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Private jet charter to Canada

Canada is one destination on the departure board and half a dozen different trips on the ground: a little over seven hours in the air to Toronto, nearly nine hours to Calgary, and a Halifax arrival that is a good deal closer to London than to Vancouver. Private Jets UK plans these charters from the Atlantic outward. The first question is how the party crosses, nonstop or with a fuel stop at Gander, the second is which Canadian airport suits the address, and the third, which clients rarely expect, is who is allowed to fly them between two Canadian cities afterwards. 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 Canada that also means an electronic travel authorisation for every passenger, a call to the border service from the cockpit before the aircraft arrives, and a regional aircraft booked for the legs inside the country.

 

private jet charter

 

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 Canada 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 Luton, a Bombardier Challenger 350 to Toronto Pearson with a stop at Gander, 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 Canada?

Canada has no single flying time. These are the sectors from London Farnborough, gate to gate, on a Global 6000 for the eastern cities and a Gulfstream G550 for Calgary and Vancouver, with the westbound headwind that the North Atlantic normally supplies:

London to Halifax
2,566 nautical miles, the Atlantic gateway of the Maritimes
about 5 h 40 min
London to Quebec City
2,791 nautical miles, the walled old town and the carnival
about 6 h 10 min
London to Montreal
2,922 nautical miles, the French-speaking business city
about 6 h 30 min
London to Ottawa
2,996 nautical miles, the capital, on the Ontario and Quebec border
about 6 h 40 min
London to Toronto
3,199 nautical miles, the financial centre and the main business aviation gateway
about 7 h 05 min
London to Calgary
3,940 nautical miles, the Stampede and the road to the Rockies
about 8 h 45 min
London to Vancouver
4,258 nautical miles, the Pacific coast, at the far end of the country
about 9 h 30 min

Which clock you land on

Eastern Canada runs five hours behind Britain for most of the year, with a week or two of difference around the dates when the clocks change. A 09:00 departure from Farnborough reaches Pearson at about 11:05 local time, while Halifax keeps Atlantic time, four hours behind, so the same morning departure lands there at about 10:40. Newfoundland, where Gander sits, is three and a half hours behind. The western provinces keep their own clock rules, and the gap to Britain changes with the season, so we quote the local arrival time for your date.

Coming home is shorter. With the wind behind, Toronto to Farnborough takes about 6 h, and a 21:00 departure from Pearson puts the aircraft on the ground in Britain at about 08:00 the next morning, after a night's sleep on board. A Challenger 350 that stops at Gander adds about an hour on the ground.

Halifax is more than an hour shorter than Toronto and nearly four hours shorter than Vancouver, which is why a quote for Canada always names the airport before the aircraft. 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.

 

private jet rental

 

Prices for the private jet flights to Canada

Typical private jet charter prices from Britain into Canada, listed cheapest first. The price on this page is built on Toronto Pearson, the airport that takes almost every Canadian trip, and the figures climb with distance and with the range of the aircraft that can fly them:

Route Aircraft Price, one way
Glasgow - Quebec City (YQB)
2,566 nm / 4,752 km
Challenger 350
up to 9
from £48,400
London Luton - Halifax Stanfield (YHZ)
2,571 nm / 4,761 km
Challenger 350
up to 9
from £48,500
Biggin Hill - Montreal Trudeau (YUL)
2,979 nm / 5,517 km via Gander
Challenger 350
up to 9
from £55,750
London Stansted - Ottawa (YOW)
3,058 nm / 5,663 km via Gander
Challenger 350
up to 9
from £57,150
London Luton - Toronto Pearson (YYZ)
3,239 nm / 5,999 km via Gander
Challenger 350
up to 9
from £60,400
Edinburgh - Montreal Trudeau (YUL)
2,731 nm / 5,058 km
Global 6000
up to 13
from £75,800
Birmingham - Ottawa (YOW)
2,933 nm / 5,432 km
Global 6000
up to 13
from £81,100
London Luton - Calgary (YYC)
4,438 nm / 8,219 km via Gander
Challenger 350
up to 9
from £81,700
Manchester - Toronto Pearson (YYZ)
3,095 nm / 5,732 km
Global 6000
up to 13
from £85,350
London Farnborough - Toronto Pearson (YYZ)
3,199 nm / 5,925 km
Global 6000
up to 13
from £88,050
Aberdeen - Vancouver (YVR)
3,934 nm / 7,286 km
Gulfstream G550
up to 16
from £112,250
Southampton - Calgary (YYC)
3,941 nm / 7,299 km
Gulfstream G550
up to 16
from £112,450
London Farnborough - Vancouver (YVR)
4,258 nm / 7,886 km
Gulfstream G550
up to 16
from £121,150

