Private jet to Tonga
Tonga is a Polynesian kingdom of 171 islands, 45 of them inhabited, with just over 100,000 people, most of them on the main island of Tongatapu around the capital, Nuku'alofa. Tongan and English are both used by the state, the currency is the pa'anga, and the Sabbath is written into the constitution: on Sundays shops close and almost everything stops. Visitors come for humpback whales, which can be watched and swum with from July to October, for sailing and game fishing in Vava'u, and for quiet islands without large resorts.
A long-range jet lands at Fua'amotu International on the south side of Tongatapu, the only airport in the country with a runway for heavy aircraft and reliable jet fuel. Vava'u in the north is the second airport of entry, for light and midsize jets. From Europe the trip takes one fuel stop in a Gulfstream G650 or a Global 7500 and two in a heavy jet; from Nadi in Fiji it is 1:42 h in a light jet.
Give us the dates, the number of passengers and the islands you plan to visit; a consultant sends aircraft options and prices.
Costs and flight times
The tables show the price of the whole aircraft one way; permits, handling, fuel-stop fees and passenger taxes are quoted separately. Tonga lies almost exactly on the opposite side of the globe from Europe, and the routing has to keep clear of closed and restricted airspace: from western Europe the track usually crosses North America with a stop in the USA, from the east of Europe it runs through the Gulf and Asia. The tables add 10 % to the straight line. The Gulfstream G650 and the Global 7500 land once, the Challenger 650 twice; a stop in the USA means that every passenger needs an ESTA or a US visa.
From the European hubs
| Route | Distance | Flight time | Heavy jet Challenger 650 |
Long range Gulfstream G650 |
Ultra long range Global 7500 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| London Farnborough - Nuku'alofa | 18,304 km | 25:02 h, 2 stops | EUR 225,000 | EUR 295,000 | EUR 315,000 |
| Paris Le Bourget - Nuku'alofa | 18,618 km | 25:24 h, 2 stops | EUR 230,000 | EUR 300,000 | EUR 320,000 |
| Zurich - Nuku'alofa | 18,789 km | 25:36 h, 2 stops | EUR 230,000 | EUR 305,000 | EUR 320,000 |
| Munich - Nuku'alofa | 18,631 km | 25:25 h, 2 stops | EUR 230,000 | EUR 300,000 | EUR 320,000 |
| Frankfurt - Nuku'alofa | 18,478 km | 25:14 h, 2 stops | EUR 225,000 | EUR 300,000 | EUR 315,000 |
| Vienna - Nuku'alofa | 18,534 km | 25:18 h, 2 stops | EUR 230,000 | EUR 300,000 | EUR 315,000 |
| Amsterdam - Nuku'alofa | 18,217 km | 24:56 h, 2 stops | EUR 225,000 | EUR 295,000 | EUR 310,000 |
| Larnaca - Nuku'alofa | 18,510 km | 25:17 h, 2 stops | EUR 225,000 | EUR 300,000 | EUR 315,000 |
London - Nuku'alofa costs EUR 225,000 in a Challenger 650 with two stops and EUR 295,000 in a G650 with one. The trip lasts more than 22 hours even with one stop, so the crew is augmented or changed on the way. Because the clock runs 13 hours ahead of London in winter, a morning departure from Europe lands in Tonga in the evening of the following day local time, and the plan has to fit the airport hours.
From North America
| Route | Distance | Flight time | Super midsize Praetor 600 |
Heavy jet Challenger 650 |
Long range Falcon 7X |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles - Nuku'alofa | 8,595 km | 12:45 h, 1 stop | EUR 87,000 | EUR 110,000 | EUR 130,000 |
| Honolulu - Nuku'alofa | 5,089 km | 6:52 h | EUR 47,000 | EUR 61,000 | EUR 80,000 |
From Fiji, Samoa, New Zealand and Australia
| Route | Distance | Flight time | Light jet Citation CJ3 |
Midsize jet Praetor 500 |
Super midsize Challenger 350 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nadi - Nuku'alofa | 868 km | 1:42 h | EUR 11,000 | EUR 14,500 | EUR 17,000 |
| Apia - Nuku'alofa | 889 km | 1:44 h | EUR 11,000 | EUR 14,500 | EUR 17,000 |
| Auckland - Nuku'alofa | 2,005 km | 3:17 h | EUR 16,000 | EUR 22,000 | EUR 26,000 |
| Brisbane - Nuku'alofa | 3,278 km | 4:36 h | on request | EUR 29,000 | EUR 36,000 |
| Sydney - Nuku'alofa | 3,585 km | 4:59 h | on request | EUR 30,000 | EUR 38,000 |
| Nadi - Vava'u | 913 km | 1:46 h | EUR 11,000 | EUR 14,500 | EUR 17,500 |
| Auckland - Vava'u | 2,324 km | 3:44 h | EUR 17,000 | EUR 24,000 | EUR 29,000 |
Many clients reach Auckland in New Zealand or Nadi in Fiji by scheduled flight and charter from there: Auckland - Nuku'alofa costs EUR 16,000 in a Citation CJ3, Nadi - Vava'u EUR 11,000. From Los Angeles a Falcon 7X flies without a stop in 10:23 h for EUR 130,000; from Hawaii a Praetor 600 needs 6:52 h. On flights from the Americas the date line takes a calendar day away. Each European departure country has its own passenger charge: France's solidarity tax increases with the distance flown, so it is higher to Tonga than on a European hop; Austria takes EUR 12; Germany and the Netherlands (aircraft of 5.7 t or more) charge departure taxes; in the UK, Air Passenger Duty does not apply under 5.7 t and reaches its higher private-jet rate from 20 t with fewer than 19 seats. Charges in Tonga are listed in the quote.
