Private jet charter in Antigua and Barbuda
Antigua lies about 3,697 nautical miles from a London airfield, a good deal further than New York, and that distance settles how the charter is built before anyone mentions a hotel. Private Jets UK plans these trips around one question: does the party fly non-stop in a long-range cabin, or save a large sum in a Challenger-class jet with an hour on the ground in the Azores? Our customers have access to 6,500 jets of all types and configurations available for rent. We will help you choose the best option based on your needs and objectives. Our catalog contains the models from the largest manufacturers: Gulfstream, Dassault, Embraer, Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier, Learjet, Cessna, Beechcraft, Pilatus, HondaJet, etc. We have established partnerships with the world's largest airlines and VIP terminals, which means we can offer you favourable flight conditions and a high level of service. Our experts will manage the organization of your flight - starting with paperwork, agreements, etc., and ending with a transfer and meeting at the airport. Our company provides a full range of business aviation and concierge services. In Antigua and Barbuda that means handling at V. C. Bird International, a plan for Barbuda's own airfield, which sells no fuel, and a car, a boat or a helicopter for the last stretch to a villa, a marina or an island resort.
At your request, the aviation consultants of Private Jets UK will help you choose the jet with the suitable technical parameters (production year, flight hours, and home base). The cost of the private jet charter in Antigua and Barbuda depends on many factors, such as the model of the business jet, the number of passengers, departure and destination airports, type of flight, duration of parking, additional services, etc. Therefore, we calculate the price of each order individually taking into account your wishes. You can use an online calculator to get an instant charter quote. Please indicate your real contact details to get the final calculation.
You can calculate the cost of your flight in several ways:
- using an online calculator on the website (however, it shows only the approximate price);
- via Messenger (WhatsApp or Telegram);
- by landline or cell phone;
- via e-mail (jets@private-jets.co.uk).
Please note that the above-mentioned price is indicative only. It is calculated on this basis: a departure from Biggin Hill, a Challenger 605 to Antigua V. C. Bird International with one technical stop in the Azores, and two passengers aboard. If you want to get a personal quote, just fill out the online booking form below. Our aviation consultant will make the calculation within 20 minutes, and then contact you to specify the details of the flight.
How long does it take to fly to Antigua and Barbuda?
Only the long-range cabins cover the distance in one hop. A Challenger 605 or a Legacy 650, the sensible size for six to eight people, stops once, normally at Santa Maria in the Azores, which lies almost on the line from London. From Biggin Hill the two legs are 1,429 and 2,362 nautical miles, together 94 more than the direct 3,697, so the detour costs little and the stop is mostly a matter of an hour on the ground. Antigua keeps the same clock all year, four hours behind Britain in winter and five in summer. The times below are westbound, against the usual headwind, and gate to gate without the stop:
3,791 nautical miles from Biggin Hill in two legs, with about an hour on the ground at Santa Mariaabout 9 h 15 min plus the stop
3,697 nautical miles from Biggin Hill, a heavy jet with the range to do it in one hopabout 9 h
3,665 nautical miles from Farnborough, a long-range jet at its normal cruiseabout 8 h 10 min
3,642 nautical miles from Farnborough, a little shorter than the run to Antiguaabout 8 h 05 min
3,535 nautical miles, the shortest crossing from any British airfield we useabout 8 h 35 min
3,665 nautical miles with the jet stream behind the aircraftabout 6 h 55 min
Nobody books a day return to Antigua
Leave Biggin Hill at eight o'clock on a winter morning in a Challenger 605 and the aircraft touches down in Antigua a little after two in the afternoon on the local clock, which your body still thinks is six. That is a long day even for a passenger who sleeps well on a jet, and it is why we quote Antigua as a stay of at least a week or as a one-way sector with the aircraft sent home.
The way back is quicker. The jet stream blows from west to east across the Atlantic, so the return rides it, and a Global 6000 that needs about 8 h 10 min westbound is home in about 6 h 55 min. The difference is bigger in winter, and it is the reason a crew that flies out and back the same week plans two quite different days.
The exact flight time depends on the model of the business jet, as well as the speed of the tail or head wind. Our consultant will make a detailed calculation of the flight time for the chosen business jet.