 

Two things worth knowing about these figures

– The Challenger 350 is published at 3,200 nautical miles, and we treat a westbound sector as nonstop only when it leaves about 500 nautical miles in hand. Halifax from Luton does, and so does Quebec City from Glasgow. Toronto from Luton is 3,198 nautical miles, which leaves nothing, so that aircraft stops at Gander, and the stop is why the Toronto fare is £11,900 above Halifax on the same aircraft;

– The long-range jets start where the Challenger stops. A Global 6000 is published at 6,000 nautical miles and a Gulfstream G550 at 6,750, so both cross to Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa with room to spare, and the G550 carries on to Calgary and Vancouver. Every figure is for the trip out, and a return the same week is quoted as a second one-way sector or as a wait at the Canadian end, whichever is cheaper.

 

Private jet flights within Canada and to the United States

Canada is a country of long gaps. Toronto to Montreal is 285 nautical miles, Toronto to Calgary 1,510 and Toronto to Vancouver 1,879, so a trip across the country is a proper journey. These are the sectors we are asked for, with the American arrival that clients tack onto a Canadian trip:

Route Aircraft Flight time Price, one way
Vancouver - Victoria
36 nm / 67 km
Pilatus PC-12 NGX
up to 9
about 40 min from £3,100
Montreal Trudeau - Mont-Tremblant
74 nm / 137 km
Pilatus PC-12 NGX
up to 9
about 45 min from £3,100
Toronto Pearson - Muskoka
82 nm / 152 km
Pilatus PC-12 NGX
up to 9
about 50 min from £3,100
Montreal Trudeau - Quebec City
131 nm / 243 km
Citation CJ3+
up to 7
about 50 min from £5,300
Vancouver - Kelowna
161 nm / 298 km
Citation CJ3+
up to 7
about 55 min from £5,300
Toronto Pearson - Ottawa
204 nm / 378 km
Citation CJ3+
up to 7
about 1 h from £5,300
Toronto Pearson - Montreal Trudeau
285 nm / 528 km
Citation CJ3+
up to 7
about 1 h 10 min from £5,300
Toronto Pearson - New York Teterboro
312 nm / 578 km
Citation CJ3+
up to 7
about 1 h 15 min from £5,350
Calgary - Vancouver
386 nm / 715 km
Citation CJ3+
up to 7
about 1 h 25 min from £6,200
Toronto Pearson - Halifax
723 nm / 1,339 km
Citation XLS+
up to 9
about 2 h 10 min from £12,600
Toronto Pearson - Calgary
1,510 nm / 2,797 km
Challenger 350
up to 9
about 3 h 50 min from £29,650
Toronto Pearson - Vancouver
1,879 nm / 3,480 km
Challenger 350
up to 9
about 4 h 40 min from £36,200

 

Two limits on the legs inside Canada

– The aircraft that brought you from London is not free to take every domestic job. Canadian cabotage rules let a foreign-registered aircraft carry you on to a second Canadian city, but only when the trip began outside Canada, sits under one contract and leaves Canada with the same passengers. A separate domestic trip is flown by a Canadian-registered aircraft, and the operator confirms who flies what before the quote;

– Not every short hop is worth flying. Montreal to Mont-Tremblant looks close on the map and is usually done by road, since helicopter service on that route is not routinely offered, and Teterboro is another country with its own advance filings.

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:

Turbopropsfrom £850/h
Small jet£1,700 - 2,500/h
Light jet£2,100 - 3,000/h
Medium-sized jet (Citation XLS+, Hawker 800XP)£3,000 - 3,700/h
Large medium-class jet (Challenger 300)£4,600 - 5,500/h
Large jet (Legacy 600)£4,900 - 5,800/h
Long-haul jet (Global 5000, G550, Falcon 7X)£5,800 - 8,800/h
Business linersfrom £10,300/h

 

Prices for private jet flights

 

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 Canada:

Ultra-long range

The aircraft that cross without a stop. The Global 6000 and the G550 are the working choices for Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa, the G550 reaches Calgary and Vancouver, and the Global 7500 and G650ER add margin.

