Private jet to Vietnam

The country stretches more than 1,600 km from north to south and has three climates. Hanoi, the capital, and Ha Long Bay are in the north; Da Nang, Hoi An and Hue on the central coast; Ho Chi Minh City, the commercial centre, the Mekong Delta and the island of Phu Quoc in the south. European clients fly to Vietnam for factory visits around Hanoi, for business in Ho Chi Minh City, and for beach holidays on the central coast or on the islands.

Hanoi is about 1,000 km nearer to Europe than Ho Chi Minh City, so a long-range jet reaches it non-stop from most European hubs in 11 to 12 hours. There are no private terminals in the European sense: a handler takes the passports and the passengers wait in a VIP room or pass through the main terminal. Each flight needs a landing permit from the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV). As a broker, we compare offers from European, Gulf and Asian operators, non-stop or with one fuel stop.

Tell us the cities, the dates and the number of passengers, and in which order you want to see the north, the centre and the south.

Why fly privately to the north, centre or south

Flight times to Hanoi, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City

Times from the price tables, non-stop in a Global 7500 unless stated:

• Larnaca - Hanoi: 9:11 h, Istanbul - Hanoi: 9:50 h in a Gulfstream G550
• Hamburg - Hanoi: 10:53 h, Frankfurt - Hanoi: 11:09 h, Milan Linate - Hanoi: 11:18 h
• Geneva - Hanoi: 11:32 h, Vienna - Ho Chi Minh City: 11:39 h, Munich - Da Nang: 11:41 h
• London Farnborough - Hanoi: 11:50 h, Paris Le Bourget - Da Nang: 12:27 h
• London Farnborough - Ho Chi Minh City: 13:01 h, Madrid - Ho Chi Minh City: 13:48 h
• Challenger 650 with one stop: 12:59 h from Hamburg to Hanoi, 15:16 h from London to Ho Chi Minh City

Closed and restricted airspace pushes European operators onto a southern track, over Turkey, the Middle East or Central Asia and then across India, about a tenth longer than the straight line. The north is closest: a Gulfstream G550 reaches Hanoi non-stop even from London, while Ho Chi Minh City and the coast need a Global 7500 or a stop from the western hubs. The flight home runs into the jet stream and is usually longer.

Private jet prices to Vietnam

All prices are for the whole aircraft, one way, plus the landing permit, handling, VIP room, parking, airport charges and taxes, for an aircraft starting near the departure city. The flight time is that of the first aircraft priced in the row, including the stop where one is shown.

From the European hubs

The price follows the region: the north is nearest to Europe, so Hanoi is the cheapest arrival in Vietnam. A Challenger 650 with one stop flies there from EUR 115,000 out of Hamburg and EUR 125,000 out of London, against EUR 135,000 from London to Ho Chi Minh City. Non-stop, the Global 7500 costs EUR 150,000 from Hamburg to Hanoi; from London it costs EUR 165,000 to Hanoi and EUR 180,000 to Ho Chi Minh City.

From other European cities

From Warsaw, Stockholm and Istanbul the Gulfstream G550 flies to Hanoi without a stop for EUR 120,000 to EUR 130,000, and from Copenhagen to Ho Chi Minh City for EUR 150,000.

From the Gulf and the region

Light and midsize jets based in Singapore, Bangkok and Hong Kong serve the short sectors:

Inside Vietnam each sector needs its own permit, and whether the aircraft from Europe may fly it or a Vietnamese operator takes over is confirmed in writing for the trip:

The big difference in price is between a heavy jet with a fuel stop and an aircraft that flies the whole way. For a stay of a week or more we compare the jet waiting in Vietnam with crew hotels against two one-way flights with the aircraft going home between them. The European passenger tax is set by the country of departure. A jet leaving France pays about EUR 2,100 per passenger, against about EUR 420 within Europe, because the tax rises with distance, a flight from or to Italy EUR 200 per passenger at this distance, Austria EUR 12; Germany, Norway and the Netherlands (from 5.7 t) charge their own amounts and Sweden nothing. From the UK, APD is due at the higher rate, because every jet in the European tables has a maximum weight of 20 t or more and fewer than 19 seats. Vietnamese airport and handling charges and the VIP room 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 typical trips

Price per person

Calculator

Use the calculator for a first figure and list the Vietnamese cities in the comment; a consultant confirms the permits and the final price.

Airports and handling

A flight from abroad lands at an airport of entry with customs and immigration, and a handler is compulsory everywhere. After landing the handler collects the passports of crew and passengers and deals with immigration; with a VIP room booked, passengers wait there for their stamped passports, otherwise they pass through the terminal hall. Handlers ask for about a week to arrange the services.

Catering for private flights usually comes from hotels and restaurants, ordered through the handler a day ahead and packed for the heat. De-icing is never needed, but heat and humidity limit the take-off weight on a long sector, and afternoon storms in the wet season can hold a departure.

Which aircraft suits the trip

For a tour of north, centre and south, a long-range jet for the crossing and a light jet for the domestic sectors is often cheaper than keeping the large aircraft for the whole trip. The catalogue lists all ultra long range jets and heavy jets.

