Booking a Private Jet: Steps, Lead Times and Documents

The five details that shape the quote

Everything starts here. No broker can propose a relevant aircraft without them, which is why a reliable quote comes from a conversation rather than a form.

• The route and the dates, along with any flexibility on timing. An hour either way sometimes halves or doubles the price, depending on where the aircraft is positioned.
• The number of passengers, which drives the category and also the crew composition.
• The baggage, by volume and by nature. Skis, golf clubs or a musical instrument are not handled like suitcases.
• The onboard services: special catering, dietary requirements, connectivity.
• Any specific requirement: a pet, a passenger with reduced mobility, heightened confidentiality, transport of valuables.

At this stage our role as an independent broker is to work the whole market rather than a fleet of our own. We compare the available aircraft, where they sit at the time of the flight and the operator's record, before proposing a solution. Our indicative hourly brackets start at EUR 3,500 an hour for a very light jet.

Slots: why Nice does not book like Le Bourget

This is the point most clients discover along the way. Not every airport books the same way.

The European slot allocation regulation classifies airports into three levels. At a coordinated airport, the most constrained level, an aircraft can neither land nor take off without a slot allocated by the coordinator. In France that coordinator is COHOR, and the airports concerned are Paris Charles de Gaulle, Paris Orly, Nice Côte d'Azur, Cannes-Mandelieu, Nantes Atlantique and Figari Sud Corse.

Two practical consequences. First, business aviation is not excluded: the regulation asks the coordinator to endeavour to accommodate ad hoc requests from any type of aviation, including general aviation. Second, that accommodation happens within remaining capacity, which is why a slot takes ten minutes to secure in February and proves impossible on a Saturday in May at Nice or during the Festival at Cannes.

Le Bourget deserves a separate mention, and it is a point many people miss. Europe's leading business aviation airport does not appear on the list of permanently coordinated airports. But a French decree of 23 June 2023 designated it a coordinated airport, and it has been coordinated over several periods since, tied to the rollout of the 4-Flight air traffic control system across the Paris region: 19 to 29 October 2023, 9 January to 14 February 2024, then 5 November to 10 December 2024 and 7 January to 11 February 2025.

During those periods the rule is strict. The French aeronautical information circular is unambiguous: with the exception of state flights, emergency landings and medical flights, every IFR aircraft movement must be granted a slot in advance. For VFR flights, prior permission is required for aeroplanes, while helicopters are not coordinated.

In other words: do not assume Le Bourget is always open without a slot. The status has to be checked against the date of the flight, and that is exactly the kind of check your adviser runs before confirming a schedule.

Curfews and parking, discovered too late

Two constraints close entire options, and neither appears on a price comparison site.

The night curfew. Many European airports close at night. Rome-Ciampino, the main business aviation gateway to Rome, is closed from 23:00 to 06:00 and requires prior permission requested at least four hours before arrival. Faro, the gateway to the Algarve, closes from 00:00 to 06:00. A dinner that runs long cannot be recovered: the flight leaves the next day.

Parking. At busy airports, a non-based aircraft cannot stay indefinitely. Faro limits parking to 72 hours for non-based aircraft, unless a derogation is coordinated in advance. Beyond that, the aircraft repositions to another airfield, and that repositioning is billed.

It is often this parameter, rather than the hourly rate, that separates two quotes: a same-day return costs structurally less than a four-day stay, because the aircraft stays productive.

Overflight and landing permits outside the EU

Inside European airspace, movement is fluid. As soon as the route leaves it, every country overflown and every destination country applies its own permit regime.

Lead times vary widely between states, from twenty-four to forty-eight hours for the most flexible to several working days for others, with supporting documents that differ from one administration to the next: certificate of airworthiness, registration, insurance certificate, passenger and crew manifest. These lead times change, and it is precisely the broker's and the operator's job to know them at the time of the flight rather than rely on a fixed list.

What this means for you: a Europe to Gulf or Europe to Asia flight does not book on the same timescale as a Paris to Geneva sector. Give us the route at the first exchange, even without firm dates.

Travelling with a pet: the calendar to respect

A private jet is the most comfortable way for an animal to travel, in the cabin alongside its owners. But European health rules apply exactly as they do on a scheduled flight, and they impose a calendar that cannot be caught up.

According to the European Commission, for the non-commercial movement of a dog, cat or ferret within the Union:

• Microchip identification is mandatory, and it must precede the rabies vaccination.
• The animal must be at least twelve weeks old on the date the vaccine is administered.
• The vaccination only becomes valid 21 days after the protocol is completed. This is the point that blocks most often: a vaccine given the day before is worthless.
• A European pet passport, issued by an authorised veterinarian, must accompany the animal.
• Five animals maximum for a non-commercial movement.