Bombardier Global 6000 · 13 seatsfrom £6,400/h
Gulfstream G550 · 16 seatsfrom £6,700/h
Gulfstream G650ER · 14 seatsfrom £7,700/h
Bombardier Global 7500 · 14 seatsfrom £8,300/h

Super-midsize

The cheaper way across for four to six people. The Challenger 350 flies Halifax and Quebec City nonstop and stops at Gander for Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa and Calgary, and the Praetor 600, published at 4,018 nautical miles, has the legs for the longer second sector.

Bombardier Challenger 350 · 9 seatsfrom £4,000/h
Embraer Praetor 600 · 9 seatsfrom £3,400/h
Dassault Falcon 2000LXS · 10 seatsfrom £4,900/h
Bombardier Challenger 605 · 12 seatsfrom £4,350/h

Large cabins

Room for a full delegation. Their range puts them at the edge of the northern crossings, so whether a stop is needed depends on the date, load and wind, and we confirm it with the operator.

Embraer Legacy 650 · 13 seatsfrom £4,600/h
Gulfstream G450 · 13 seatsfrom £5,800/h
Dassault Falcon 900LX · 12 seatsfrom £5,400/h

Midsize and light

Not for the Atlantic but right once you are there: Toronto to Montreal or Ottawa, Calgary to Vancouver, or the hop to the American east coast.

Cessna Citation XLS+ · 9 seatsfrom £3,100/h
Cessna Citation Latitude · 9 seatsfrom £3,900/h
Cessna Citation CJ3+ · 7 seatsfrom £2,400/h
Embraer Phenom 300E · 8 seatsfrom £2,600/h

Turboprops

For the short regional jobs: the cottage lakes of Muskoka, Mont-Tremblant, Vancouver Island and the Okanagan.

Pilatus PC-12 NGX · 9 seatsfrom £1,400/h
Beechcraft King Air 350 · 9 seatsfrom £1,650/h

 

online private jet directory

 

How to book a private jet?

You can book a private jet flight to Canada in 6 easy steps:

  1. Flight request - indicating the route and your preferences for the model of business jet and other points.
  2. Coordination of flight details - our consultant will contact you to offer the possible flight options and answer all your questions.
  3. Commercial offer - we will send you a final offer on a specific model taking into account all your wishes.
  4. Signing of the contract.
  5. Payment for the flight and booking a business jet.
  6. 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

  • Registration of documents. Payment of the invoice.

  • Departure on the route.

 

Business aviation airports in Canada

Canada has a handful of big airports that take anything and a long list of small ones that clear only a small party. Between them the fields differ by customs hours, by the number of people the border officer will deal with and by who runs the apron, and those points matter more than the runway length:

Airport Ground How it operates
Toronto Pearson
YYZ / CYYZ
about 20 km north-west of downtown; the airport train reaches Union Station in about 28 minutes The airport for almost every Toronto trip. Five runways of 2,700 to 3,390 m. Four business aviation bases share the field: Execaire, Signature Flight Support and two run by Skyservice, Midfield with a VIP terminal of 8,600 sq ft and the South base. Listed as open round the clock, with customs on site and a noise-abatement window from 23:00 to 06:00
Montreal Trudeau
YUL / CYUL
about 15 km west of downtown, 25 minutes by car in normal traffic and 40 to 50 at rush hour Parallel concrete runways of 3,353 and 3,014 m. Skyservice runs a private terminal on Ryan Avenue in Dorval, listed as operating round the clock with customs on site, and Signature Flight Support and Aviation Etcetera are also listed. Private aircraft need no slot, and abatement from about 23:00 to 07:00 changes departure routes without stopping operations
Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier
YOW / CYOW
15 to 20 minutes to the centre in normal traffic Two fields: a northern one for general aviation and a southern one with the jet runways of 3,050 and 2,438 m. Execaire, a Shell AeroCentre, and Skyservice Ottawa are the private terminals, listed as open round the clock with customs on site. Noise abatement applies from 23:00 to 07:00
Quebec City Jean Lesage
YQB / CYQB
about 17 km west of the city Runways of 2,743 and 1,737 m and a designated airport of entry with full customs services, with general aviation on its own apron. The choice of services is narrower than in Montreal, so handler and hours are confirmed for your date before the quote
Halifax Stanfield
YHZ / CYHZ
about 36 km north-east of the city, 30 to 45 minutes by road The Atlantic gateway of the Maritimes: runways of 3,200 and 2,346 m, open round the clock, customs and immigration on site. Gateway Aviation is listed as the largest private base, with Execaire and Skyservice also named. No slots and no hard curfew. Moncton, about 170 km away, is the only comparable alternative
Mont-Tremblant International
YTM / CYTM
about 46 km from the resort, 40 minutes by taxi and up to an hour in snow One runway of 1,799 m and an airport of entry, where border officers come out on call for general aviation aircraft of up to 15 passengers. Light and midsize jets and turboprops use it, while a long-range cabin lands at Montreal and the party drives
Calgary International
YYC / CYYC
about 17 km north-east of downtown, 20 to 30 minutes by road Runways of 4,267, 3,863 and 2,438 m, on a field 1,099 m above sea level. Four private bases are listed: Signature Flight Support, Skyservice, Million Air and Sunwest Aviation. Open round the clock, customs on the airport, no hard noise curfew. Signature and Skyservice offer de-icing from October to April, and Monday mornings and Thursday evenings are the busiest charter times
Calgary Springbank
YBW / CYBW
about 15 km west of Calgary The general aviation reliever, with a runway of 1,524 m and border officers for aircraft of up to 15 passengers. Springbank Aero Services and Central Aviation operate here, and Central sells Jet A. It lies on the Banff side of the city and suits a light or midsize jet
Vancouver International
YVR / CYVR
Sea Island in Richmond, about 12 km from downtown; 20 to 25 minutes by road in light traffic and 45 to 60 at the weekday rush Runways of 3,030 and 2,225 m and a third of more than 3,500 m. Signature Flight Support, Million Air Vancouver and Skyservice are the private bases, and all three can clear arriving aircraft on their own ramps. Between midnight and 06:00 a jet departure above 34,000 kg needs prior approval, generally given for passenger flights and generally refused for repositioning
Victoria, Kelowna, Abbotsford, Boundary Bay
YYJ / CYYJ, YLW / CYLW, YXX / CYXX, YDT / CZBB
the island, the Okanagan, the Fraser Valley and the south side of Vancouver Victoria (2,133 m) is an airport of entry that takes up to 120 passengers at a time. Kelowna (2,755 m) can set aside a baggage carousel for customs. Abbotsford (2,925 m, about 65 km from downtown) and Boundary Bay (1,833 m) clear general aviation aircraft of up to 15 passengers
Gander
YQX / CYQX
Newfoundland, about 2,100 nautical miles from the London fields Not a destination but the usual fuel stop on the way out. Runways of about 3,100 and 2,700 m, customs and immigration available round the clock, Jet A-1 from hydrant refuelling, a crew lounge, Allied Aviation as handler and hotels within 2 km. We plan a turn of about an hour
Toronto area: Billy Bishop, Hamilton, Oshawa, Waterloo
YTZ / CYTZ, YHM / CYHM, YOO / CYOO, YKF / CYKF
the island by the harbour, and three fields west and east of the city Billy Bishop, next to downtown, bans jets apart from medical flights and is for turboprops only. Hamilton (3,050 m, about 64 km south-west) is a cargo airport and a sensible alternate. Oshawa has border officers on call for up to 50 people, and Waterloo (2,135 m) clears general aviation of up to 180 people with two hours' notice

 

Four rules settle most Canadian arrivals before a quote goes out:

Name the terminal

Toronto has four business aviation bases on one airport, Vancouver three and Calgary four. Ramps, lounges and fees differ, so the terminal goes into the written quote and onto the transfer order, since a driver told only the airport name may wait at the wrong door.

Customs on the ramp

At Pearson the border officers meet the passengers on the aircraft at the private terminal, and the three Vancouver bases can clear arriving aircraft on their own ramps. We and the handler arrange it before departure.

Night and winter

Toronto keeps a noise-abatement window from 23:00 to 06:00, Montreal and Ottawa from about 23:00 to 07:00, and Vancouver restricts heavy jet departures after midnight. From October to April a departure from Calgary, Toronto or Gander can wait for de-icing, so allow generous time on the ground.

Small airports, small parties

Springbank, Boundary Bay, Abbotsford and Mont-Tremblant clear up to 15 passengers, Oshawa up to 50 and Waterloo up to 180 with notice. A party above the limit is arranged with the border office in advance, or lands at the larger airport. Outside the business hours of the border service cost recovery charges apply, so a night arrival is chosen for customs hours before distance, and Gander, staffed round the clock, is the usual place to land.

