Private jet charter in Brazil
Brazil is a country where the distance depends on which half of it you choose: about 8 hours 55 minutes from London to Fortaleza on the north-eastern shoulder, nearly eleven hours to São Paulo, and a few more if the party carries on to the Amazon or the south. Private Jets UK plans these charters from the aircraft backwards, because only a few cabins in the fleet cross the Atlantic without a stop, and the airport of arrival then decides how the rest of the trip is built. 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 Brazil that also means a landing permit filed by the operator, a handler at the arrival airport, customs arranged in advance and, for most journeys inside the country, an aircraft registered in Brazil.
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 Brazil 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 London Farnborough, a Bombardier Global 6000 to São Paulo Guarulhos, nonstop, 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 Brazil?
Most of Brazil keeps Brasília time, three hours behind Britain in winter and four in British Summer Time, with no summer clock change of its own, so a morning departure from Britain lands in the afternoon on the local clock. These are the sectors from London Farnborough, gate to gate, on a Falcon 900LX for the north-east and a Global 6000 for the rest:
3,981 nautical miles, the shortest crossing, on the north-eastern shoulderabout 8 h 55 min
4,139 nautical miles, the first large airport on the eastern coastabout 9 h 20 min
4,495 nautical miles, Bahia, on the coastabout 9 h 15 min
4,613 nautical miles, the Amazon, one hour behind Brasília timeabout 9 h 30 min
4,914 nautical miles, the capital, on the inland plateauabout 10 h 05 min
5,179 nautical miles, Galeão, the second gatewayabout 10 h 35 min
5,295 nautical miles, Guarulhos, the main business gatewayabout 10 h 50 min
Landing in the afternoon, leaving at night
An 08:00 take-off from Farnborough in the summer lands at Guarulhos at about 14:50 local time, and at about 15:50 when Britain is on winter time, which leaves the evening for the hotel and the first dinner. The return is easier to place: a departure from São Paulo at 21:00 puts the aircraft on the ground in Britain at about 10:50 in winter or 11:50 in summer, with the night spent on board. A sector of nearly eleven hours is close to what two pilots can fly in one duty day, so the operator commonly adds a third pilot, and we show the crew in the quote.
Fortaleza is about 1 h 55 min shorter than São Paulo, which is why a quote for Brazil always names the arrival airport before the aircraft. Manaus keeps Amazon time, one hour behind Brasília, and a few small islands such as Fernando de Noronha run one hour ahead of it. 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 Brazil
Typical private jet charter prices from Britain into Brazil, listed cheapest first. The north-east is the nearest part of the country, and the table climbs with the distance to Brasília, Rio and São Paulo. The price on this page is built on São Paulo Guarulhos, where most business travel to Brazil begins:
| Route | Aircraft | Price, one way |
|---|---|---|
| Exeter - Fortaleza (FOR) 3,887 nm / 7,199 km |
Falcon 900LX up to 12 |
from £97,050 |
| Southampton - Natal (NAT) 3,984 nm / 7,378 km |
Falcon 900LX up to 12 |
from £99,400 |
| London Farnborough - Recife (REC) 4,139 nm / 7,665 km |
Falcon 900LX up to 12 |
from £103,100 |
| London Gatwick - Recife (REC) 4,147 nm / 7,680 km |
Falcon 900LX up to 12 |
from £103,300 |
| London Luton - Salvador (SSA) 4,534 nm / 8,397 km |
Global 6000 up to 13 |
from £122,900 |
| Manchester - Manaus (MAO) 4,622 nm / 8,560 km |
Global 6000 up to 13 |
from £125,200 |
| Birmingham - Brasília (BSB) 4,939 nm / 9,147 km |
Global 6000 up to 13 |
from £133,500 |
| London Biggin Hill - Rio de Janeiro Galeão (GIG) 5,202 nm / 9,634 km |
Global 6000 up to 13 |
from £140,350 |
| London Farnborough - São Paulo Guarulhos (GRU) 5,295 nm / 9,806 km |
Global 6000 up to 13 |
from £142,800 |
| London Biggin Hill - São Paulo Guarulhos (GRU) 5,319 nm / 9,851 km |
Global 6000 up to 13 |
from £143,450 |
| London Stansted - São Paulo Guarulhos (GRU) 5,350 nm / 9,908 km |