Want to compare a non-stop flight with a stop? Leave a number and a consultant calls you back.

When to fly: three climates, one calendar

No single month suits the whole of Vietnam, so the order of the cities can follow the weather. The south is dry from December to April, the central coast from February to August, and Hanoi and Ha Long are pleasant in March, April, October and November. Tet, the lunar new year in January or February, closes offices for several days. Long Empty Legs to Europe are most frequent in early January and after Tet, and regional ones from Singapore, Bangkok and Hong Kong appear all year.

From the airport to the city, the bay and the beaches

Empty Legs to and from Vietnam

Long-range jets that bring guests from Europe often fly home empty, and regional aircraft return to Singapore, Bangkok or Hong Kong after a drop-off:

An Empty Leg needs the same CAAV permit for a fixed time window, so allow some flexibility. Empty Legs on these routes are announced by e-mail: write to empty-legs@jets.flights with the route and the week you have in mind.

Flying with a dog or cat

With complete papers a dog or cat enters Vietnam without quarantine. The rules are few but have strict deadlines, and the way home to Europe needs the most preparation.

• From the EU the animal travels with an ISO microchip, an EU pet passport and a rabies vaccination given at least 21 days before the flight; up to five animals per owner.
• Vietnam asks for a rabies vaccination given no later than 30 days and no earlier than 12 months before arrival; the date of the last dose counts, so a three-year vaccine given more than a year ago is not enough.
• A health certificate issued no more than seven days before departure and endorsed by the government veterinary service, with the microchip number on every document.
• Animals enter through Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, and Da Nang and Nha Trang are also named for arrivals; whether an import permit from the Department of Animal Health is needed for your animal is confirmed in writing before the trip.
• Vietnam is not on the EU list of countries exempt from the antibody test: the sample is taken at least 30 days after vaccination and three months before re-entry, so it is best done at home before the trip.
• The pet travels in the cabin beside you once the operator has approved it in advance.

Entry rules and permits

From Vietnam the aircraft can continue to Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Singapore or Hong Kong with those countries' permits.

Before departure

• Passports valid six months, undamaged, with blank pages, for every passenger.
• Names, dates of birth and passport numbers for the CAAV permit, at least a week ahead.
• The order of cities, which decides the airport of entry and the domestic permits.
• VIP room requested with the handler a week before arrival.
• Cash above USD 5,000 declared; prescriptions copied.
• Pet health certificate dated within seven days of departure.
• A spare day from September to November on the central coast.

How to book

1. Send the departure city, dates, number of passengers and the regions you want to see.
2. We plan the order of the cities around the weather and compare a heavy jet with one stop against a non-stop aircraft.
3. You receive two to four offers with operator, model, cabin photos, flight time and the price for the whole aircraft, with VIP room, parking and crew costs shown separately.
4. After the contract and payment, the operator files the CAAV permit, the domestic permits and the overflight permits; we book the handler and the VIP room.
5. Before departure you get the crew's phone number and the handler's contact, and the car is booked to wait at the terminal.

Questions about private flights to Vietnam

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

  • From EUR 100,000 one way for the whole aircraft from Europe. To Hanoi a Challenger 650 with one stop costs EUR 115,000 from Hamburg and EUR 125,000 from London, while a non-stop Global 7500 costs EUR 150,000 to EUR 165,000 from the same cities.

• • Which airport should we choose?

  • Hanoi for the north and Ha Long Bay, Da Nang for Hoi An and Hue, Ho Chi Minh City for the south and the Mekong Delta. The first landing decides the permit, so tell us the order of the cities.

• • Can we fly non-stop?

  • Yes. A Global 7500 reaches every airport in our tables, and a Gulfstream G550 reaches Hanoi from most of Europe. A heavy jet stops once for fuel.

• • Can the same aircraft fly us inside the country?

  • Each domestic sector needs its own permit, and we confirm in writing whether the aircraft from Europe may fly it or a Vietnamese operator takes over.

• • Do we need a visa?

  • UK citizens and many EU citizens may stay 45 days without a visa; others apply online for an e-visa of up to 90 days. We check the rules for every passport before the flight.

• • How early should we book?

  • The permit usually takes about four working days and handlers want a week for the VIP room, so allow at least a week. Around Christmas and Tet, book several weeks ahead.

• • Is there a private terminal?

  • Not in the European sense. In Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang a VIP room is available for a fee, and the handler takes care of the passports.

• • Which months suit a trip to Vietnam?

  • December to April for the south, February to August for the central coast, and spring or autumn for Hanoi. April is one of the few months that suit most regions.

• • Can our dog come with us?

  • Yes, without quarantine, if the rabies vaccination and the seven-day health certificate fit the deadlines. For the return to the EU a rabies antibody test is needed, best done before leaving home.

• • Are there Empty Legs?

  • Yes, long-range jets heading back to Europe in early January and after Tet, and regional jets from Singapore, Bangkok and Hong Kong. Write to empty-legs@jets.flights.