Prices for the private jet flights to Antigua and Barbuda
Typical private jet charter prices from Britain to Antigua, listed cheapest first. The cheaper rows are large-cabin jets that stop once in the Azores and the dearer ones are long-range jets that cross without a stop, so the aircraft class decides the price here far more than the departure airfield does:
| Route | Aircraft | Price, one way |
|---|---|---|
| London Biggin Hill - Antigua 3,791 nm / 7,021 km via the Azores |
Challenger 605 up to 12 |
from £76,350 |
| London Luton - Antigua 3,795 nm / 7,028 km via the Azores |
Challenger 605 up to 12 |
from £76,400 |
| London City - Antigua 3,797 nm / 7,032 km via the Azores |
Challenger 605 up to 12 |
from £76,450 |
| London Stansted - Antigua 3,815 nm / 7,065 km via the Azores |
Challenger 605 up to 12 |
from £76,800 |
| Edinburgh - Antigua 3,860 nm / 7,149 km via the Azores |
Challenger 605 up to 12 |
from £77,650 |
| Newcastle - Antigua 3,867 nm / 7,162 km via the Azores |
Challenger 605 up to 12 |
from £77,800 |
| Belfast - Antigua 3,535 nm / 6,547 km, non-stop |
Falcon 900LX up to 12 |
from £88,600 |
| Bristol - Antigua 3,593 nm / 6,654 km, non-stop |
Falcon 900LX up to 12 |
from £90,000 |
| Glasgow - Antigua 3,608 nm / 6,682 km, non-stop |
Falcon 900LX up to 12 |
from £90,350 |
| Manchester - Antigua 3,639 nm / 6,739 km, non-stop |
Global 6000 up to 13 |
from £99,550 |
| London Farnborough - Barbuda 3,642 nm / 6,745 km, non-stop |
Global 6000 up to 13 |
from £99,600 |
| London Farnborough - Antigua 3,665 nm / 6,788 km, non-stop |
Global 6000 up to 13 |
from £100,200 |
| London Gatwick - Antigua 3,686 nm / 6,826 km, non-stop |
Gulfstream G550 up to 16 |
from £105,500 |
Two things worth knowing about these figures
– The aircraft moves the invoice by tens of thousands. From Biggin Hill a Challenger 605 with the Azores stop starts at £76,350, a Falcon 900LX non-stop at £92,500 and a Gulfstream G650ER at £119,250, all to the same runway. The extra money buys hours, quiet and cabin height, not a different destination, and for four people with ordinary luggage the stop is a fair trade. Barbuda is a smaller matter. From Farnborough the airfield is 23 nautical miles nearer than Antigua, and a Global 6000 comes to £99,600 against £100,200;
– A one-way price carries the aircraft's journey home. The jet has to come back across the Atlantic whether it carries you or not, so a single outbound flight is priced close to half of a return trip and not as a bargain. A fortnight booked as a return, or a flexible date that catches an empty leg, changes the arithmetic more than any negotiation can. Air Passenger Duty is charged per passenger on a departure from a British airport, by distance band, and we show it as a separate line in the quotation.
Private jet flights within Antigua and Barbuda and to its neighbours
The country has two inhabited islands thirty nautical miles apart, and the sectors that matter are short ones: across to Barbuda, up the chain to St Kitts and Sint Maarten, and down to Barbados. These are the hops we are asked for once the long-range aircraft has crossed:
| Route | Aircraft | Flight time | Price, one way |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antigua - Barbuda 30 nm / 56 km |
Pilatus PC-12 NGX up to 9 |
about 35 min | from £3,100 |
| Antigua - St Kitts 56 nm / 104 km |
Pilatus PC-12 NGX up to 9 |
about 40 min | from £3,100 |
| St Kitts - Sint Maarten 51 nm / 94 km |
Pilatus PC-12 NGX up to 9 |
about 40 min | from £3,100 |
| Antigua - Sint Maarten 97 nm / 180 km |
Pilatus PC-12 NGX up to 9 |
about 50 min | from £3,100 |
| Antigua - Barbados 289 nm / 535 km |
Citation XLS+ up to 9 |
about 1 h 10 min | from £6,800 |
| St Kitts - Barbados 328 nm / 607 km |
Citation XLS+ up to 9 |
about 1 h 15 min | from £6,900 |
Two things worth knowing about the island hops
– The jet earns its place where a boat is slow or does not run. Barbuda is served by scheduled ferries and commuter aircraft, but they follow a timetable and a private transfer does not, while the northern Leewards are separate countries with a sea between them. The long-range aircraft that brought you from London rarely makes these hops: it is too large, too costly by the hour, and the airport at the far end may be too small for it;
– Every hop to another island state or territory is an international arrival with customs and immigration at the other end, so a day trip to St Kitts or Sint Maarten is planned like a border crossing and not like a taxi ride. The rules on which operator may carry passengers between two airports outside its own state differ from place to place and are settled before the quote, and for regional hops we usually propose a locally based operator and confirm the permission in writing.
