Private jet to Turkmenistan

The Karakum Desert covers more than four fifths of the country, and the cities sit at its edges: Ashgabat at the foot of the Kopet Dag range, Turkmenbashi and the Awaza resort on the Caspian, Mary near the ruins of Merv. A trip here is decided by paperwork more than by aircraft. Every passenger needs a visa backed by a sponsor in the country, and the landing permit is paid for before it is issued, so planning starts well before the flight.

The route from Europe crosses Turkey or the Black Sea, Georgia, Azerbaijan and the Caspian, close to the straight line from central Europe, so a midsize jet reaches Ashgabat without a stop from most hubs. As a broker, we ask operators with experience of Central Asia to quote, start the visa sponsorship and the permit together and name the handler at each airport in the offer.

Tell us the purpose of the trip, the dates, the number of passengers and their nationalities; a consultant replies with aircraft, route, price and the visa steps.

What brings private flights here

Prices and flight times

One-way prices for the whole aircraft; the landing permit, handling, parking and passenger taxes come on top. The distances carry a routing allowance: 5 % over the straight line from central and western Europe, 15 % from northern Germany, Denmark and Poland.

From the European hubs

From the north of Europe

The Caspian coast is the nearest part of the country: a Praetor 500 costs EUR 28,000 from Warsaw to Turkmenbashi and EUR 31,000 from Zurich or Milan. Ashgabat costs EUR 33,000 from Munich and EUR 37,000 from Paris in the same aircraft, and Mary EUR 33,000 from Vienna. For ten or more passengers a Challenger 650 costs EUR 53,000 from Munich to Ashgabat or from Vienna to Mary.

From Turkey, the Caucasus and the region

From Istanbul a Phenom 300 reaches Ashgabat in 4:00 h for EUR 21,000, and from Baku in Azerbaijan Turkmenbashi is 0:51 h across the Caspian for EUR 9,500. Dubai - Ashgabat costs EUR 16,000 in a light jet. Almaty in Kazakhstan is 2:44 h from Ashgabat in the same class. Passenger taxes on the European side follow the departure airport: about EUR 1,015 per passenger on a jet from France (the French tax rises with distance, about EUR 420 within Europe) and EUR 12 from Austria; Italy charges EUR 200 per passenger on legs over 1,500 km, which applies to a return into Italy as well. In the UK, Air Passenger Duty depends on distance, and only aircraft of 20 t or more with fewer than 19 seats pay the higher private-jet rate. Departure taxes also apply in Germany and, for aircraft of 5.7 t or more, in the Netherlands. Turkmen permit, navigation and airport charges are 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

Price per person

The calculator gives a first figure; a consultant then checks the visa dates and the permit.

Airports

The landing permit comes from the State Civil Aviation Service. The application names the operator, the aircraft, the purpose, the schedule, the entry and exit points and the handler, and payment or a financial guarantee comes first. About 72 hours is the usual lead time; we plan on a week, after the visas are settled. In July and August the heat at Mary and Turkmenabat limits the performance of a loaded aircraft, so flights out of the east leave early in the morning or in the evening. Flights inside the country and to neighbouring capitals are separate movements with their own permits; whether a foreign aircraft may fly a domestic sector is asked before pricing.

Need the visa steps and the aircraft options explained by phone? Leave your number for a call back from a consultant.

The year month by month

Spring and autumn are the good seasons: March to May, though March and April are the wettest months in the capital, and September to November. Summer is long, dry and very hot inland, which is when the Caspian coast has its season. Empty Legs are rare, because few jets fly here without a booked group; they appear mostly after conferences and state visits.

Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr follow the lunar calendar, and their dates in Turkmenistan are set each year by decree, so we check them before fixing a trip.

Dogs and cats

• From the EU: ISO microchip, rabies vaccination at least 21 days before the trip, EU pet passport, at most five animals; the pet rides in the cabin once the operator agrees.
• Entering Turkmenistan: a 15-digit ISO microchip, a rabies vaccination given 30 days to 12 months before arrival (multi-year vaccines are not accepted), a health certificate completed within 10 days of arrival and endorsed by a government vet, and records of treatment against internal parasites, fleas and ticks. Up to two animals with their owner need no import permit; the point of entry for pets is Ashgabat airport.
• Neither the EU nor Britain lists Turkmenistan among the countries with simplified rules. The return therefore needs a rabies antibody test, best done before departure to avoid a three-month wait, and re-entry through an airport with a travellers' point of entry for pets.
• A dog flying to Great Britain, Ireland, Malta, Finland or Norway needs tapeworm treatment 1-5 days before arrival, usually given by a vet in Ashgabat; on a UK trip of five days or less a British vet can treat the dog before departure instead.

Visa, registration and money

Entering on the wrong type of visa or overstaying can lead to prosecution, so the visa dates set the dates of the flight, not the other way round.

How to book

1. Send the purpose of the trip, the dates, the airports and each passenger's nationality.
2. We start the visa sponsorship through an agency, an organiser or your partner company in the country.
3. Each offer names the operator, the model, the route, the flight time, the whole-aircraft price and the handler at every airport.
4. You sign with the operator and pay by bank transfer or card; what a cancellation costs depends on the operator and the time to departure, as set out in the contract.
5. The operator pays for and files the landing permit, and on arrival the handler takes you through the VIP terminal.

Questions about private flights to Turkmenistan

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

  • From EUR 28,000 one way for the whole aircraft, Warsaw - Turkmenbashi in a Praetor 500. Munich - Ashgabat costs EUR 33,000; the permit, handling and taxes come on top.

• • Do we need a visa?

  • Yes, every EU and UK passenger needs one, backed by a sponsor in the country. The visa comes first, and the flight is planned around its dates.

• • How early should we start?

  • Two to three weeks ahead for the visa; the landing permit itself needs about 72 hours and is paid before it is issued.

• • Can we fly straight to Awaza?

  • Yes, through Turkmenbashi airport, about 22 km from the resort by motorway. Handling there is compulsory.

• • Can a midsize jet fly nonstop?

  • From most central European hubs, yes: a Praetor 500 flies Munich - Ashgabat in 5:36 h. A light jet reaches Ashgabat nonstop from Istanbul.

• • Can we combine the trip with Uzbekistan or Azerbaijan?

  • Yes. Tashkent East - Mary takes 1:31 h and Baku - Turkmenbashi 0:51 h by light jet, with permits in both countries; see our pages on Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan.

• • Can our dog come along?

  • Yes, in the cabin, with a 15-digit chip, a rabies vaccination given 30 days to 12 months before arrival and a health certificate from the last 10 days; the antibody test for the return is done before departure.

• • What is the time difference?

  • UTC+5 all year with no summer time: London is five hours behind in winter and four in summer.