Private jet to Xi'an Xianyang

The airport carries the name of Xianyang, the old Qin capital on the Wei river, but it is the airport of Xi'an, the provincial capital of Shaanxi, and the two cities form one urban area. Private flights bring company and university delegations, museum and cultural partners and travellers who want to see the Terracotta Army at the mausoleum of the first emperor in Lintong, listed by UNESCO.

Xi'an Xianyang International (XIY, ZLXY) is an airport of entry with customs and immigration, so a business jet from Europe lands here directly, with no stop in Beijing or Shanghai. The airport has four runways, the longest of 3,800 m, and every flight needs a slot and the airport's prior approval. Like any private flight to mainland China, the trip requires a permit from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) with a sponsor in the country: Chinese rules do not provide for purely tourist private flights, so sightseeing goes into a programme of meetings. As a broker, we work with operators and handlers experienced with Chinese permits.

Tell us who invites you to Xi'an, the dates and the number of travellers, and we will reply with aircraft options and a timetable for the permit:

Why fly privately to Xi'an

Flight times

Non-stop times in a Gulfstream G650 from the tables below:

• Helsinki: 9:03 h, Larnaca: 9:26 h, Istanbul: 9:33 h, Stockholm: 9:34 h, Warsaw: 9:43 h
• Budapest: 10:09 h, Athens: 10:17 h, Berlin: 10:20 h, Vienna: 10:21 h, Prague: 10:25 h, Hamburg: 10:31 h
• Munich: 10:45 h, Frankfurt: 10:54 h, Amsterdam: 11:02 h, Zurich: 11:06 h, Milan: 11:11 h
• Geneva: 11:24 h, Paris Le Bourget: 11:29 h, Nice: 11:31 h, London Farnborough: 11:32 h
• Madrid: 14:15 h with one fuel stop

The route is about a fifth longer than the straight line, because European operators keep clear of closed and restricted airspace and fly via Turkey, the Caucasus, the Caspian and Central Asia. A Challenger 650 lands once on the way, usually in Central Asia. The Falcon 7X flies non-stop from Munich, Hamburg, Berlin, Vienna, Prague, Budapest, Warsaw, the Nordic capitals, Athens, Istanbul and Larnaca.

Prices to Xi'an Xianyang

All prices are for the whole aircraft, one way, before the permit, parking, crew hotels, Chinese airport charges and passenger taxes. Flight times refer to the first aircraft listed in each row.

From the European hubs

The one-stop Challenger 650 is the lowest fare from every city. For a non-stop flight from Munich, Vienna, Hamburg, Larnaca, Istanbul or Warsaw the Falcon 7X costs EUR 120,000-135,000; from London, Paris, Geneva, Zurich, Milan, Frankfurt, Amsterdam and Nice the Gulfstream G650 is the non-stop option at EUR 145,000-155,000.

From other European cities

From elsewhere in Asia

Sectors from Hong Kong, Korea, Japan, Thailand or Vietnam are international flights and suit light and midsize jets. Arrivals in Xianyang are shown; the reverse costs the same:

From the Gulf

From Dubai and Doha all three types fly non-stop in under eight hours:

The fare covers flight hours plus positioning of the aircraft and crew to the departure airport. Following the long-haul sector the crew usually needs a day of rest before the return, or a second crew flies along. Departure taxes: France levies a per-passenger tax on jets that rises with distance to about EUR 2,100 on a flight to China (about EUR 420 within Europe), Italy EUR 200 per passenger beyond 1,500 km and Austria 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 all three aircraft in the tables from Europe, and at the standard rate of the distance band on lighter jets. Germany and Norway levy departure taxes, the Netherlands taxes passengers on aircraft of 5.7 t or more and Sweden has none. The permit, route navigation charges and fees at Xianyang appear 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

What a trip costs in practice

Price per person

The aircraft is chartered as a whole, so the share per traveller falls as more seats are used. Passenger taxes are added:

Calculator

For a first estimate on your own route, use the calculator; the permit and parking are added in the detailed offer.

The airport and its alternates

Xi'an Xianyang International lies in the Weicheng district of Xianyang, about 13 km from Xianyang's centre and about 25 km in a straight line north-west of central Xi'an, about 35 km by road. Four runways, three of them 3,800 m long, take every business jet. According to aeronautical data the airport and tower operate 24 hours, but the hours of border clearance for a private flight are confirmed for the specific date. International flights use terminal T5. Business aircraft are handled by a ground handling agent, which also books the slot, the stand and the clearance; we name the agent when you book.