Gulfstream G550 up to 16 |
from £151,000 |
| Glasgow - São Paulo Guarulhos (GRU) 5,430 nm / 10,056 km |
Gulfstream G650ER up to 14 |
from £172,650 |
| Edinburgh - São Paulo Guarulhos (GRU) 5,457 nm / 10,106 km |
Global 7500 up to 14 |
from £187,000 |
Two things worth knowing about these figures
– Range sorts the fleet more sharply than price does. A Falcon 900LX, published at 4,750 nautical miles, covers Fortaleza, Natal and Recife with a margin of more than 600, but not Salvador, which is 4,534 nautical miles from Luton. From Salvador onward the quote moves to a Global 6000, published at 6,000, which reaches São Paulo from Farnborough with 705 to spare. The larger cabins at the foot of the table add margin and seats. A Challenger 350 (about 3,200 nautical miles) or a Praetor 600 (about 3,900) cannot cross in one hop and goes with a technical stop, typically in the Canary Islands or Cape Verde, quoted as a separate line;
– The arrival airport moves the price by about 32 percent. On the table, Exeter to Fortaleza is about £45,750 less than Farnborough to São Paulo, and Edinburgh to São Paulo on a Global 7500 is about £44,200 more. Every figure is for the trip out. A return the same week is quoted either as a second one-way sector or as a wait on the ground, whichever is cheaper.
Private jet flights within Brazil and to its neighbours
Brazil is a country of long gaps. From São Paulo to Manaus is 1,513 nautical miles, further than London to Athens, and even Porto Alegre in the south is 477. These are the sectors we are asked for, flown from Campo de Marte, the business aviation field inside the city, with the neighbouring capitals that clients add to a trip:
| Route | Aircraft | Flight time | Price, one way |
|---|---|---|---|
| São Paulo Campo de Marte - Curitiba 192 nm / 356 km |
Citation XLS+ up to 9 |
about 55 min | from £6,800 |
| São Paulo Campo de Marte - Rio de Janeiro Santos Dumont 203 nm / 376 km |
Citation XLS+ up to 9 |
about 1 h | from £6,800 |
| São Paulo Campo de Marte - Florianópolis 281 nm / 520 km |
Citation XLS+ up to 9 |
about 1 h 10 min | from £6,800 |
| São Paulo Campo de Marte - Foz do Iguaçu 464 nm / 859 km |
Praetor 600 up to 9 |
about 1 h 30 min | from £9,400 |
| São Paulo Campo de Marte - Porto Alegre 477 nm / 883 km |
Praetor 600 up to 9 |
about 1 h 35 min | from £9,600 |
| São Paulo Campo de Marte - Brasília 483 nm / 895 km |
Praetor 600 up to 9 |
about 1 h 35 min | from £9,700 |
| São Paulo Campo de Marte - Salvador 825 nm / 1,528 km |
Praetor 600 up to 9 |
about 2 h 20 min | from £14,850 |
| São Paulo Campo de Marte - Montevideo 872 nm / 1,615 km |
Praetor 600 up to 9 |
about 2 h 25 min | from £15,550 |
| São Paulo Campo de Marte - Buenos Aires Ezeiza 958 nm / 1,774 km |
Praetor 600 up to 9 |
about 2 h 40 min | from £16,850 |
| São Paulo Campo de Marte - Recife 1,189 nm / 2,202 km |
Challenger 350 up to 9 |
about 3 h 10 min | from £23,950 |
| São Paulo Campo de Marte - Fortaleza 1,326 nm / 2,456 km |
Challenger 350 up to 9 |
about 3 h 25 min | from £26,350 |
| São Paulo Campo de Marte - Santiago de Chile 1,457 nm / 2,698 km |
Challenger 350 up to 9 |
about 3 h 45 min | from £28,700 |
| São Paulo Campo de Marte - Manaus 1,513 nm / 2,802 km |
Challenger 350 up to 9 |
about 3 h 50 min | from £29,700 |
Two limits on the internal sectors
– A British aircraft cannot sell the internal flight. Cabotage rules stop foreign-registered aircraft from carrying passengers or cargo for hire between two points in Brazil, and handler guidance calls the rule complex and open to interpretation by local customs officers. The long-range jet that brought you from London can carry the same people on to a second city under a domestic permit, but a different group is a Brazilian operator's work. For the internal legs priced above we use aircraft based in the country and name the operator for each leg;
– The city fields have their own limits. Congonhas, the airline airport nearest the centre of São Paulo, is domestic only and works on slots described as scarce, and Santos Dumont in Rio has short runways and closes between 23:00 and 06:00. The neighbours are border crossings, so passports, the flight plan and customs on both sides are confirmed for the date.