We can arrange the flights from any cities in the UK (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) and European countries. Due to a large database of available business jets, we can help you find an optimal jet and crew. If you have any questions about the departure or the flight itself, you can ask them using the form below:
Prices depending on the type of business jet
We can clearly show the high dependence of the cost of the flight, on the type of aircraft - we have collected approximate data, at the price of 1 flight hour, for various types of business jets:
The cost per hour indicated in the table is preliminary and does not constitute an offer or a commercial offer. Exact prices are available from the managers of the company.
Online Calculator
If you want to make an urgent calculation of the cost of a private plane flight, use our online calculator. Just fill in all the fields of the form with a note that you are interested in a specific model of the aircraft and get the final price. NB! - the figures are sent to you by email or messenger, please carefully fill in the contact details to get the calculation.
All our calculations are as transparent as possible for you. After receiving the request, we will prepare a beautiful offer - where the costs and the final price will be clearly described. The exact price is agreed in advance and is written in the contract, so you can be sure of the final cost.
Private jets are ready to take off
Our database contains over 6,500 business jets (about 3,500 in Europe and 3,000 in the rest of the world) of different configurations and production years. The list of models is constantly updated. Unfortunately, we can't post a full list of available jets on our website due to confidentiality issues. Please contact the managers of the company for more accurate information. We will help you choose a suitable model taking into account your wishes. These are the typical choices for Antigua and Barbuda:
Turboprops
The aircraft for the islands and not for the crossing, which no turboprop can fly in a day. The Pilatus PC-12 is the usual choice between Antigua and Barbuda, and it can use the 1,859 metre runway on Barbuda.
Light jets
They suit the hops to St Kitts, Sint Maarten and Barbados with four to six people. From Britain no light jet attempts the crossing, so we do not offer it.
Super-midsize
Some of this class can fly the two legs through the Azores, since a Challenger 350 is published at 3,200 nautical miles and the second leg is 2,362. The cabin is tight for nine hours, so we suggest it for a couple or a small family and confirm the range for your date.
Heavy jets
The class behind most budget-conscious crossings: the Challenger 605 and Legacy 650 make one stop and carry a family with staff or a team in comfort. Antigua's runway takes them without restriction.
Ultra-long range
The only class that crosses in one hop, and the one we suggest for a short stay or a large party. A Falcon 900LX is the cheapest of these on the British run, with the Global and Gulfstream types faster and larger.
Because the island hops are short and the crossing is long, a trip to Antigua often involves two aircraft. The first brings you from Britain and goes home or waits for you, and the second is a regional jet or turboprop that makes the hops. We name both when we quote.
How to book a private jet?
You can book a private jet flight to Antigua and Barbuda in 6 easy steps:
- Flight request - indicating the route and your preferences for the model of business jet and other points.
- Coordination of flight details - our consultant will contact you to offer the possible flight options and answer all your questions.
- Commercial offer - we will send you a final offer on a specific model taking into account all your wishes.
- Signing of the contract.
- Payment for the flight and booking a business jet.
- Departure at the agreed time and date. Assistance during the whole flight.
In addition to renting the private jets and arranging the flights, we provide concierge services, premium transfer, security, exclusive catering, etc. We have learned to solve problems of any complexity, offering the service of the European level. Our experts will be happy to answer your questions and help you arrange your flight.