If weather closes the airport, the operator plans an alternate. These airports are the nearest with long runways:

Which aircraft

Light and midsize jets would need several landings from Europe, each one written into the Chinese permit, so they are used only for regional sectors. For the long flight compare heavy jets with ultra long range jets. The permit covers the exact schedule, and after approval the authority accepts only two amendments, so report any change of time early.

Questions about the sponsor, the permit or the programme in Xi'an? Leave your number and we will call you back.

Seasons and holidays in Shaanxi

The dates of the Spring Festival and some other holidays follow the lunar calendar and change every year, so we check your dates at the first request.

From the airport to Xi'an and Lintong

Empty Legs to and from Xianyang

Empty Legs are positioning flights the operator sells at a reduced price. For Xi'an they are less frequent than for the coastal cities:

An Empty Leg still needs the CAAC permit, a sponsor and a slot, filed at least three working days ahead, so it mostly suits travellers with flexible dates. Send the direction and preferred dates to empty-legs@jets.flights, and we will tell you when a leg matches.

Dogs and cats on board

China's customs administration sets the rules for pets:

• One dog or one cat per traveller; the EU pet passport does not replace the Chinese requirements.
• An ISO 11784/11785 microchip, a current rabies vaccination and a certificate from a state veterinarian.
• From most European countries a rabies antibody result above 0.5 IU/ml from a laboratory recognised by Chinese customs, drawn no earlier than at the second vaccination and valid for a year.
• Missing documents normally mean 30 days of quarantine, but only at a port with a quarantine station. Xianyang is not on that list, so here the animal would be sent back; we confirm with Chinese customs before the flight that the port will accept it with complete papers.

Entry rules and permits

China is outside Schengen and the EU customs union, so customs checks apply on arrival and on the return to Europe.

Checklist

• Passports and a visa-free check for each nationality.
• The sponsor's invitation and a programme with meetings for the permit.
• A final passenger list before filing.
• Arrival time confirmed against the border clearance hours.
• Hotel address in Xi'an or Xianyang and the plan for Lintong.
• Warm clothing and extra time for winter departures.
• Pet documents and confirmation from customs if an animal travels.

How booking works

1. Send the dates, the number of passengers and the name of the host in China.
2. We propose a one-stop heavy jet and a non-stop long-range jet with the planned route.
3. After signature the handler files the CAAC application with a margin of several days over the three working days required.
4. The agent at Xianyang books the slot, the stand and the clearance; we book the car and, if needed, museum tickets.
5. On arrival clearance takes place at the airport and the driver takes you to the city or to Lintong.

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 flights to Xi'an Xianyang

• • What does a private jet to Xi'an cost?

  • A non-stop Falcon 7X costs from EUR 120,000 one way from Larnaca and EUR 130,000 from Vienna; a non-stop Gulfstream G650 from London costs EUR 155,000. The one-stop Challenger 650 is cheaper on every route and starts at EUR 99,000 from Helsinki.

• • Are Xianyang and Xi'an the same airport?

  • Yes. Xi'an Xianyang International lies in the neighbouring city of Xianyang and is the airport of Xi'an, about 35 km from the centre by road.

• • How far is the Terracotta Army?

  • About 65 km, roughly an hour by car; the museum in Lintong is on the far side of Xi'an from the airport.

• • How many hours does the flight from Europe take?

  • From 9:03 h from Helsinki to 11:32 h from London non-stop in a Gulfstream G650, along the detour through Central Asia.

• • Can we fly to Xi'an just for sightseeing?

  • Chinese rules do not provide for purely tourist private flights; the permit needs a sponsor, and a visit to the museum can be part of a programme of meetings.

• • Do we need a visa?

  • Citizens of most European countries can stay 30 days visa-free under a scheme with a fixed end date, which we confirm per nationality.

• • How early should we book?

  • Allow about two weeks for the sponsor letter and the permit, and more before Chinese holidays.

• • Can we bring a dog?

  • Only with complete documents, because Xianyang has no quarantine station and an animal with missing papers would be returned.

• • Are there Empty Legs?

  • Occasionally, mostly from Hong Kong, Macau, Seoul or Bangkok. Tell us your dates at empty-legs@jets.flights.

• • Can we continue to Beijing with the same aircraft?

  • One permit can cover several Chinese airports, but whether your group may fly a domestic leg in a foreign aircraft is decided by the authority.

• • Is a same-day return possible?

  • Not from Europe because of crew rest; from Hong Kong or Seoul a day trip can work if both slots are approved.