Private jet to the USA

The USA has more business aircraft and more private terminals than any other country, and almost every large city has an airport where a jet from abroad taxis to its own building instead of an airline gate. Clients from Europe fly there for board meetings in New York, Boston and Washington, for the winter season in Florida, for Los Angeles and Las Vegas, and for skiing in the Rockies. The east coast is 5,500-6,800 km from the European hubs, Florida 7,000-7,800 km and California about 8,700-9,100 km.

Two questions shape every transatlantic quote: the range of the aircraft, which decides whether it flies non-stop or stops once for fuel, and the status of the operator, which decides whether an ESTA is enough or each passenger needs a visa. As a broker, we compare aircraft from operators in Europe and North America, plan the first landing at an airport with customs open at the arrival hour and book any domestic legs with a US operator.

Write the route, the dates, the number of passengers with their nationalities and the address in the USA in the form, and a consultant replies with aircraft options, the arrival airport and the price.

Why cross the Atlantic in a private jet

Flight times from Europe by coast

Times from the price tables below, including taxi, climb and descent, in still air:

• East coast: London Farnborough - Teterboro 7:00 h in a Challenger 650, Amsterdam - Boston Hanscom 7:02 h, Frankfurt - New York 7:47 h
• Washington: Munich - Dulles 8:22 h and Vienna - Dulles 8:44 h in a Falcon 7X
• Florida: London - Miami 8:38 h and Madrid - Miami 8:40 h in a Falcon 7X, Nice - Palm Beach 9:28 h
• California: London - Los Angeles 10:12 h and Paris - Los Angeles 10:35 h in a Gulfstream G650
• Shortest crossings: Keflavík - New York 5:42 h and Shannon - Boston 6:19 h in a Praetor 600
• Longest: Larnaca - New York 10:18 h in a Gulfstream G650

Westbound, the jet stream over the North Atlantic usually slows the aircraft, so the real flight is often 30-60 minutes longer, and the way home is shorter by about the same. A Challenger 650 reaches New York, Boston and Washington non-stop from western Europe but stops once from Milan, Munich or Vienna, and always for Florida and California, usually at Keflavík, Shannon, Gander or in the Azores. The tables add about 1:30 h for each stop.

What a private jet to the USA costs

Prices are for the whole aircraft, one way, plus handling, US border and inspection fees and passenger taxes, and assume an aircraft available near the departure airport. The flight time column belongs to the first aircraft in each row and includes a stop where the table plans one.

From the European hubs to six American airports

From London and Amsterdam the east coast costs EUR 65,000 in a Challenger 650, from Paris EUR 67,000 and from Frankfurt or Hamburg EUR 70,000. For Florida the same type stops once, which brings London - Miami to EUR 93,000, close to the non-stop Falcon 7X at EUR 105,000. California is the dearest leg: EUR 135,000 from London in a Gulfstream G650 and EUR 140,000 from Paris, both without landing.

From Iceland, Ireland, Scotland, Portugal and the north

The western edge of Europe is close enough for a super midsize jet to cross without a stop, which lowers the fare considerably:

A Praetor 600 costs EUR 40,000 from Keflavík to New York and EUR 44,000-45,000 from Shannon or Dublin to Boston, and it still flies Copenhagen - New York non-stop for EUR 56,000. From Lisbon to Miami it needs a stop; the Falcon 900EX crosses directly for EUR 86,000.

Within North America

Short legs combine the east coast with Florida, California, the Rockies, Toronto or the islands. Light and midsize jets fly them; the table shows flights into the airport named last, and the reverse costs the same:

New York - Miami and New York - Los Angeles are domestic flights. A foreign aircraft may fly such a leg only with the passengers it brought from abroad or takes abroad, and each leg needs a permit to proceed; any guest who joins in the USA flies with a US operator, which we book for that sector. Legs to Toronto, Nassau or Mexico are international and can be flown by the same jet, with its own manifest and the entry rules of the next country.

From the Middle East

From Tel Aviv the Falcon 7X and Gulfstream G650 reach New York non-stop in about 11 hours; from Dubai, 11,022 km away, every type stops once. Passenger taxes depend on the country of departure: France taxes business-jet passengers by distance, so a transatlantic sector pays more than a flight within Europe; Italy charges EUR 200 per passenger on flights from or to Italy, since every route here is longer than 1,500 km; Austria adds EUR 12. The UK charges Air Passenger Duty at the higher rate on jets of 20 t or more with fewer than 19 seats, which covers the Challenger 650, Falcon 7X and Gulfstream G650, and the standard rate on lighter jets such as the Praetor 600. Germany and Norway charge departure taxes, the Netherlands taxes passengers on aircraft of 5.7 t or more, Sweden has no passenger tax. On the US side, federal fees per passenger on international arrival and departure and the customs charges of the airport 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

Three trips with the extras

Price per person

A charter is priced for the whole aircraft, so the share per passenger falls with every seat filled. Taxes and US fees are added per head:

Calculator

For a first figure on your own route and date, the calculator sends an estimate to your e-mail; mention the American city in the comment.

Airports and private terminals

Business jets in the USA use FBOs, private terminals with a lounge, crew rooms and their own ramp, often several on one field. For a flight from abroad three points decide the choice: customs on site and its hours, the weight or wingspan limits of the field, and the address. These are the airports we use most:

Newark and JFK clear international arrivals around the clock and take the heaviest jets and late landings; LaGuardia has no customs and accepts only domestic flights. An airport without customs, such as Aspen, is reached after a first landing elsewhere, where passengers clear the border.