 

Arriving from Britain: the eTA, customs and what to carry

Canada is outside Schengen and any shared travel zone with Britain, so every passenger is cleared by the Canada Border Services Agency on arrival, and the rules for a British citizen come down to one authorisation and one phone call.

Passports and the eTA
British citizens need no visa for a visit of up to six months but must hold an electronic travel authorisation, the eTA, and a passport valid for the stay. It costs CAN$7, about £4, is applied for online and is usually approved within minutes. A dual British and Canadian citizen travels on the Canadian passport and needs no eTA
every passenger, children included
Crew
Flight crew are exempt from the eTA. The operator files the crew and passenger details, and nobody leaves the aircraft until the border officer authorises it
filed by the operator
The border call
For a private aircraft with up to 15 people aboard including crew, the pilot telephones the border service no earlier than 48 and no later than two hours before arrival, giving the registration, the arrival time, the Canadian airport and the name, date of birth and citizenship of everyone aboard, and calls again after landing. With more than 15 people the pilot contacts the office at the airport of entry in advance
from the cockpit
Where and when to land
The aircraft lands at an approved airport of entry during the border service's business hours, otherwise cost recovery charges apply
checked before the quote
Goods and cash
Everyone declares goods, and cash of CAN$10,000 or more is reported. Pets, weapons and ammunition are notified in advance
on the declaration

Who may fly you inside Canada, and the way home

Canada restricts what a foreign-registered aircraft may do inside the country. The jet that brings you from London may fly you on to a second Canadian city and then home, provided the whole trip starts outside Canada, is covered by one contract and leaves with the same passengers. It cannot be hired out for a separate domestic trip while it is there, and it cannot enter Canada empty only to carry passengers between two Canadian points. The operator confirms the rule against your itinerary.

Coming home is a flight into Britain. A General Aviation Report goes to the border authorities no earlier than 48 hours and no later than two hours before departure, with fines of £2,500 for a first landing at an aerodrome that is not a regulated one and £2,000 for each passenger carried without permission. British and Irish citizens need no electronic travel authorisation for the UK, and most other visa-free nationalities do. A leg that continues into the United States is a separate border crossing with its own advance filings, which the operator builds into the same plan.

 

passport and customs paperwork for a private jet flight

 

Which airport for which part of Canada

The arrival airport follows from one address: the hotel on Bay Street, the lodge above Lake Louise, the chalet at Whistler. These are the usual pairings:

Toronto, Niagara and Ontario
Downtown is about 20 km from Pearson and Niagara about 79 km in a straight line
Toronto Pearson
Muskoka and the cottage lakes
about 147 km north of Pearson; a turboprop covers the last 82 nautical miles
Pearson, then Muskoka
Montreal and the Laurentians
Mont-Tremblant lies about 130 km north-west of Montreal; the crossing lands at Trudeau and the drive does the rest
Montreal Trudeau
Quebec City
an airport of entry 17 km from the old town, quieter than Montreal
Quebec City
Ottawa
its own jet airport with two private terminals
Ottawa
Halifax and the Maritimes
the shortest crossing to a major Canadian city, 36 km from the centre
Halifax
Calgary, Banff and Lake Louise
Banff is 126 km west of Calgary, about 90 minutes by road, and Lake Louise a further 58 km
Calgary or Springbank
Vancouver, Whistler and the islands
Whistler is about 125 km north up the Sea to Sky Highway
Vancouver
The Okanagan
wine country, with the airport 11.5 km north-east of Kelowna
Kelowna

 

Toronto, Quebec, the Rockies and the coasts: what our clients go for

Toronto is where the business is. Bay Street holds the banks and head offices, the meetings fix the dates, and the usual party is two to eight people with a day or two on the ground. September changes the pattern, because the film festival brings studio delegations on short notice and the terminals, cars and hotels tighten at once.

Leisure from Toronto runs two ways: the Niagara peninsula, about 79 km from Pearson, and the Muskoka lakes about 147 km to the north, cottage country that fills on long summer weekends.

Quebec is French-speaking and its calendar is built on festivals. Montreal hosts the Canadian Grand Prix in early June at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on Notre Dame Island and an International Jazz Festival that runs for ten days and draws more than two million visitors. Quebec City holds its Winter Carnival for ten days from late January into February, with an ice palace and a seven-foot snowman called Bonhomme as its mascot. Mont-Tremblant, about 130 km north-west of Montreal in the Laurentians, offers 102 trails, a vertical drop of 645 m and a summit at 875 m.

