terminal or a separate gate, away from the main passenger areas.
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- How far ahead should we book a European away trip?
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For a full squad, as soon as the draw fixes the date and venue: there are few suitable aircraft and many clubs need them in the same weeks. A small group of up to 19 can usually be arranged within days, sometimes within hours.
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- How much does a flight for a tennis player or a golfer cost?
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A light jet from Paris Le Bourget to London Farnborough costs EUR 8,500 for the whole aircraft, and from Vienna to Rome Ciampino EUR 10,500. The price is the same whether two or seven people are on board.
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- Can players with non-EU passports travel with the squad?
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Yes, but their entry rules differ from those for EU citizens. We collect every traveller's nationality early and check visas before the flight is confirmed.
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- Can a shooting team bring its guns?
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Yes, with advance notice to the operator. Guns travel unloaded in locked hard cases with the ammunition separate, and within the EU each shooter needs a European Firearms Pass and proof of the competition.
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- Can the catering follow the team nutritionist's plan?
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Yes. The nutritionist sends the menu with timings and portions, and the caterer prepares it for the flight, including the recovery meal on the way home.
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- Can an injured player fly with the team?
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If the player can sit with the leg raised, usually yes, on a business jet with a divan. A player who has to lie flat or needs medical care flies on a separate stretcher or air ambulance flight, as decided by the team doctor.
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- Can a club agree terms for the whole season?
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Yes. With clubs and federations that fly regularly we agree terms based on the fixture list, with one consultant who handles every trip.
The aviation expert will answer all your questions about business aviation and private flights. We will help you to compare and choose the best business jet for your flight.