Which aircraft for the crossing

For the east coast heavy jets give the lowest fare; for California and for families who want every passenger in a bed, ultra long range jets save the stop and an hour or two. Holds of about 3.3 m³ in the Challenger 650 and 5.5 m³ in the Global 6000 and Gulfstream G650 take a suitcase per passenger plus golf bags.

Not sure whether a stop is worth the saving? Leave your number and a consultant will call you back.

When to fly: the American year

The east coast is busy with business travel all year, while Florida and the mountains have clear seasons. The best months for a trip with few crowds are May, June and October; from December to April Florida and the ski resorts fill up, and the weeks of the big events need early booking. Empty Legs across the Atlantic are most frequent in spring and before Christmas, when jets move between Europe and Florida for the winter season.

Empty Legs between Europe and the USA

An Empty Leg is a flight the operator must fly without passengers, for example after a drop-off. The North Atlantic has more of them than any other long-haul route:

The operator sets the date and the time, so an Empty Leg suits a flexible plan, and the entry rules do not change: ESTA with a Visa Waiver Program operator or a visa, the manifest and a first landing with customs. Send the direction and possible dates to empty-legs@jets.flights.

Flying with a dog or cat

On a private jet the animal flies in the cabin beside you, once the operator has approved it in advance. For the United States:

• Every dog needs the receipt of the CDC electronic dog import form, filled in online before arrival and valid for six months.
• A dog coming from the EU, the UK or another low-risk country must be at least six months old, carry a microchip readable by a universal scanner and look healthy on arrival.
• Cats are not covered by the CDC dog form but must arrive healthy and can be examined; some states add their own rules, which we check.
• Hawaii is rabies-free and asks for two vaccinations, a blood test and papers sent months ahead; see the page on Hawaii.
• Back to the EU: microchip, rabies vaccination at least 21 days before travel and an EU pet passport; the USA is on the EU list, so no blood test. Up to five pets per person.

ESTA, customs and domestic legs

Before departure

• Passport for every passenger, valid for the whole stay, and an approved ESTA or a US visa; an ID card is not accepted.
• Names, dates of birth, nationalities and passport numbers at least a day before, for the manifest.
• The address in the USA, which decides the airport and the transfer.
• The return date, or whether the jet should fly home and come back for you.
• For a dog: the CDC form receipt and the microchip number.
• Company name and VAT number for the invoice.

How to book

1. Send the cities, dates, number of passengers with their nationalities and any onward legs in North America.
2. We check whether every passenger has an ESTA or a visa and choose operators in the Visa Waiver Program where needed.
3. You receive 2-4 options, such as a heavy jet with a stop and a long-range jet non-stop, with the arrival airport, customs hours, flight times and the price for the whole aircraft.
4. After the contract and payment, the operator files the manifest and the landing request; we book the domestic legs with a US operator, the car and any helicopter.
5. On the day, arrive 20-30 minutes before take-off. After landing, an officer clears you at the aircraft or in the private terminal.

Questions about private flights to the United States

• • How much does a private jet from Europe to the USA cost?

  • A Challenger 650 to New York or Boston costs from EUR 65,000 one way from London or Amsterdam, for the whole aircraft. A Praetor 600 from Keflavík to New York costs EUR 40,000; Florida and California cost more because of the distance.

• • Can a private jet fly non-stop to California?

  • Yes, in an ultra long range jet: a Gulfstream G650 flies London - Los Angeles in about 10:12 h. A Challenger 650 stops once and needs about 12:17 h.

• • Which airports do private jets use?

  • Teterboro for New York, Opa-locka or Palm Beach for Florida, Van Nuys for Los Angeles, Hanscom for Boston and Dulles for Washington. The first landing must be at an airport with customs open at that hour.

• • Is an ESTA enough on a private flight?

  • Only with an operator that has signed the Visa Waiver Program agreement. With any other operator each passenger needs a US visa, so we check the operator before proposing the aircraft.

• • Can the jet from Europe fly us on to another American city?

  • Yes, with the same passengers who arrived on it from abroad and a permit to proceed for each leg. Guests who join in the USA travel with a US operator.

• • Why does a Global 7500 avoid Teterboro?

  • Teterboro limits aircraft to about 45 t actual weight, and a Global 7500 is heavier at take-off with full tanks. For New York it is planned into Westchester.

• • Can we fly straight to Aspen?

  • Not from Europe: Aspen has no customs, so the jet lands first at a border airport. Its wingspan limit of about 29 m also excludes the Gulfstream G650 and Global 7500.

• • Can my dog come to the USA?

  • Yes, in the cabin, if it is at least six months old, microchipped and has the CDC import form receipt. Hawaii has stricter rules with a blood test months ahead.

• • What is the time difference?

  • New York, Boston, Washington and Miami are 5 hours behind London and 6 behind Paris; Los Angeles and Las Vegas 8 and 9. For a few weeks in spring and autumn the gap is an hour smaller.

• • Are there Empty Legs across the Atlantic?

  • Yes, in both directions and especially between Europe and Florida in spring and before Christmas. Send your direction and dates to empty-legs@jets.flights.

• • How far ahead should we book?

  • For the UN week in September, Art Basel in December and Christmas, at least a month. At other times a few days are usually enough once every passenger has an ESTA or a visa.