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 Brazil:
Ultra-long range
The class that flies from Britain to any Brazilian airport without a stop. The Global 6000 is the working choice for São Paulo, Rio and Brasília; the G550, the G650ER and the Global 7500 add margin and seats on the longer departures.
Heavy jets
The Falcon 900LX has the range for the north-east in one leg. The other large cabins cross with a stop that we plan on request, or fit the long internal sectors.
Super-midsize
The class that flies most internal legs, from São Paulo to Brasília, Salvador or Fortaleza, and across to Buenos Aires or Santiago.
Light jets
For São Paulo to Rio, Curitiba or Belo Horizonte, where the sector is a short one and the cabin carries four to six people.
Turboprops
The aircraft for short regional work on the ground in Brazil, not for the journey from London, which at turboprop speed would take several days of stops.
Because the aircraft that crosses from Britain is rarely the right one for a short internal leg, the quote for a trip around Brazil often names São Paulo, Rio or Brasília as the place where a second, Brazilian-registered aircraft starts from.
How to book a private jet?
You can book a private jet flight to Brazil 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:
-
Sending an application
-
Clarification of details and search for options
-
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 Brazil
Brazil has several airports that take the crossing from Britain and a ring of fields whose rules differ by city. The airports differ by slots, by who may clear customs and by how long an aircraft may stay, which matter more than the length of the runway:
| Airport | Ground | How it operates |
|---|---|---|
| São Paulo Guarulhos (Governador André Franco Montoro) GRU / SBGR |
25 km from downtown São Paulo, at 750 metres above sea level | The airport for the crossing from Britain, with runways of 3,700 and 3,000 metres. Its general aviation terminal, run by a separate company, GATGRU, is optional: it takes one aircraft at a time in 30 minute intervals, wants the booking 24 hours ahead and has its own customs service, requested 12 hours ahead. Without it, private flights clear in Terminal 3 beside the airline passengers, with no priority. A handler is compulsory, and parking needs a prior request |
| São Paulo Campo de Marte SBMT |
about 6 km from downtown, in the Santana district | The business aviation and helicopter field inside the city: one asphalt runway of 1,600 metres at 723 metres above sea level, no scheduled flights, and night operations that are limited and usually left to helicopters. Brazilian-based jets and helicopters start the internal leg here. We treat it as a domestic field, so the party clears customs first at an airport of entry |
| São Paulo Congonhas CGH / SBSP |
about 8 km from downtown, on Avenida Washington Luís | The airline airport nearest the centre, but domestic only, capped at 30 operations an hour and run on slots. A slot letter is needed, slots open about five days ahead and are described as scarce, and the listed operating hours are 06:00 to 22:30 local time |
| Campinas Viracopos VCP / SBKP |
about 82 km north-west of São Paulo, 20 km from Campinas | One runway of 3,240 metres and a 24 hour airport of entry. No slots, but a parking request is needed, as at Guarulhos. It is the suggested alternative when there is no hangar space at the São Paulo fields, and the road transfer to the city is the price of using it |
| Rio de Janeiro Galeão (Tom Jobim) GIG / SBGL |