How to rent a business jet with a crew
5 main stages:
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Sending an application
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Clarification of details and search for options
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Preparation and coordination of optimal options
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Registration of documents. Payment of the invoice.
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Departure on the route.
Business aviation airports in Antigua and Barbuda
The country has two airports that matter to a private party, one large and one new, and an old identifier that still turns up in listings. Older directories sometimes list St John's as CYYT, a code that belongs to St John's in Newfoundland; the Antiguan field is TAPA:
| Airport | Ground | How it operates |
|---|---|---|
| V. C. Bird International ANU / TAPA |
about 8 km north-east of St John's, roughly ten minutes by car | The country's gateway and its only airport that takes every aircraft type. A single runway, 07/25, listed at about 9,000 feet on handler data sheets, which suits heavy and ultra-long-range jets without restriction. Signature Flight Support runs the FBO, customs and immigration are on site, and the airport is listed as open round the clock although the FBO desk keeps shorter hours |
| Barbuda Burton-Nibbs International BBQ / TAPB |
about 3 km south-east of Codrington | A runway 10/28 of 6,099 feet (1,859 metres) by 98 feet, built to replace the old Codrington strip. It takes business jets and aircraft the size of an Embraer E170, has an apron for several private jets and an FBO terminal run by the PLH project. Handling is mandatory and no fuel is sold. Approaches are listed as visual only and the hours as sunrise to sunset |
| Codrington (old airfield) TAPH |
Codrington | The earlier strip of about 1,640 feet, replaced by the new airport. Older listings and some handler sites still carry the TAPH code, so we check the identifier on every flight plan |
| St Kitts Robert L. Bradshaw SKB / TKPK |
Basseterre, 56 nautical miles to the north-west of Antigua | A practical alternate for Antigua and a natural first stop for a trip up the chain |
| Sint Maarten Princess Juliana SXM / TNCM |
97 nautical miles to the north-west of Antigua | A large international airport and a natural second stop for a party that leaves Antigua for the French and Dutch sides |
| Barbados Grantley Adams BGI / TBPB |
289 nautical miles to the south of Antigua | The southern gateway for a Caribbean tour that continues down the chain |
Four points settle most arrivals before a quote goes out:
Antigua: confirm handling early
No formal slot system is listed for V. C. Bird, but the apron is the limit between December and April, when congestion peaks. Handling is confirmed in advance and the parking request goes in with the flight details.
Barbuda: daylight and no fuel
The new airport has no fuel and lists daylight hours, so a jet that lands there is planned with enough fuel to leave, or to reach Antigua, without refuelling. A late afternoon departure is planned back from sunset.
Santa Maria: the usual stop
The Azores field has a runway of 3,048 metres and a long history as a transatlantic stopover. Fuel, the handling and the stop time are arranged by the operator, and we plan a turn of about an hour.
Permission: ask for three working days
Published guidance separates a private flight, notified by flight plan, from a non-scheduled commercial flight that needs landing permission. Handler sites quote periods from 24 hours to 48 working hours, so we ask for the paperwork about three working days ahead.
Antigua may be open all night, but the desk is not
Handler data sheets list V. C. Bird as a 24-hour airport with customs and immigration listed round the clock, while the FBO publishes counter hours from 06:00 local time into the evening, and the closing time varies from source to source between 20:00 and 22:00. A night arrival after a nine-hour crossing is therefore agreed with the handler and the authorities before the aircraft leaves, with the officers' availability confirmed in writing. All times here are Antigua local time.
Arriving from Britain: passports, customs and what to carry
Antigua and Barbuda is a Commonwealth realm and not part of the Schengen area, the European Union or the British customs territory. A private flight from London arrives as an international flight at the first airport it reaches, normally V. C. Bird, and everyone on board clears immigration and customs there.