One further rule applies to dogs, and it is little known. To enter Finland, Ireland, Malta, Northern Ireland and Norway, a dog must have been treated against the tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis with a praziquantel-based product, administered not less than 24 hours and not more than 120 hours before the scheduled time of entry. A five-day window, to be set precisely against the flight time.

For an animal coming from a third country, the European pet passport does not exist: an animal health certificate is required for each trip. Our guide to travelling with a pet covers the specific cases.

Baggage, catering and terminals

Three subjects that look secondary and sometimes decide the choice of aircraft.

Baggage. A private jet has no allowance in the commercial sense, but it does have a hold volume and a maximum weight. Published volumes range from 2.55 m3 on a recent midsize to 3.60 m3 on other aircraft in the same category. On a loaded flight it is sometimes the hold, not the seat count, that forces a step up in the fleet.

Catering. A standard tray is ordered the day before. A bespoke service, a named caterer, a medical diet or a halal or kosher requirement need more notice, and sometimes a specific supplier at the departure airport.

Terminals. The choice of business aviation terminal governs how smoothly you pass through, lounge availability and access to the aircraft steps. At some airports ground handling is mandatory and cannot be chosen.

How long does it take to arrange a flight

The honest answer is: it depends on what constrains the flight. The table below gives the orders of magnitude we observe.

A simple flight between two European cities comes together within the day. It is the surrounding constraints, not the aircraft, that stretch the timeline. Hence the value of flagging the non-negotiable elements early: a pet, a night arrival, a long stay, a destination outside the Union.

What your adviser actually does

Once the aircraft is confirmed, the work begins. The adviser collects passenger details, checks the validity of travel documents, files the slot request, verifies opening hours and any extensions, follows the permits, confirms parking at destination, settles the departure and arrival terminals, places the catering orders and monitors the weather right up to departure.

None of this appears on the quote. It is nonetheless what separates a flight that runs cleanly from one that turns into a series of unpleasant surprises. See also our article on airport operational restrictions.

IBC Aviation private jet charter:

Our teams advise you on the private jet best suited to your itinerary and your requirements, and arrange your flight to or from any destination, constraints included. Available 24/7:

• France: +33 1 41 69 88 88
• Switzerland: +41 22 880 28 88
• Dubai: +971 55 303 5161
• Bangkok: +66 81 808 2866
• Email: contact@ibc-aviation.com

Frequently asked questions

How far in advance should you book a private jet?

An intra-European flight to a non-coordinated airport comes together in a few hours. Allow 24 to 48 hours if the airport is coordinated, because a slot has to be allocated. A flight outside the European Union takes several working days because of overflight and landing permits. If a pet is travelling and it is its first rabies vaccination, the unavoidable lead time is 21 days.

Can you land at night by private jet?

Not everywhere. Many European airports operate a night curfew. Rome-Ciampino is closed from 23:00 to 06:00 and Faro from 00:00 to 06:00, to name only two much-requested airports. Some airports accept an opening extension, which is chargeable and subject to authorisation. This is a point to settle before confirming a programme.

Why is a slot required at Nice or Cannes?

Because both airports are classified as coordinated by COHOR, the French coordinator, alongside Paris Charles de Gaulle, Paris Orly, Nantes Atlantique and Figari Sud Corse. At a coordinated airport, no aircraft may land or take off without an allocated slot. Business aviation is not excluded, but it is served within remaining capacity, which makes early planning decisive in high season.

Do you need a slot at Le Bourget?

Not permanently, but regularly. Le Bourget is not among the permanently coordinated airports, yet a French decree of 23 June 2023 designated it a coordinated airport and it has been coordinated over several periods since, tied to the 4-Flight air traffic control rollout: October 2023, January and February 2024, November and December 2024, January and February 2025. During those periods every IFR movement requires a slot allocated in advance, with the exception of state flights, emergency landings and medical flights. The status therefore has to be checked against the date of the flight.

What are the rules for bringing a dog or a cat?

Within the European Union: mandatory microchip fitted before the vaccination, animal at least twelve weeks old at the time of the rabies vaccination, vaccine validity acquired only 21 days after the protocol is completed, a European passport issued by an authorised veterinarian, and five animals maximum for a non-commercial movement. To enter Finland, Ireland, Malta, Northern Ireland or Norway, dogs must additionally receive a praziquantel treatment between 24 and 120 hours before entry.

Is aircraft parking unlimited at the destination?

No. At busy airports, parking for non-based aircraft is limited, for example to 72 hours at Faro, unless a derogation is coordinated in advance. Beyond that the aircraft repositions to another airfield and that movement is billed. It is one of the reasons a same-day return often costs less than a stay of several days.