Ottawa is government and diplomacy, and for two weeks in May it is tulips: more than a million, with about 300,000 along the Rideau Canal, a tradition that began with bulbs sent by the Dutch royal family after the Second World War.

Halifax opens Nova Scotia and the Maritime coast, and is the shortest crossing to any large Canadian airport.

Calgary is a business city all year and, for ten days in July, the home of the Stampede, which has run for over a century and now draws about one and a half million visitors. Banff is 126 km west of the city at around 1,400 m above sea level, inside a national park that carries UNESCO World Heritage status, with Sunshine Village, Ski Norquay and Lake Louise as its ski areas.

On the Pacific side, Vancouver is the base for Whistler, about 125 km up the Sea to Sky Highway, where snow falls from October to May and is heaviest in December and January. Victoria and the Gulf Islands lie across the water, the Okanagan vineyards around Kelowna.

 

The Canadian year: when the country is white, loud or quiet

Canada works all year, but the reasons to fly there change with the month, and so does the weather the aircraft meets:

December to March
the ski months. Whistler, Mont-Tremblant, Banff and Lake Louise are open, Quebec City holds its Winter Carnival, and any departure can wait for de-icing. Snow falls at Whistler from October to May
ski and cold
April to May
the thaw, with the Vancouver Sun Run on the third Sunday of April and tulips in Ottawa for two weeks in May
shoulder
June to August
the long-weekend summer. The Grand Prix in Montreal in early June, the Jazz Festival into early July, Pride in Toronto in the last week of June, Caribana and the Stampede in July, the Abbotsford Airshow in August and the cottage lakes full
high summer
September to November
the film festivals, TIFF in Toronto in September and VIFF in Vancouver from the end of September, and the run-in to the first snow
shoulder

The Gander stop is a winter decision

In summer the stop is a formality of about an hour. From October to April it brings snow, de-icing and the chance of a wait, so in winter we price the stop with a longer ground time, or move a party that can afford it into a nonstop Global or Gulfstream.

 

The Canadian calendar: carnival, tulips, Stampede and film festivals

The dated events are many, and each pulls on a different airport:

Late January to mid-February
The Quebec Winter Carnival, ten days with an ice palace and the Bonhomme mascot
Third Sunday of April
The Vancouver Sun Run, a 10 km road race that fills downtown and its hotels for the weekend
May
The Canadian Tulip Festival in Ottawa, two weeks of more than a million tulips in the weeks before Victoria Day
Early June
The Canadian Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on Notre Dame Island in Montreal
Late June and July
Pride Toronto in the last week of June, the Montreal Jazz Festival running ten days into early July, and Caribana in Toronto in July
July
The Calgary Stampede, ten days of rodeo, with the parade on the first Friday
August
The Abbotsford International Airshow, usually in the second weekend, and the Pacific National Exhibition at Hastings Park in Vancouver from mid-August to Labour Day
September to December
The Toronto International Film Festival in September, the Vancouver International Film Festival from late September for about two weeks, and the Whistler Film Festival for five days from the first weekend of December

Why a festival week costs more

Not the flying. The long-range fleet that can cross the Atlantic is much smaller than the Europe-only fleet, and the aircraft that suit Canada are wanted on the same days from New York and Europe. Terminal space, the good cars and crew duty hours get tight. A booking made five or six weeks ahead of the Stampede or the film festival is simpler and cheaper than one made a fortnight before.

 

business aviation

 

Flying to Canada with a dog or a cat

Canada asks for little paperwork on the way in and more on the way home. The animal sits with you in the cabin, and the crossing is long enough that most dogs sleep through it. What matters is the timing of three documents: the British export certificate before you leave, the rabies record, and the certificate for the return to Britain, which has a short life.

The two sets of papers

Going out, the animal needs a UK export health certificate for Canada, form 2923EHC, signed by an Official Veterinarian after a clinical examination within 72 hours of export. Britain is listed by Canada as a rabies-free country, which lightens the vaccination rule, and the border service inspects the animal at the first Canadian port of entry for a fee, so we agree the arrival airport with the handler beforehand. We confirm in writing which rabies paperwork your animal's age calls for.