British citizens need no visa and may stay up to 90 days, but the passport must have an expiry date at least six months after the day of arrivalevery passenger, children included
visitors must be able to show an onward or return ticket; on a private flight we agree with the handler how the aircraft's own return is presentedagreed before departure
the authorities recommend the ArriveAntigua online form to speed up entry, though the UK government describes it as not mandatory; it works on a phone or tablet within 72 hours of traveloptional, but quicker
the rules on goods brought in or out are strict, and anything prohibited, taxed or subject to duty has to be declareddeclare when in doubt
Permission, paperwork and the way home
The operator files the flight with the Eastern Caribbean civil aviation authority and the handler, and sends the general declaration with the passenger and crew details. Advance passenger information for private flights typically goes to the Caribbean regional security system, which is the operator's job and not the passenger's. Charges for landing, parking, security and passenger service are billed by the airport, and we list them as separate lines in the quote.
Coming home is a flight into Britain. A General Aviation Report goes to the border authorities not earlier than 48 hours and not later than two hours before departure, British and Irish citizens need no electronic travel authorisation, and most other nationalities do.
Which airport for which part of Antigua and Barbuda
The arrival airport is almost always settled by one address: a villa above Dickenson Bay, a berth in Falmouth Harbour or a room on Barbuda. These are the usual pairings:
the capital is about ten minutes from the airport, and the beach hotels of the north coast are five to ten minutes awayV. C. Bird
about 12 miles and 25 to 30 minutes by road from the airport, where Nelson's Dockyard and the superyacht berths areV. C. Bird
the resort island is reached by a private transfer boat from a dock roughly ten minutes by car from the airport, and the island itself has no carsV. C. Bird, then boat
Burton-Nibbs airport is about 3 km from Codrington, the island's only settlement. A party that wants Antigua's handling and fuel lands at V. C. Bird and crosses by PC-12 or helicopterBarbuda, or V. C. Bird and onward
56 and 97 nautical miles from Antigua, the usual next stops for a charter that carries on up the chainV. C. Bird, then onward
the volcano on Montserrat is visited on a narrated helicopter tour that starts from AntiguaV. C. Bird, then helicopter
Antigua and Barbuda: what our clients go for
Yachts come first. English Harbour and Falmouth Harbour on the south coast are one of the great sailing bases of the Caribbean, and Nelson's Dockyard, a UNESCO World Heritage site, has 54 berths for yachts up to 200 feet with customs and immigration on site round the clock. Antigua Slipway, east of English Harbour, has a stern-to dock for 35 boats up to 150 feet and takes haul-outs. Owners, charter guests and crew change over by air all season, and much of the charter demand for Antigua is exactly that: a crew flown out for a handover, a family joining a boat, an owner arriving for a regatta week.
The shore side is the second reason. Dickenson Bay on the north coast is a resort area, and Jumby Bay, a small island off the north coast, has no cars and guests moving by bicycle and golf cart. Above English Harbour the lookout at Shirley Heights overlooks both harbours, and its evening party with a steel band and a barbecue draws around five hundred visitors and locals on Thursdays and Sundays.
Barbuda is a different kind of island. It has a single settlement, Codrington, long beaches with pink-tinged sand, and a lagoon with a colony of frigate birds that visitors reach by boat. Hurricane Irma damaged about 95 percent of the buildings on the island, and the new airport with its FBO terminal belongs to the rebuilding and to the private resort project behind it. For our clients Barbuda is mostly a day trip from Antigua or a stay at a very private hotel.
The country is English-speaking, with the Eastern Caribbean dollar as its currency and a population of about a hundred thousand. It became independent from Britain on 1 November, and the day is celebrated as Independence Day. Cricket is followed closely, and the ground named after Sir Viv Richards hosts international matches.
The year in Antigua: dry season, regatta spring and hurricane months
Antigua has a long winter high season and a quiet summer, with the hurricane months at the end of the quiet:
the dry season, with steady north-east trade winds, mostly clear skies and temperatures around 27 degrees; handler data sheets note that traffic at V. C. Bird peaks in these monthspeak
rain returns in May and showers become more frequent in June; rainfall tapers off in November, and the sea stays warmshoulder
rainfall increases from July and September and October are the wettest months; the Atlantic hurricane season officially ends on 30 Novemberlow season, hurricane risk
the sea temperature stays between about 26 and 29 degrees, so the sea is warm for swimming in every monthsteady
The best weeks are also the dearest weeks
Christmas, the Charter Yacht Show in December and the regatta weeks in spring are the dates when demand is highest. The figures on this page describe an ordinary week, with a Falcon 900LX from Biggin Hill at £92,500 one way, and a holiday week is booked as early as the dates are known.
