Private jet charter in Croatia
Croatia is a two-hour hop from a London airfield on a light jet, a little less for Istria and a little more for Dubrovnik at the far end of the coast. Private Jets UK plans Croatian charters around a country with two faces: a capital in the interior that behaves like any central European business city, and a long Adriatic shore of more than a thousand islands where the season is short, the runways are few and the parking is limited. 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 Croatia that means a summer parking slot where the airport coordinates one, a permit for the operator where the flight is a charter, and a plan for the last stretch to an island, which is usually a catamaran, a boat or a helicopter.
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 Croatia 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 Cessna Citation CJ3+ to Zagreb 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 Croatia?
Croatia keeps central European time, one hour ahead of Britain all year, so the clock on arrival runs an hour later than the flight alone suggests. These are the sectors from London Biggin Hill on a Citation CJ3+, gate to gate, with the airport that each one serves:
703 nautical miles, the top of Istria, with a runway of almost 3,000 metresabout 2 h 05 min
713 nautical miles, on the island of Krk, for Opatija and the Kvarner bayabout 2 h 05 min
747 nautical miles, the capital, with a general aviation terminal of its ownabout 2 h 10 min
783 nautical miles, the gate to the Kornati islands and the Krka and Plitvice parksabout 2 h 15 min
839 nautical miles, central Dalmatia, Hvar, Brač and Visabout 2 h 25 min
947 nautical miles, the far south, closer to Montenegro than to Zagrebabout 2 h 40 min
The sector is short, the country is long
Pula and Dubrovnik differ by only 244 nautical miles on the London run, yet on the ground they are a long day's drive from each other, which is why the choice of airport matters more here than the choice of aircraft. A light jet needs 2 hours 10 minutes to Zagreb and 2 hours 40 minutes to Dubrovnik, so a departure at eight in the morning lands before noon on the Croatian clock.
From the north the sectors lengthen. Manchester is 878 nautical miles from Zagreb against 747 from Biggin Hill, about 19 minutes more in the air, and Edinburgh is 991, nearer 35 minutes more. Neither needs a fuel stop on a Citation CJ3+.
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 Croatia
Typical private jet charter prices from Britain into Croatia, listed cheapest first. Zagreb is the anchor, since it is the gateway that takes every aircraft all year. Pula and Rijeka are cheaper on the same aircraft, and the table climbs from Zagreb with the distance and the size of the cabin:
| Route | Aircraft | Price, one way |
|---|---|---|
| London Biggin Hill - Zagreb 747 nm / 1,383 km |
Citation CJ3+ up to 7 |
from £10,450 |
| London City - Zagreb 750 nm / 1,389 km |
Phenom 300E up to 8 |
from £10,500 |
| London Gatwick - Zadar 785 nm / 1,454 km |
Phenom 300E up to 8 |
from £10,900 |
| London Farnborough - Split 865 nm / 1,602 km |
Phenom 300E up to 8 |
from £11,800 |
| London Stansted - Pula 714 nm / 1,322 km |
Citation XLS+ up to 9 |
from £12,450 |
| Southampton - Rijeka 753 nm / 1,395 km |
Citation XLS+ up to 9 |
from £13,050 |
| London Luton - Dubrovnik 976 nm / 1,808 km |
Phenom 300E up to 8 |
from £13,100 |
| Birmingham - Zagreb 837 nm / 1,550 km |
Citation XLS+ up to 9 |
from £14,250 |
| Newcastle - Zagreb 910 nm / 1,685 km |
Praetor 600 up to 9 |
from £16,150 |
| Manchester - Split 979 nm / 1,813 km |
Citation XLS+ up to 9 |
from £16,300 |
| Leeds Bradford - Dubrovnik 1,082 nm / 2,004 km |
Praetor 600 up to 9 |
from £18,750 |
| Edinburgh - Zagreb 991 nm / 1,835 km |
Challenger 350 up to 9 |
from £20,400 |
| Belfast - Split 1,132 nm / 2,096 km |
Challenger 350 up to 9 |
from £22,900 |
Two things worth knowing about these figures
– The Croatian end moves the price as much as the British one. On a Citation CJ3+ from Biggin Hill, Pula costs £9,900, Rijeka £10,050, Zagreb £10,450, Zadar £10,850, Split £11,500 and Dubrovnik £12,750. Istria is the cheapest way in from London, and Dubrovnik, about £2,300 above Zagreb on the same aircraft, the dearest;
– A quote for the coast lists the airport charges, handling and, in the summer months, the parking as separate lines. Two offers for the same airport that differ by a few hundred pounds usually differ in those lines and not in the flying, so we show them one by one.