On the way home the rule is British. Canada is a listed country of the second kind, so the animal needs a Great Britain pet health certificate issued in the ten days before travel, with a pet passport or animal health certificate not accepted, a rabies vaccination at least 21 days old and no blood test. A dog needs a tapeworm treatment from a vet between 24 and 120 hours before landing in Britain, and a cat does not. An animal without the right paperwork can be held in quarantine for up to four months.

  • A rabies certificate that meets Canadian requirements for an animal between three and eight months old; an older animal needs either that certificate or a declaration of residency;
  • No more than five animals per traveller on the way back, and a dog of a type banned in Ontario, such as a pit bull type, must not be taken into the province.

A stay of two weeks means a vet appointment in Canada for the return certificate, booked before you leave Britain. If the route uses Gander, ask the handler whether the animal may leave the aircraft there, and ask any helicopter operator, lodge and hotel separately. We also confirm in writing the entry point and the paperwork for the animal on the way back into Britain.

Requirements for cats, ferrets, birds and anything less usual are collected on our flying with pets guide, and our managers confirm the position in writing for your dates before a booking is taken.

 

private flight with animals

 

Empty Legs

An empty leg is a repositioning flight with nobody aboard, offered at a fraction of the usual price. On the Canadian run they are fewer than on a busy European corridor, because few aircraft make the crossing, but each one is a long and valuable sector.

Where Canadian empty legs come from

– A long-range jet that flew a party out to Toronto, Montreal or Calgary and returns to Britain without passengers, the commonest leg and the one most often offered;

– The days after a big week. Aircraft arrive full for the Stampede, the Grand Prix or the film festival and leave empty a day or two later.

A client who can offer a window of several 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. Whatever is free is listed on our empty legs page. A selection of Canadian empty legs follows:

Route Aircraft Capacity Whole aircraft
UK (Glasgow) - Canada (Quebec City YQB) Challenger 350 9 seats £20,350
UK (London Luton) - Canada (Halifax YHZ) Challenger 350 9 seats £20,350
Canada (Montreal YUL) - UK (Edinburgh) Global 6000 13 seats £31,850
Canada (Ottawa YOW) - UK (Birmingham) Global 6000 13 seats £34,050
UK (Manchester) - Canada (Toronto YYZ) Global 6000 13 seats £35,850
Canada (Toronto YYZ) - UK (London Farnborough) Global 6000 13 seats £37,000
UK (Aberdeen) - Canada (Vancouver YVR) Gulfstream G550 16 seats £47,150
Canada (Calgary YYC) - UK (Southampton) Gulfstream G550 16 seats £47,250

 

How to read those figures

– Each price is for the whole aircraft rather than per seat. A Global 6000 home from Toronto to Farnborough with thirteen seats comes to about £2,850 a head;

– Set each line beside the same sector in the first price table, and offer a few days of flexibility rather than a date.

 

empty legs

 

Helicopter charter

Helicopters in Canada do short, specific jobs: the ski resort from the airport, the falls from the city, the island across the strait. These are the transfers clients ask for, with the Vancouver times as published by the operators and the others estimated from the distance:

Vancouver airport to Whistler
Blackcomb Helicopters flies from the South Terminal at the airport to the Whistler heliport, with a van to the resort in the rate
about 40 min
Vancouver airport to Victoria Harbour
Helijet quotes about 30 minutes in a Sikorsky S-76, or 25 minutes to Victoria airport
about 30 min
Toronto Pearson to Niagara Falls
a straight-line distance of about 79 km, a scenic or lunch transfer on request
about 30 min
Calgary to Banff
Banff is 126 km west of Calgary by road, and landing sites in the park area need advance coordination
about 45 min

The estimated times use a cruise of about 115 knots over the distance given, so the real route can differ, and the operator confirms it for your date. Weather, wind and the load decide the rest.

Three points on Canadian rotary legs

A hotel lawn or a private property needs its landing status and the owner's consent confirmed before the quote, and Helijet notes that a destination that is not an airport or heliport can need up to 60 days for permits. Low cloud, snow and ice can ground a helicopter on a day when the jet lands without trouble, so a Whistler transfer needs a road alternative. From Montreal to Mont-Tremblant helicopter service is not routinely offered.

 

private helicopter flight

 

Flights from the UK to Canada

Farnborough, Biggin Hill, Luton and Stansted send most of the traffic on this corridor, with Southampton, Birmingham and Manchester behind them and Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen at the short end of the Atlantic; 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

 

Canadian 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.

