Private jet to Venezuela

Venezuela lies on the Caribbean coast of South America, 6,500-8,700 km from the main European cities. Scheduled links with Europe are few, so a private jet is used mainly for business trips and family visits, where a fixed date out and back matters more than the price. The two airports that take most flights from abroad are Maiquetía, on the coast below Caracas, and Margarita island.

Every flight to Venezuela is planned on its own. Whether it can go ahead depends on the status of the airspace and the notices issued for it, on the operator and its insurer accepting the route, on a landing authorisation from INAC, the civil aviation authority, and on a handler being able to receive the aircraft on the chosen day. As a broker, we check each of these for every request and send the result in writing before anything is confirmed.

Tell us the purpose of the trip, the number of passengers and the dates; these decide the operator and the airport.

When a private flight makes sense

Route and flight times

In a Gulfstream G650, Caracas is 7:43 h from Lisbon, 8:17 h from Madrid, 8:46 h from London and 10:07 h from Vienna without a stop; Margarita is 8:31 h from London. A Challenger 650 stops once, for example in the Azores, which makes the trip 9:39-12:11 h from the hubs and 14:06 h from Larnaca. The route crosses the Atlantic and the Lesser Antilles. Before each flight in either direction the operator reads the EASA and FAA notices for the region, including those on satellite navigation interference, and adapts the routing. Maiquetía is almost at sea level, so altitude does not limit the take-off weight for the flight home.

Prices

The figures are for the whole aircraft, one way, and assume that the operator and its insurer accept the route. Permits, handling, any extra insurance premium, the crew's stay and passenger taxes come on top. Flight times are those of the Challenger 650 column.

From the European hubs

To Caracas the Challenger 650 with one stop costs EUR 87,000 from Lisbon; from Madrid it is EUR 92,000 and from London EUR 97,000; Margarita is slightly nearer and costs EUR 94,000 from London. A non-stop Falcon 7X costs EUR 110,000 from London. From Larnaca the Falcon 7X has to stop, and the non-stop Gulfstream G650 at EUR 160,000 costs less.

From the neighbouring countries

These legs are flown by aircraft based in the region; each is a new international arrival. Bogotá and Panama City suit a trip combined with Colombia or Panama. Prices apply in both directions; each row names the arrival airport last:

Curaçao, Aruba and Trinidad are the nearest airports with regular private traffic, so a long-range jet from Europe can also end its trip there, with the last sector in a light jet. Carrying passengers between two Venezuelan airports is normally reserved for local operators, and each domestic airfield needs its own permit. Leaving Europe, France charges a per-passenger tax on business jets that rises with distance, about EUR 2,100 on a transatlantic departure and about EUR 420 on a European one; Italy EUR 200 a passenger in either direction on routes over 1,500 km, which covers every row here, and Austria EUR 12 on departure. The UK applies the higher rate of Air Passenger Duty to jets of 20 t or more with fewer than 19 seats, which covers all three types in the European table. Germany and Norway charge departure taxes, the Netherlands taxes passengers on aircraft of 5.7 t or more, and Sweden has none.

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

Two trips worked out

Calculator

For a first estimate use the calculator; a consultant then adds what the checks show for your date.

Airports

Flight plans and permits go through a Venezuelan handler, as crews cannot file them directly, and the operator confirms the handler and the fuel supplier, with the way fuel is paid for, before departure.

Aircraft

Not sure which option suits your trip? Leave your number and a consultant will call back.

Seasons and Empty Legs

The coast and the islands are hot all year, and Caracas, in its valley, is milder. The dry season runs from December to April; from May to November afternoon storms can delay a departure. Christmas, carnival and Holy Week are the busiest weeks at the airports and on Margarita, and handlers advise avoiding the main holiday periods. Empty Legs on this route are rare and cannot be promised; flexible dates raise the chance.

A permit belongs to its date and airport, so an empty leg that moves by a day can need a new one. Send your dates to empty-legs@jets.flights.

Dog or cat on board

Published information on Venezuela's requirements is limited, so we have them confirmed in writing by the embassy and the authorities before the flight. The animal travels in the cabin beside you once the operator agrees.

• INSAI, the agricultural health institute, checks the animal and its papers on arrival.
• Reported conditions: a health certificate issued or endorsed by the state vet of the departure country and endorsed by a Venezuelan consulate, valid 30 days, and a rabies vaccination given between 30 days and 12 months before entry to an animal over three months.
• Papers in Spanish or bilingual, original and copy, make the inspection easier.
• The same reported rules name Maiquetía as the airport of entry for pets, so we plan the landing there.

Entry and documents

Booking

1. Send the purpose of the trip, the number of passengers, their nationalities, the city and the dates.
2. We find an operator whose insurer covers the route; any extra premium is shown in the quote.
3. We check the airspace notices and the handler's capacity for the date and send them in writing.
4. After the contract and payment, the operator files for the INAC authorisation through the Venezuelan handler.
5. On arrival the handler's agent accompanies you through the checks, and the booked car takes you on in daylight.

Questions about private flights to Venezuela

• • Can you arrange a private jet to Venezuela?

  • Each request is checked: the airspace notices, the operator and its insurer, the INAC authorisation and the handler for the date. When all four are in place, the flight goes ahead; we send the result in writing first.

• • How much does it cost?

  • From EUR 87,000 one way from Lisbon and EUR 97,000 from London to Caracas in a Challenger 650 with one stop, for the whole aircraft. Permits, handling and any extra insurance premium are added.

• • How long is the flight?

  • About 8:46 h non-stop from London to Caracas in a Gulfstream G650, 8:17 h from Madrid; with a fuel stop in a Challenger 650 about 10:45 h from London.

• • Which airports are used?

  • Maiquetía for Caracas and Santiago Mariño on Margarita. Other airports take an arrival from abroad only by arrangement for the date.

• • Do we need a visa?

  • Many EU and British passports need none for up to 90 days, with a tourist card issued on arrival. We confirm the rule for each nationality with the embassy.

• • Can the aircraft wait for us?

  • Yes, for a short stay it usually waits, with the crew in a hotel near the airport, which keeps the return date fixed.

• • Can we bring a dog?

  • Yes, in the cabin, once the requirements are confirmed in writing; plan the rabies antibody test for the return before leaving Europe.

• • What is the time difference?

  • Venezuela keeps UTC-4 all year: 4 hours behind London in winter and 5 in summer, 5 and 6 hours behind Central Europe.

• • Are there Empty Legs to Venezuela?

  • Rarely. With flexible dates the chance improves; write to empty-legs@jets.flights.