20 km north of downtown Rio | Two runways, 4,000 and 3,180 metres, and the international airport for Rio. Customs is cleared in the main terminal, more slowly in the commercial peaks, and Universal Aviation Brazil is listed as a handler. Scrutiny of charter status is highest here and at Guarulhos, so the papers are kept complete |
| Rio de Janeiro Santos Dumont and Jacarepaguá SDU / SBRJ, RRJ / SBJR |
Santos Dumont is on the edge of the centre, beside the financial district | Santos Dumont has two short runways, 1,323 and 1,260 metres, takes domestic flights, general aviation and air taxi, closes between 23:00 and 06:00 local time, and is approached over Guanabara Bay with Sugarloaf ahead. Jacarepaguá is the third Rio field used by air taxi. The crossing from Britain lands at Galeão |
| Brasília BSB / SBBR |
about 13 km from downtown Brasília, at 1,066 metres above sea level | Two parallel runways, 3,300 and 3,200 metres, shared in part with the air force base. The old general aviation terminal became a passenger terminal, so the handler confirms where a private aircraft parks. Universal Aviation Brazil is listed as a handler |
| Fortaleza, Natal and Recife FOR / SBFZ, NAT / SBSG, REC / SBRF |
Fortaleza 6 km south of downtown, Recife 14 km, Natal 25 km at São Gonçalo do Amarante | The three arrivals of the shortest crossing: Natal with a 3,000 metre runway, Recife with one of 3,300 metres and Fortaleza with a single runway. Universal Aviation Brazil is listed as a handler at Recife, and the handler at the other two is named in the quote |
| Manaus Eduardo Gomes MAO / SBEG |
14 km north of downtown, at 81 metres above sea level | One runway of 2,700 metres, a major cargo airport and the gate to the Amazon, in the Amazon time zone, one hour behind Brasília. Universal Aviation Brazil is listed as a handler |
Five rules settle most Brazilian arrivals before a quote goes out:
Guarulhos: the terminal is optional, the handler is not
The handler files the manifests, orders customs and arranges the transfer from the aircraft to the terminal, a ramp trip of about 15 minutes. Customs and walking take 10 to 40 minutes more, depending on the queue.
Customs: the main terminal
At almost every Brazilian airport the party is cleared in the main terminal, with no separate lane and no priority over the airline queue. Clearance averages about 30 minutes and takes much longer in the commercial peaks, and the customs desk can keep different hours from the airport.
Parking: the scarce part
Parking is hard to find, and some operators drop the passengers and leave. Guarulhos and Viracopos ask for a parking request, best filed a week ahead.
Congonhas: a domestic field
It cannot be the arrival for a flight from Britain. A party that wants it for the last leg clears customs elsewhere and flies on with a slot in hand.
Radio: Portuguese
Smaller domestic airfields may have air traffic control only in Portuguese, and we arrange a handler who speaks it.
Permits: the landing permit and the domestic permit
Every foreign-registered aircraft needs a landing permit, which handlers list at 48 hours of notice at the least. It covers the planned day of arrival from 24 hours before to 48 hours after, and the receipt for the landing fee goes into the flight plan. A trip with more than one stop in the country, technical stops included, also needs a domestic permit, while a single technical stop alone needs a notification. Overflight is notified in advance. The operator files all of it, and we confirm the permit numbers in writing.
Arriving from Britain: passports, customs and what to carry
Brazil is outside the European Union and outside Schengen, and the entry rules for a British citizen are short. The border is dealt with at the first Brazilian airport you land at, so that airport has to be one with customs.
