Private jet to Verona

Most private flights to Verona have one of three purposes: an evening of opera in the Roman Arena, the Vinitaly wine fair in April, or a holiday on Lake Garda, whose southern shore is half an hour from the runway. Each needs its own plan. For the opera it is the late return, for the fair a free stand for the aircraft, for the lake a car to a hotel by the water.

Jets land at Villafranca, about 12 km south-west of the centre by road, near the junction of the A4 and A22 motorways. The airport is open 24 hours and its 3,068 m runway takes any business jet, but every private flight needs prior permission, which the airport grants according to the number of free stands. Several approved handling agents look after private passengers, away from the airline halls. As a broker we file the request with the handler as soon as you confirm, and choose the aircraft from operators across Europe.

Send the route, dates, number of passengers and, for the opera, the date and time of the performance through the form.

What brings private flyers to Verona

Flight times to Villafranca

Times for a Citation CJ3 light jet, taken from the first price table:

From London a Praetor 500 or a Gulfstream G280 saves about ten minutes over the CJ3. Copenhagen and Warsaw are about two hours away in a light jet, Stockholm and Oslo 2:40 h, Larnaca 3:37 h. From Milan, Venice and Bologna the high-speed train reaches the city in about an hour to 1:15 h, so a short flight from there only makes sense as part of a longer trip.

Prices for a private jet to Verona

All prices are for the whole aircraft, one way, with an aircraft available near the departure airport. Handling, parking, crew overnight, catering and passenger taxes are added in the quote. The flight time is for the first aircraft in each row.

From the main hubs

Zurich costs EUR 8,000 and Munich, Geneva or Nice EUR 8,500 in a Citation CJ3; from London the same aircraft costs EUR 11,500, while the Gulfstream G280 with a stand-up cabin costs EUR 19,500. Many business jets are based in Milan, Venice and Munich, so the positioning flight is short.

From Italy, Salzburg and the Adriatic

Short sectors where a turboprop costs less than a jet and takes only 7-22 minutes longer:

From northern Europe and the British Isles

Evening dress for the Arena, golf bags for the lake or sample cartons from a fair fill a light-jet hold quickly; a Citation Latitude or Challenger 350 adds a stand-up cabin and much more luggage space for a few thousand euros.

From the Middle East and New York

The runway takes heavy and long-range jets at full weight. A Legacy 650 needs one fuel stop from New York:

In Vinitaly week and on the busiest opera weekends of July and August demand rises and stands run out, which can mean an extra positioning flight if the aircraft has to park elsewhere. Italy charges a tax on every private-flight passenger on flights arriving in and departing from the country, domestic legs included: EUR 10 below 100 km, then EUR 100 up to 1,500 km and EUR 200 beyond, with the distance taken in a straight line plus 95 km. Domestic legs also include VAT, usually at 10 %. Flights from the UK add Air Passenger Duty (none under 5.7 t, the higher private-jet rate only for aircraft of 20 t or more with fewer than 19 seats, standard rates for other jets), from France about EUR 420 per passenger of solidarity tax on a jet, from Austria EUR 12 per passenger and from Germany a departure tax.

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 priced from the tables

Per-seat prices

The jet is chartered as a whole, so dividing the price by the number of travellers gives the cost per seat. Taxes are added per person:

Calculator

Fill in the route, date and passenger count to receive an estimate by e-mail; mention the performance or fair dates in the comment.

Villafranca airport for business aviation

Verona Villafranca Valerio Catullo (VRN, LIPX) lies between Villafranca di Verona and Sommacampagna, about 10 km south-west of the Arena in a straight line. It is run by Aeroporto Valerio Catullo di Verona Villafranca S.p.A., part of the SAVE group, which also runs Brescia Montichiari. The single runway 04/22 is 3,068 m long and has an ILS approach to category IIIb, which lets suitably equipped aircraft with qualified crews land in very low visibility. The airport is listed as a joint civil and military field.

Five handlers serve private flights: Airport Global Services, GH Verona, Argos, Delta Aerotaxi under the Italy FBO name, with a lounge for passengers and another for crews, and Sky Services. Handling is compulsory, and prior permission (PPR) is granted according to free stands, so in Vinitaly week and on summer opera nights we request it straight after the booking. When there is no stand, the aircraft drops its passengers and leaves for Brescia or its base, then returns on the day of departure. Tell the driver which handler you use, because each one meets passengers at its own door.

Brescia, Venice and the airports around

Distances are straight-line from Villafranca:

Brescia Montichiari handles mostly cargo and mail flights. It also needs prior permission for private flights and a handler, and its opening window is confirmed for each date. It makes sense when the hotel is on the western shore of the lake, at Salò or Gardone, or when Villafranca has no stand.

Which jet for the Arena, the fair or the lake

For winter flights we prefer operators whose aircraft and crews are approved for category IIIb landings, so that fog on the Po plain does not send the jet to another airport.

Want to talk through the opera timing or the choice of aircraft? Leave your number and a consultant will call you.