The Antigua calendar: regattas, carnival and the charter show
Antigua's dated events are mostly about boats, and each of them fills the south coast and the airport apron at the same time:
What a regatta does to a flight plan
Sailing Week and the Charter Yacht Show bring owners, crews and guests in the same few days, so the south-coast marinas and the airport apron are full together and a heavy jet is parked elsewhere. We book the parking with the flight, name the aircraft that will take you home, and warn clients whose plans are loose that a dated event is the worst week to ask for an aircraft at short notice.
Flying to Antigua and Barbuda with a dog or a cat
A dog or cat travels in the cabin, but the paperwork is not the European set. Antigua issues an import permit for each animal, and the UK certificate is checked against that permit, so the order in which things are done matters more than the list.
The one fact to read before you book
Antigua and Barbuda requires an import permit from its Veterinary and Livestock Division, and the UK export certificate is completed by an Official Veterinarian and checked against the permit. The division is notified at least 48 hours before the estimated arrival. The permit is typically requested about two weeks ahead, and for a dog the blood tests for Ehrlichia canis and Lyme disease are normally required unless the permit says otherwise. For a cat the importing authority asks for results and history for FIP, FeLV and FIV.
On the way home the rule is British. Antigua and Barbuda is a listed country, so the animal returns with a Great Britain pet health certificate, and a dog must be treated against tapeworm by a vet no less than 24 hours and no more than 120 hours before landing in Britain. An animal without the right paperwork can be held in quarantine for up to four months.
- An ISO-standard 15-digit microchip, fitted before or at the same time as the rabies vaccination;
- A rabies vaccination, typically given between 30 days and 12 months before entry and at least three months after birth, with the certificate or passport carried;
- The import permit, the Official Veterinarian's export certificate and the test results required for the species, all in the original;
- Entry through V. C. Bird International, the airport listed for animals arriving by air. Pit bull type dogs and crosses are typically not admitted, and wolf hybrids are excluded;
- For a dog, the tapeworm treatment described above, timed so that the dog lands back in Britain inside the window.
Birds, reptiles, rodents and rabbits typically need a permit and a current health certificate, and protected species may need additional permits. We tell the handler in advance and confirm in writing the airport and the paperwork for the animal.
Requirements for birds, rabbits and the less usual species, along with the countries where the timeline runs to months, are set out on our flying with pets guide.
Empty Legs
An empty leg is a repositioning flight with nobody aboard, offered at a fraction of the usual price. Antigua produces more than most places, because a charter there is one-way by nature and the aircraft has to cross an ocean to get home or to find its next client.
Where Antiguan empty legs come from
– The start of the winter season in December and the weeks after Christmas, when aircraft cross from Britain with a full cabin and head home empty, or are sent out empty to collect guests travelling the other way;
– The end of the winter season, from April into May, when aircraft based in the Caribbean for the high season are sent back to Europe or up to Florida, and the legs are offered at the last minute;
– The regatta weeks, when a heavy jet arrives with an owner's party, parks elsewhere on the island chain and flies home empty a day or two later.
A client who can offer a few days has a far better chance of a match, though the operator owns the date and a leg can disappear when the original booking changes. Legs from Antigua often point to Florida and the Bahamas as well as to Britain and Europe, so a flexible destination helps too. Whatever is free is listed on our empty legs page. A selection of Antigua empty legs follows:
| Route | Aircraft | Capacity | Whole aircraft |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antigua - UK (London Biggin Hill) | Challenger 605 | 12 seats | £32,050 |
| UK (London Luton) - Antigua | Challenger 605 | 12 seats | £32,100 |
| Antigua - UK (Edinburgh) | Challenger 605 | 12 seats | £32,600 |
| UK (Belfast) - Antigua | Falcon 900LX | 12 seats | £37,200 |
| Antigua - UK (Bristol) | Falcon 900LX | 12 seats | £37,800 |
| UK (Manchester) - Antigua | Global 6000 | 13 seats | £41,800 |
| Antigua - UK (London Farnborough) | Global 6000 | 13 seats | £42,100 |
| UK (London Gatwick) - Antigua | Gulfstream G550 | 16 seats | £44,300 |
How to read those figures
– Each price is for the whole aircraft rather than per seat. A Falcon 900LX leg of £37,200 with eight aboard works out at about £4,650 a head, and the whole leg costs about two-fifths of a fresh one-way charter on the same sector;
– Antigua legs are less regular than those on a busy European corridor and cluster around the season dates, so an open date helps more than anything.