British citizens may stay up to 90 days as tourists without a visa. The passport must have an expiry date at least six months after the day of arrival, and the officer must stamp it, because an unstamped passport can mean a fine on departureevery passenger, children included
Licensed crew listed on the general declaration need no visas, whatever their nationality, and the operator submits the aircraft papers, insurance and crew licences with the landing permitfiled by the operator
clearance is in the main terminal and takes about 30 minutes on average. At Guarulhos the general aviation terminal has its own customs service, with the lists sent 24 hours ahead and the officers requested 12 hours aheadbooked in advance
cash or travellers' cheques worth US$10,000 or more, about £7,500, must be declared online, and anything that is prohibited or subject to tax or duty is declared on arrivaldeclared online
yellow fever vaccination is recommended but not required to enter Brazil, though it may be required when the aircraft goes on to other South American countries, with the vaccination at least ten days before arrivalbefore an onward flight
Dual nationals, children and the way home
British-Brazilian dual nationals are often required to enter on a Brazilian passport and must carry a valid British passport or a certificate of entitlement to return to Britain. A child under 18 travelling without one or both parents should carry the original birth certificate or a notarised copy.
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, and British and Irish citizens need no electronic travel authorisation, while most other nationalities do.
Which airport for which part of Brazil
The arrival airport follows from one address: the office on Avenida Paulista, the apartment above Ipanema, the lodge on the Cuiabá River. These are the usual pairings:
Faria Lima and Avenida Paulista lie about 25 km from Guarulhos, and the helicopter is the usual answer to the roadGuarulhos
Galeão is 20 km north of downtown, while Santos Dumont sits beside the centre but has short runways and closes at 23:00Galeão
Government and embassies, 13 km from the airport, nonstop from LondonBrasília
Fortaleza, Natal and Recife are the nearest airports to Britain and the three cheapest lines in the first tableFortaleza, Natal or Recife
Manaus, 14 km from the airport, is the base for boat trips to the Meeting of the Waters and is reachable nonstop from BritainManaus
Foz do Iguaçu airport lies between the town and the park, with the town about 20 km from the falls and scheduled airlines serving itFoz do Iguaçu
Cuiabá is the northern gate and Campo Grande the southern one, both served by domestic flights from São Paulo, Rio and Brasília, with the rest by roadCuiabá or Campo Grande
The archipelago lies 191 nautical miles off the coast, with daily flights from Recife and Natal. We confirm in writing whether a business jet can be accepted there, and otherwise the party continues on a scheduled flightRecife or Natal
São Paulo, Rio and the rest of Brazil: what our clients go for
São Paulo is where the business is. The city has about 11.9 million residents and Greater São Paulo about 21.5 million, on a plateau 760 metres above the sea, and the city is listed at roughly a tenth of Brazil's economic output. The addresses clients ask for are Faria Lima, the financial district, and Avenida Paulista. Most trips are meetings of two or three days.
The city moves by air within itself. São Paulo has the largest helicopter fleet in the world, listed at about 410 helicopters and 260 helipads. The Formula One race is run each November at Interlagos, which holds 60,000, and that weekend fills the city.
Rio is the other half: about 6.7 million people in the city and 13.9 million in the metropolitan area, with Ipanema and Leblon on the Atlantic side, Sugarloaf at the mouth of Guanabara Bay and Christ the Redeemer above on Corcovado. January averages about 28 degrees and July about 23. Brasília is a different Brazil, a planned capital by Lúcio Costa and Oscar Niemeyer, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the home of 124 foreign embassies.
Manaus is the gate to the Amazon. The Teatro Amazonas has 700 seats, French glass and Italian marble, and its opera festival usually runs in May and early June. Boats leave the city for the Meeting of the Waters, where the dark Rio Negro and the brown Solimões run side by side without mixing for a long stretch.
The Pantanal is for people with a week. The wetland covers about 195,000 square kilometres, holds one of the largest jaguar populations on earth and is a World Heritage Site. About 80 percent of the floodplain is under water in the rains, which fall mostly from November to March, and the dry months, roughly June to September, are the time for wildlife. Iguaçu is the other week: the Brazilian side has just over a fifth of the 275 drops and a walkway to the Devil's Throat. Fernando de Noronha, 26 square kilometres and about 3,200 people, is a UNESCO site known for dolphins, turtles and warm clear water.