The Verona calendar

The city runs on two calendars at once, the trade fairs at Veronafiere and the opera festival, and in summer both meet the holiday traffic of Lake Garda:

For Vinitaly and the most popular opera nights, confirm tickets and hotel first, then the flight and the stand. March and October are the easiest months to find a stand and a hotel near the Arena.

From the runway to the Arena, the lake and the vineyards

The historic centre is a restricted traffic zone watched by cameras. Hotel guests may drive in at any hour if the hotel registers the car's number plate in advance, so we pass the driver's details to the hotel before arrival. After a performance more than ten thousand people can leave the Arena at once, so the pick-up point is agreed in advance rather than found in the crowd. To lakeside hotels or wineries with their own landing site, a helicopter from the airport is an option.

Empty Legs to and from Verona

Aircraft that bring guests to the opera or a fair often fly back empty, and their operators sell these legs at a large discount. Directions that come up:

Departure time and date are set by the operator, so Empty Legs suit flexible plans. Write to empty-legs@jets.flights with your direction and dates, and we will send matching offers.

Dogs and cats on the flight

Your pet stays with you in the cabin, provided the operator agrees in advance; some operators want a carrier for the whole flight, some add a cleaning fee. The animal checks in with you at the handler, not in the airline terminal. Italy follows the EU rules:

• Microchip, fitted before the rabies vaccination.
• Rabies vaccination given from 12 weeks of age, at least 21 days before travel when it is the first one.
• EU pet passport; animals from Great Britain need an animal health certificate.
• Up to five dogs, cats or ferrets per person.
• No tapeworm treatment required for Italy.

Dogs flying on to the UK, Ireland, Malta, Finland or Norway need tapeworm treatment 1-5 days before arrival, and the UK only accepts pets through approved routes and handlers. For a return to Britain, book a vet near the hotel for the end of the stay.

Documents, customs and taxes

Pre-flight list

• Passport or ID card for each passenger.
• Passenger names and document numbers at least a day before.
• Date and start time of the performance, or the fair days.
• Hotel address, so the plate can be registered for the restricted zone.
• Whether the aircraft waits for the return or flies home in between.
• Luggage: evening wear, golf bags, sample cartons.
• Pet documents and the hotel's rules for animals.
• Billing details for the invoice.

How we organise the trip

1. Send the route, dates, passengers and luggage, plus the performance or fair dates and the hotel address.
2. We request prior permission and a stand through the handler, and if Verona is full we offer Brescia with the extra drive time.
3. You receive 2-4 aircraft options with operator, model, crew plan for a late return and the price for the whole aircraft, taxes listed separately.
4. You sign the contract with the operator and pay; we book the car, register its plate with the hotel and arrange catering.
5. The handler meets you at the aircraft, and the car takes you to the Arena, the lake or the vineyard.

Our team

Charlotte McKinney

Commercial Director

charlotte.m@jets.flights

Henry Richter

Head of Aviation Department and Data Protection Officer

henry.r@jets.flights

Emma Miller

Director of Development

emma.m@jets.flights

Liam Bishop

Senior Aviation Consultant

liam.b@jets.flights

Oliver Davis

Aviation Consultant

oliver.d@jets.flights

Anna Laurent

Aviation Consultant

anna.l@jets.flights

Questions about flying privately to Verona

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

  • A Citation CJ3 costs from EUR 8,000 one way from Zurich and EUR 11,500 from London Farnborough, for the whole aircraft. A turboprop from Florence starts at EUR 6,500. Italian tax and handling are extra.

• • Can I fly home right after the opera?

  • The airport is open 24 hours, so yes. The limit is crew duty time: if the pilots started in the morning, we plan an afternoon arrival or a second crew so they can take off around one in the morning.

• • How far is the airport from the Arena?

  • About 12 km by road, usually 15-20 minutes by car.

• • How long is the flight from London?

  • About 2:00 h in a Citation CJ3 and 1:49 h in a Gulfstream G280 from Farnborough.

• • Why is prior permission needed?

  • Villafranca grants private flights a stand only when one is free. In Vinitaly week and in July and August we request it straight after booking.

• • What if there is no free stand?

  • The aircraft drops you off and flies to Brescia or its base, then returns for the departure. Landing at Brescia Montichiari is another option.

• • Can fog stop the landing?

  • The runway has a category IIIb ILS for very low visibility. We choose an aircraft and crew approved for such approaches, or plan the arrival around midday.

• • Which airport for the west shore of Lake Garda?

  • Compare Verona with Brescia Montichiari, which is closer to Salò and Gardone. For Sirmione and Peschiera, Verona is the better choice.

• • Do I need a passport?

  • Not for a border check within Schengen, but the operator requires a passport or ID card. From the UK, passports are checked on arrival.

• • Can my dog fly with me?

  • Yes, in the cabin, with microchip, rabies vaccination and EU pet passport, and the operator's agreement.

• • Are there Empty Legs to Verona?

  • Yes, mainly from Munich, Zurich, Salzburg, Florence and Venice, and after Vinitaly. Send your dates to empty-legs@jets.flights.