Helicopter charter
Antigua has a helicopter operator of its own. CalvinAir Helicopters keeps a hangar at V. C. Bird International, flies Airbus H130 and twin-engine H135 helicopters, and lists helipads at Fort Road, Orange Valley, near the cruise ship pier in St John's, just outside Jolly Harbour and next to the Nobu restaurant on Barbuda. A scheduled shuttle between the airport and the resorts is not listed, so a transfer is chartered:
private transfers between the two islands, in place of a sea crossingabout 25 min
the next island up the chainabout 35 min
the longest of the regular transfers from Antiguaabout 1 h
from the pink-sand island to the French and Dutch sidesabout 50 min
The times are straight-line estimates at a cruise of about 115 knots, and the operator confirms the route for your date. The company also offers fully narrated tours of Antigua and of the Soufrière Hills volcano on Montserrat, and support for yachts, and it flies medical evacuation in conjunction with the local search and rescue association.
Two points on Antiguan rotary legs
A landing away from an airport or a listed helipad, whether at a beach club, a villa or a boat, needs a landing site agreed in advance. In the winter high season the seats go first and the helicopter and the jet are best booked as one trip.
Flights from the UK to Antigua and Barbuda
We fly this corridor from every British airfield in the list below, and the price table higher up covers thirteen of those pairings. Our clients have access to all airports of the UK and Europe. Due to the unique partnership conditions, we can offer our clients the best prices for business aviation services. Our experts will consult you on the availability of private jets in a particular city and help you choose the best option.
List of TOP 25 business aviation airports:
| Airport | Country | ICAO | IATA |
|---|---|---|---|
 London Heathrow Airport |
England | EGLL | LHR |
| Birmingham Airport |
England | EGBB | BHX |
| London Gatwick |
England | EGKK | LGW |
| London City Airport |
England | EGLC | LCY |
| London Luton |
England | EGGW | LTN |
| Edinburgh Airport |
Scotland | EGPH | EDI |
| Leeds Airport |
England | EGNM | LBA |
| Manchester Airport |
England | EGCC | MAN |
| London Stansted |
England | EGSS | STN |
| Liverpool John Lennon Airport |
England | EGGP | LPL |
| Newcastle Airport |
England | EGNT | NCL |
| Bristol Airport |
England | EGGD | BRS |
| Glasgow Airport |
Scotland | EGPF | GLA |
| East Midlands Airport |
England | EGNX | EMA |
| Southampton Airport |
England | EGHI | SOU |
| Jersey Airport |
Channel Islands | EGJJ | JER |
| Cardiff International Airport |
Wales | EGFF | CWL |
| Inverness Airport |
Scotland | EGPE | INV |
| Bournemouth Airport |
England | EGHH | BOH |
| London Farnborough Airport |
England | EGLF | FAB |
| Oxford Airport |
England | EGTK | OXF |
| London Biggin Hill |
England | EGKB | BQH |
| Belfast Airport |
Northern Ireland | EGAA | BFS |
| Gibraltar Airport |
Gibraltar | LXGB | GIB |
| Aberdeen Airport |
Scotland | EGPD | ABZ |
Antigua charters from the booking notes: six typical trips
Six typical jobs put together from booking notes with the particulars changed, so none describes one named client or date.