The Brazilian year: when the country opens and when it empties
Brazil has summer in the months when Britain has winter, a dry season and a wet one, and a handful of dates that fill the airports. The coast works all year, while the inland and the Amazon follow the water:
the southern summer, with January averaging about 23 degrees in São Paulo and 28 in Rio. The Pantanal is at its wettest and the Iguaçu falls carry their greatest flow. Carnival falls at the end of this period or just after ithigh summer
the rainiest months at Fernando de Noronha, and the Pantanal as the floodwaters recede. The Manaus opera festival opens in Mayshoulder
the Brazilian winter, with July averaging about 16 degrees in São Paulo and 23 in Rio, dry weather in the Pantanal and in Brasília, and the business aviation exhibition in São Paulo in Augustdry season
spring, with the sunniest months at Noronha from August to December, the Pantanal still good in September and the Grand Prix at Interlagos in Novembershoulder
Going nonstop to the Amazon costs less than going through São Paulo
A trip to the Amazon is cheaper if the long-range jet flies there directly. Manchester to Manaus on a Global 6000 is £125,200 one way, nonstop, against £172,500 for Farnborough to São Paulo on the same type plus a Challenger 350 from Campo de Marte to Manaus. The second plan is the right one only when the party has business in São Paulo first.
The Brazilian calendar: Carnival, the Grand Prix and the dry season
The dated events are few, and each pulls on a different airport:
Why parking decides the dates
Parking is the scarce thing in Brazil. The weeks of Carnival, New Year, the Grand Prix and the aviation exhibition are the ones where every aircraft wants a place, and a client who wants the jet to wait through one of them should say so at the first enquiry.
Flying to Brazil with a dog or a cat
Brazil is easy for a dog or a cat on the way out and harder on the way home. The entry paper is a single British certificate, while the return to Britain brings a rabies blood test and a wait that has to be planned before the first flight. At Guarulhos only one quarantine agent is on duty per shift, so the papers go in for review in advance and the agent finishes the inspection on arrival.
The two certificates
Going out, the animal travels on a British export health certificate for Brazil, signed by an official vet. It records the microchip number, a rabies vaccination (or an age under 90 days) and broad-spectrum treatment against internal and external parasites within the 15 days before issue. The certificate is valid for 60 days from issue and must be presented at a Mercosur border control post within ten days of issue, so we build the timetable backwards from the flight.
Coming home, Brazil is not a listed country, so the animal needs a Great Britain pet health certificate signed by an official vet, with entry to Britain within 10 days of issue. It also needs a rabies blood test taken at least 30 days after the vaccination, with a result of at least 0.5 IU/ml from an EU-approved laboratory, and three months must pass from the date of the sample before the animal travels. A dog must be treated against tapeworm by a vet between 24 and 120 hours before landing. An animal without the right paperwork can be held in quarantine for up to four months.
- A rabies vaccination, given from 12 weeks of age, with the blood sample taken at least 30 days after it;
- An ISO-standard microchip, fitted before the rabies vaccination and never after it, which both certificates record;
- Parasite treatment within 15 days before the Brazilian certificate is issued, recorded with dates and active ingredients;
- No more than five animals per traveller on the way back.
For a short trip the blood test decides everything, because the three months run from the sample and not from the flight. The gov.uk guidance lets the wait fall away for an animal tested and certified in Britain before it left, and we have the vet confirm the exact conditions in writing before anything is booked. Rio de Janeiro also bans the import and breeding of pit bull type dogs.
Requirements for rabbits, reptiles, birds and the less usual species, along with the countries where the timeline runs to months, are set out on our flying with pets guide. We confirm the entry point and the paperwork for the animal in writing before the flight.
Empty Legs
An empty leg is a repositioning flight with nobody aboard, offered at a fraction of the usual price. On the Brazilian run there are fewer than on a busy European corridor, but each one is a long and valuable sector.