Private jet flights within Croatia and to its neighbours
Zagreb to Zadar alone is two and a half to three hours by road, and Dubrovnik lies a long day beyond Split, so the internal sectors almost sell themselves. These are the hops we are asked for, together with the neighbouring cities that clients tack on to a Croatian trip:
| Route | Aircraft | Flight time | Price, one way |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dubrovnik - Tivat 23 nm / 43 km |
Pilatus PC-12 NGX up to 9 |
about 35 min | from £3,100 |
| Dubrovnik - Mostar 49 nm / 91 km |
Pilatus PC-12 NGX up to 9 |
about 40 min | from £3,100 |
| Zagreb - Ljubljana 76 nm / 141 km |
Pilatus PC-12 NGX up to 9 |
about 45 min | from £3,100 |
| Split - Dubrovnik 109 nm / 202 km |
Citation CJ4 Gen2 up to 8 |
about 45 min | from £5,950 |
| Zagreb - Pula 108 nm / 200 km |
Citation CJ4 Gen2 up to 8 |
about 45 min | from £5,950 |
| Zagreb - Zadar 107 nm / 198 km |
Citation CJ4 Gen2 up to 8 |
about 45 min | from £5,950 |
| Split - Pula 136 nm / 252 km |
Citation CJ4 Gen2 up to 8 |
about 50 min | from £5,950 |
| Zagreb - Split 138 nm / 256 km |
Citation CJ4 Gen2 up to 8 |
about 50 min | from £5,950 |
| Zagreb - Venice 163 nm / 302 km |
Citation CJ4 Gen2 up to 8 |
about 50 min | from £5,950 |
| Zagreb - Budapest 173 nm / 320 km |
Citation CJ4 Gen2 up to 8 |
about 55 min | from £5,950 |
| Zagreb - Belgrade 195 nm / 361 km |
Citation XLS+ up to 9 |
about 55 min | from £6,800 |
| Zagreb - Dubrovnik 222 nm / 411 km |
Citation XLS+ up to 9 |
about 1 h | from £6,800 |
Two things worth knowing about the Croatian sectors
– A British aircraft cannot fly them. Under the UK-EU trade agreement neither side may run cabotage routes inside the other's territory, so a British operator may carry passengers between Britain and Croatia but not between two Croatian airports. Zagreb to Split is flown by an EU-registered operator that holds the right to domestic traffic, and the aircraft that brought you from London usually waits empty or repositions. We name the operator for each leg;
– The neighbours fall into two groups. Ljubljana, Venice and Budapest are inside Schengen, so a hop to any of them is a flight with no passport check on arrival. Tivat in Montenegro, Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Belgrade in Serbia are outside it, with passport control at both ends, and the Dubrovnik to Tivat sector is so short that most of the time is spent on the ground.
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 Croatia:
Turboprops
The aircraft for the coast and the islands, not for the journey from London, which runs well past four hours at turboprop speed. Brač has a 1,760 metre runway and Mali Lošinj only 900.
Light jets
The class behind most London to Zagreb, Pula and Split bookings, with four to six people. Mali Lošinj and Brač are planned with light and midsize types only.
Super-midsize
Where the departures from the north settle, and where a board of eight or nine lands. A Scottish or Northern Irish run to Dubrovnik is better flown with the margin this class gives against a headwind.