CHRISTMAS · A FAMILY OF SIX
Ten days at a villa above Dickenson Bay
Biggin Hill - Antigua via the Azores, Challenger 605, about 9 h 15 min plus the stop · 6 pax
The family left on the Saturday before Christmas and the aircraft stopped at Santa Maria for fuel and an hour on the ground. The jet went back empty, and the return a week and a half later was booked as a separate one-way, since nobody wanted an aircraft waiting for ten days.
SAILING WEEK · AN OWNER
A non-stop crossing for four people
Farnborough - Antigua, Global 6000, about 8 h 10 min · 4 pax
The owner arrived in the middle of the regatta week and wanted no stop. The aircraft parked at a neighbouring island because the apron at Antigua was full, and returned on the day of the final race.
BARBUDA · A DAY ON THE BEACH
Four guests, lunch and the lagoon
Antigua - Barbuda, Pilatus PC-12 NGX, about 35 min · 4 pax
The party flew over in the morning and came back before sunset, because the airfield lists daylight hours only and sells no fuel. A boat took them to the frigate bird colony after lunch.
ST KITTS · AFTER THE CROSSING
A couple continuing up the chain
Antigua - St Kitts, Pilatus PC-12 NGX, about 40 min · 2 pax
They landed in Antigua after the crossing, cleared customs there and boarded a turboprop the next morning. Arriving in St Kitts is a fresh international arrival, with its own forms and its own officers.
WITH THE DOG · A PERMIT FIRST
A couple, a labrador and a month in the sun
Biggin Hill - Antigua via the Azores, Challenger 605, about 9 h 15 min plus the stop · 2 pax + dog
The import permit was requested three weeks ahead and the Official Veterinarian completed the certificate to match it. A local vet gave the tapeworm treatment the day before the flight home, inside the window of 24 to 120 hours.
EMPTY LEG · THE END OF THE SEASON
A flexible return to Edinburgh
Antigua - Edinburgh, Challenger 605 empty leg, about 9 h 25 min plus the stop · 3 pax
The client gave us a window of four days instead of a date, which is what makes these work, and paid about £32,600, well under half of a fresh one-way charter on the same sector, for a Thursday departure.
Frequently asked questions about flying to Antigua and Barbuda
1How long does it take to fly to Antigua by private jet?
About 9 hours non-stop from a London airfield in a Falcon 900LX, and about 9 hours 15 minutes in a Challenger 605 plus about an hour on the ground in the Azores. The way home is shorter with the jet stream behind the aircraft. Antigua is four hours behind Britain in winter and five in summer.
2How much does a private jet to Antigua cost?
From about £76,350 one way from Biggin Hill in a Challenger 605 with a stop in the Azores. A Falcon 900LX non-stop from Biggin Hill is about £92,500, and a Gulfstream G650ER about £119,250. Air Passenger Duty is charged per passenger on a departure from a British airport and is shown as a separate line in the quotation.
3Which airports do private jets use in Antigua and Barbuda?
V. C. Bird International (ANU, TAPA) on Antigua takes every aircraft type and is the usual gateway, with a Signature Flight Support FBO and customs and immigration on site. Barbuda has a new airport, Burton-Nibbs International (BBQ, TAPB), with a runway of 6,099 feet, an FBO terminal and mandatory handling, but no fuel and daylight hours only.
4What are the passport and customs rules for a private flight from Britain to Antigua?
British citizens need no visa and may stay up to 90 days. The passport must have an expiry date at least six months after arrival, and visitors must be able to show an onward or return ticket. The ArriveAntigua online form is recommended and not mandatory. Customs rules on goods are strict, and anything taxable or restricted must be declared.
5Can I take my dog or cat on a private jet to Antigua?
Yes, with an import permit from the Veterinary and Livestock Division, a certificate completed by an Official Veterinarian and notice to the division at least 48 hours before arrival. Dogs need blood tests for Ehrlichia canis and Lyme disease unless the permit says otherwise. On the way home a dog needs a tapeworm treatment between 24 and 120 hours before landing in Britain.
6When is the best time to fly to Antigua, and how early should I book?
December to April is the dry season and the peak, and handlers report congestion at V. C. Bird in those months. Hurricane season officially ends on 30 November, and September and October are the wettest months. Book as early as the dates are known for Christmas, the Charter Yacht Show in December, and the regattas in April and early May.