Where Brazilian empty legs come from
– A long-range jet that flew a party out to São Paulo or Rio and returns to Britain without passengers, the commonest leg of all;
– The edges of the big dates, when operators reposition aircraft to Britain after Carnival, after New Year and after the Grand Prix weekend;
A client who can offer a window of several weeks has a far better chance of a match, though the operator owns the date and a leg can disappear when the original booking changes. Whatever is free is listed on our empty legs page. A selection of Brazilian empty legs follows:
| Route | Aircraft | Capacity | Whole aircraft |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil (Fortaleza FOR) - UK (Exeter) | Falcon 900LX | 12 seats | £40,750 |
| UK (Southampton) - Brazil (Natal NAT) | Falcon 900LX | 12 seats | £41,750 |
| Brazil (Recife REC) - UK (London Gatwick) | Falcon 900LX | 12 seats | £43,400 |
| UK (Manchester) - Brazil (Manaus MAO) | Global 6000 | 13 seats | £52,600 |
| Brazil (Brasília BSB) - UK (Birmingham) | Global 6000 | 13 seats | £56,050 |
| UK (London Biggin Hill) - Brazil (Rio de Janeiro GIG) | Global 6000 | 13 seats | £58,950 |
| Brazil (São Paulo GRU) - UK (London Farnborough) | Global 6000 | 13 seats | £60,000 |
| UK (London Stansted) - Brazil (São Paulo GRU) | Gulfstream G550 | 16 seats | £63,400 |
How to read those figures
– Each price is for the whole aircraft rather than per seat. A Global 6000 home from São Paulo to Farnborough comes to about £4,600 a head if all 13 seats are filled;
– Set each line beside the same sector in the first table: the saving is large in money and small in time, and a month of flexibility is the least worth offering on this route.
Helicopter charter
In São Paulo the helicopter is part of the daily commute, and a transfer from the airport to a rooftop pad is a normal way to avoid the road. These are the transfers clients ask for, with times estimated from the straight-line distance:
from the airport of arrival to the business aviation field inside the cityabout 15 min
from the 24 hour alternative airport, about 82 km from the cityabout 30 min
the resort peninsula north of Rio, listed by an air taxi operator at about 48 minutes for an Airbus AS350 B2 with five passengersabout 45 min
The times are straight-line estimates at a cruise of about 115 knots, and the operator confirms the route for your date. Rio has landing sites inside the city, at the Lagoa and at Recreio, as well as at its airports.
Two points on Brazilian rotary legs
A rooftop or a lodge landing needs a site agreed in advance, and the operator checks the airspace rules for the city and the park. Flights near the Iguaçu falls are offered from the Brazilian side only, since Argentina has banned the tours over its own.
Flights from the UK to Brazil
Farnborough, Biggin Hill, Luton and Stansted send most of the traffic on this corridor, with Southampton, Exeter and Manchester behind them and Scotland at the long end; 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 |
Brazilian charters from the booking notes: six typical trips
Six typical jobs put together from booking notes with the particulars changed, so none describes a named client or date.
SÃO PAULO · THE BUSINESS TRIP
Two directors and three days of meetings
Farnborough - São Paulo Guarulhos, Global 6000, about 10 h 50 min each way · 2 pax
Wheels up at eight, on the ground at Guarulhos in the afternoon. The handler had ordered the customs officers a day ahead, so the clearance in the general aviation terminal took a few minutes, and a helicopter took the party across the city to a pad near Faria Lima. The aircraft went home empty and returned three days later.
RIO · THE CARNIVAL
Six friends and the Sambadrome
Biggin Hill - Rio de Janeiro Galeão, Global 6000, about 10 h 40 min · 6 pax
They came for the Special Group nights and gave the dates in the first message, because parking in the Carnival weeks is the hardest part to find. The party cleared in the main terminal at Galeão, stayed in Ipanema and flew home once the parades were over.