Business jet price per flight hour
Per-seat cost
| Route | Aircraft | Whole aircraft | 4 passengers | 8 passengers | 12 passengers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| London Farnborough - Nuku'alofa | Challenger 650 | EUR 225,000 | EUR 56,300 | EUR 28,100 | EUR 18,800 |
| Amsterdam - Nuku'alofa | Global 7500 | EUR 310,000 | EUR 77,500 | EUR 38,800 | EUR 25,800 |
The calculator estimates other routes; the final offer depends on the permit, the stop and the opening hours.
Airports in the kingdom
| Point | Practice |
|---|---|
| Prior permission | Lodged with Tonga Airports at least 24 hours before departure on a working day; we plan a week |
| Customs | Officers attend around scheduled flights, so private arrival times are agreed in writing |
| Papers | General declaration and passenger manifest for customs, agriculture and immigration |
| Diversions | The crew carries fuel for a larger airport such as Nadi or Apia; with Sunday closure, the arrival is planned for midweek |
Unsure whether Tongatapu or Vava'u suits your plan? Leave a number and a consultant will call.
When to go
July to September is the cool, dry season and the heart of the whale season, the busiest months for visitors; the Heilala Festival at the turn of June and July fills hotels with Tongans living abroad. December to April is hot and wet, March is usually the wettest month, and the cyclone season is defined as 1 November to 30 April. Empty Legs are rare; the most likely ones are regional jets moving between New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga in the whale season and around Christmas.
Empty Legs
A jet that has brought a party to Tongatapu usually returns empty, and a jet sent to fetch guests flies out empty; those are the only sources, so Empty Legs to Tonga are rare and we do not promise them. Light jets based in New Zealand and Fiji give better odds than a long-range aircraft from Europe. Send the route and a range of dates to empty-legs@jets.flights.
Pets
Tonga accepts dogs and cats with an import permit, but the conditions are written for animals shipped directly as cargo, so a flight from Europe with a stop on the way is complicated.
- For the EU exit the pet needs a readable microchip, an EU pet passport and a rabies vaccination done 21 days or more before the flight; five animals per person at most.
- The Ministry of Agriculture and Food, Forests and Fisheries issues the permit; it asks for an international health certificate signed by a government vet.
- Dogs are vaccinated against distemper, hepatitis and parvovirus one to three months before travel, examined within 24 hours and treated for internal and external parasites within three days; the rabies vaccination is given between 21 days and 12 months before entry.
- The animal enters at Fua'amotu and is inspected on arrival; the veterinary office is told at least 24 hours ahead. Whether a technical stop with the animal on board and travel in the cabin are accepted is confirmed in writing before booking.
- Tonga is not among the countries the EU lists for easier pet returns. An antibody titre test against rabies is therefore part of the plan, and doing it in Europe before departure removes the three-month waiting period. For Great Britain, Ireland, Malta, Finland and Norway a dog also receives tapeworm treatment 1-5 days before arrival.
Entry and documents
Travellers with EU passports who head to the UK after Tonga apply for an electronic travel authorisation. A US stop on the way requires an ESTA or a US visa for everyone on board.
How booking works
- Send the dates, the passengers and their nationalities, and whether Vava'u or the outer islands are part of the trip.
- We choose aircraft and stop so that the landing falls between Monday and Saturday within the airport hours.
- Our offers list operator, aircraft, stop and flight time with the price for the whole aircraft; a Vava'u leg or a hop to Fiji is a separate line.
- You sign with the operator and pay by bank transfer or card; how much a cancellation costs depends on the operator and the days left, and is stated in the contract.
- The handler lodges the prior permission, arranges customs, fuel and the transfer to Nuku'alofa.
Questions about flying privately to Tonga
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- What does a private jet to Tonga cost?
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A Challenger 650 with two stops starts at EUR 225,000 one way for the whole aircraft, from London, Frankfurt, Amsterdam or Larnaca. A Global 7500 from London costs EUR 315,000 with one stop.
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- How long does it take from London?
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22:20 h in a Gulfstream G650 or Global 7500 with one fuel stop, 25:02 h in a Challenger 650 with two.
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- Can we land on a Sunday?
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Fua'amotu is listed as closed on Sundays except in emergencies, so arrivals and departures are planned for Monday to Saturday.
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- Can a jet fly straight to Vava'u?
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A light or midsize jet can, from Nadi or Auckland, within the short customs hours there; heavy jets use Tongatapu.
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- Do we need a visa?
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Not for Schengen citizens staying up to 90 days in any 180. British citizens get a free 30-day visa when they land.
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- When is the whale season?
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From July to October, with August and September usually the best months; Vava'u and Ha'apai are the main areas.
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- How far in advance should we book?
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At least two weeks; permission formally needs 24 hours, but fuel, customs cover and ESTA approvals for a US stop need longer.
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- Is it cheaper to charter from New Zealand or Fiji?
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Yes. Nadi - Nuku'alofa costs EUR 11,000 in a Citation CJ3 and Auckland - Nuku'alofa EUR 16,000.
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- What is the time difference?
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Tonga keeps UTC+13 all year: 13 hours ahead of London in the British winter, 12 in the British summer.
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.