TORONTO · THE LONG-RANGE CABIN

Six people and a week of meetings

Farnborough - Toronto Pearson, Global 6000, about 7 h 05 min · 6 pax

Wheels up at nine, on the ground at Pearson before lunch on the local clock, with the border officer meeting the party on the aircraft. The larger cabin was chosen for the luggage and the wish to work in the air.

GANDER STOP · THE SENSIBLE COMPROMISE

Four people and an hour in Newfoundland

London Luton - Toronto Pearson via Gander, Challenger 350, about 7 h 55 min plus a stop · 4 pax

A smaller party that wanted to keep the budget down. The Challenger 350 cannot plan the whole sector in one go, so the quote included a turn at Gander of about an hour. The saving over a long-range jet was real, and nobody complained about the hour.

CALGARY · STAMPEDE AND THE ROCKIES

A family for the second week of July

Southampton - Calgary, Gulfstream G550, about 8 h 45 min · 7 pax

The dates were set by the Stampede, so the booking went in six weeks ahead. After the rodeo the party drove to Banff, 126 km west, while the aircraft waited at Calgary.

QUEBEC CITY · THE WINTER CARNIVAL

Four friends and a long weekend in February

Glasgow - Quebec City, Challenger 350, about 6 h 15 min · 4 pax

The sector is short enough for a Challenger 350 to plan nonstop. They landed at an airport of entry 17 km from the old town, cleared customs there and were at the carnival the same afternoon.

WITH THE DOG · TWO CERTIFICATES

Three adults and a labrador for a ten-day stay

Edinburgh - Montreal Trudeau, Global 6000, about 6 h 05 min · 3 pax + dog

The export certificate was signed after an examination inside 72 hours of departure, and the certificate for the way home was dated inside ten days of the return flight, with the tapeworm treatment between 24 and 120 hours before landing.

EMPTY LEG · AFTER THE FILM FESTIVAL

A flexible return from Toronto

Toronto Pearson - London Farnborough, Global 6000 empty leg, about 6 h · 4 pax

The client gave us a window of four days instead of a date, and paid about £37,000, a little under half of a fresh one-way charter, for an evening departure that landed in Britain the next morning.

 

Frequently asked questions about flying to Canada

1How long does it take to fly to Canada by private jet?

About 7 hours 5 minutes from London Farnborough to Toronto on a Global 6000, around 5 hours 40 minutes to Halifax, about 8 hours 45 minutes to Calgary and about 9 hours 30 minutes to Vancouver on a Gulfstream G550. A Challenger 350 to Toronto adds a stop at Gander of about an hour.

2How much does a private jet to Canada cost?

From about £60,400 one way from London Luton to Toronto Pearson on a Challenger 350 with a stop at Gander. Halifax on the same aircraft, nonstop, is about £48,500. A nonstop Global 6000 from Farnborough to Toronto is about £88,050, and a Gulfstream G550 to Vancouver about £121,150. Toronto to Montreal inside Canada is from £5,300 on a light jet.

3Which airport do private jets use for Toronto and Montreal?

Toronto Pearson and Montreal Trudeau. Both are listed as open round the clock for private aircraft, have several private terminals and clear customs on site. The airport next to downtown Toronto, Billy Bishop, bans jets apart from medical flights, so it is for turboprops only.

4Do I need a visa or an eTA to fly to Canada?

British citizens need no visa for a visit of up to six months but do need an electronic travel authorisation, the eTA, and a valid passport to board a flight to Canada. It costs CAN$7, about £4, and is usually approved within minutes. A dual British and Canadian citizen travels on a Canadian passport and does not need an eTA. Flight crew are exempt.

5Can I take my dog or cat on a private jet to Canada?

Yes. The animal travels in the cabin with you. Going out you need a UK export health certificate for Canada signed by an Official Veterinarian after an examination within 72 hours of export, with the rabies paperwork that suits the animal's age. For the return, a Great Britain pet health certificate issued in the ten days before travel is needed, and a dog needs a tapeworm treatment from a vet between 24 and 120 hours before landing.

6Can the jet that brings me from London also fly me around Canada?

Within limits. A foreign-registered aircraft may carry you on to a second Canadian city and then home when the trip starts outside Canada, sits under one contract and leaves Canada with the same passengers. A separate domestic trip is flown by a Canadian-registered aircraft.

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