AMAZON · THE NONSTOP
A family of five and a week on the river
Manchester - Manaus, Global 6000, about 9 h 30 min · 5 pax
No stop in São Paulo and no connection: the aircraft crossed in one leg and landed at Manaus, 14 km from the city. A boat took the family to the Meeting of the Waters the next morning, and they came home from the same airport after seven days.
NORTH-EAST · THE SHORT CROSSING
Four adults and a fortnight on the coast
Exeter - Fortaleza, Falcon 900LX, about 8 h 45 min · 4 pax
The nearest part of Brazil to Britain, and the one a Falcon 900LX can reach without a stop. The aircraft flew home empty, because the party chose to return on a different date and from a different airport.
WITH THE DOG · A BRITISH CERTIFICATE
A couple, a spaniel and two months in São Paulo
Farnborough - São Paulo Guarulhos, Global 6000, about 10 h 50 min · 2 pax + dog
The vet signed the export certificate inside the 15 day parasite window, the papers went to the quarantine agent at Guarulhos a day before, and the inspection at arrival was a formality. The rabies blood test had been taken months earlier, which kept the return free of a three-month wait.
EMPTY LEG · AFTER THE GRAND PRIX
A flexible return from São Paulo
São Paulo - London Luton, Global 6000 empty leg, about 10 h 55 min · 4 pax
The client gave us a window of ten days instead of a date, which is what makes these work, and paid about £60,400, a little under half of a fresh one-way charter on the same sector, for a Wednesday departure.
Frequently asked questions about flying to Brazil
1How long does it take to fly to Brazil by private jet?
About 10 hours 50 minutes from London to São Paulo on a Bombardier Global 6000, around 10 hours 35 minutes to Rio de Janeiro and about 8 hours 55 minutes to Fortaleza on a Falcon 900LX. Most of Brazil is three hours behind Britain in winter and four in British Summer Time.
2How much does a private jet to Brazil cost?
From about £142,800 one way from Farnborough to São Paulo Guarulhos on a Bombardier Global 6000. Fortaleza in the north-east is about £45,750 less on a Falcon 900LX from Exeter, and Manaus from Manchester on a Global 6000 is about £125,200. Internal legs are far lower, with São Paulo Campo de Marte to Rio de Janeiro Santos Dumont from £6,800 on a Brazilian-based jet.
3Which airport do private jets use for São Paulo?
Guarulhos, for the crossing from Britain. Its general aviation terminal is optional and has its own customs service, requested at least 12 hours ahead, and a handler is compulsory. Campo de Marte serves the internal flights, Congonhas is domestic only, and Viracopos near Campinas is the 24 hour alternative when parking at Guarulhos is not available.
4What paperwork does a private flight to Brazil need?
British citizens can stay up to 90 days as tourists without a visa, with a passport that expires at least six months after arrival, and cash of US$10,000 or more is declared online. The operator files a landing permit, which handlers list at 48 hours of notice, and a domestic permit if the aircraft makes more than one stop in the country.
5Can I take my dog or cat on a private jet to Brazil?
Yes. The animal travels on a British export health certificate signed by an official vet, with a rabies vaccination, a microchip and parasite treatment within 15 days before issue. The way home is stricter, because Brazil is not a listed country: the animal needs a rabies blood test at least 30 days after the vaccination, a three-month wait from the sample date and a Great Britain pet health certificate, and a dog needs a tapeworm treatment 24 to 120 hours before landing in Britain.
6Can a smaller jet fly from London to Brazil?
Only with a stop. A Challenger 350 has a published range of about 3,200 nautical miles and a Praetor 600 about 3,900, against 3,981 nautical miles from Farnborough to Fortaleza. The Falcon 900LX is the smallest type we quote nonstop, to the north-east only.
7Can the jet that brings us from London fly us on to other Brazilian cities?
Yes, if the same party stays aboard, under a domestic permit that the operator requests in advance. Cabotage rules stop a foreign-registered aircraft from carrying passengers for hire between two Brazilian points, so a different group goes on a Brazilian-based aircraft. We state in writing which operator flies each leg.