Heavy jets
For a delegation, a family with staff or a team. Zagreb, Split, Dubrovnik, Pula, Zadar and Rijeka all have runways of 2,500 metres or more, so the limit is the apron space in July and August and not the concrete.
Ultra-long range
A range this long is wasted on a two-hour sector, so these are rare on the British run.
Because the domestic legs need an EU-registered aircraft, the quote for a trip that continues along the coast often names Zagreb, Venice, Ljubljana or Split as the place where the second aircraft starts.
How to book a private jet?
You can book a private jet flight to Croatia 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
-
Registration of documents. Payment of the invoice.
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Departure on the route.
Business aviation airports in Croatia
Croatia has one all-year gateway in the capital and a chain of coastal airports that fill up in summer and thin out in winter. Nine of them are designated airports of entry for flights from outside Schengen, and these are the ones that matter:
| Airport | Ground | How it operates |
|---|---|---|
| Zagreb ZAG / LDZA |
about 10 km south-east of the centre | A 3,252 metre runway with a category III approach on one end. Handling, customs, immigration and fuel are listed round the clock. The general aviation terminal on the west side has its own passport and customs point and is listed open from 07:00 to 21:00; outside those hours passengers use the main terminal, or the terminal opens on request for an hourly charge |
| Split SPU / LDSP |
Resnik, about 19 km from the city | A 2,550 metre runway. Handling is mandatory and summer slots are requested ahead, with customs and fuel round the clock and handling hours of about 06:00 to 22:00 local time. Parking is the scarce item from June to September |
| Dubrovnik DBV / LDDU |
about 13 km from the city, 20 km by road | A 3,230 metre runway, the longest in the country. Open about 06:00 to 23:00 local time in summer and 06:00 to 22:00 in winter. Summer schedules are coordinated all day and the coordination covers general aviation; the business terminal is on the east side |
| Pula PUY / LDPL |
about 6 km from the centre | A 2,946 metre runway. Operator hours in summer are about 06:00 to 22:00 local time, and beyond them the operator's approval and 24 hours' notice are needed. There is no hangar space for visiting aircraft |
| Zadar ZAD / LDZD |
about 7 km east of the city | Two runways of 2,500 and 2,000 metres, the only pair in the country, and a separate terminal for general and business aviation south of the main one. Customs sit inside the airport, hours are 06:00 to 22:00 local time and longer on request. It is also the main air force training base |
| Rijeka (Krk) RJK / LDRI |
on the island of Krk, 17 km from Rijeka station | A 2,500 metre runway with the operator, customs, immigration and fuel listed round the clock. Unscheduled flights need prior permission at least three hours ahead, and there is no de-icing |
| Brač BWK / LDSB |
about 5 km from Bol | A 1,760 by 30 metre runway that brokers list for light and midsize jets and turboprops. Operator hours are 07:00 to 13:00 in winter and set by notice in summer, with customs and handling inside them. Prior permission is needed outside those hours |
| Mali Lošinj LSZ / LDLO |
on the island of Lošinj | A 900 metre runway open to aircraft up to 27 tonnes, which in practice means turboprops and the smallest jets. Hours are set by notice, prior permission is needed 24 hours ahead outside them, and fuel comes from a bowser |
| Osijek OSI / LDOS |
Klisa, in Slavonia in the east | A runway of about 2,500 metres and an airport of entry. Handler directories list it open from 07:00 to 15:00 on weekdays only, so it suits a day trip to eastern Croatia and little else |
Four rules settle most Croatian arrivals before a quote goes out:
Summer parking before the slot
Split and Dubrovnik coordinate their summer schedules, and the Dubrovnik coordination covers general aviation on every day of the season. Brokers describe parking at the coast from June to September as very limited, and a crew can be asked to reposition to another field. We ask for the parking first and the slot second.
Hours are local and short on the small fields
Brač works 07:00 to 13:00 in winter, Osijek is listed for weekdays until 15:00, and Pula, Zadar and Split close around 22:00. A late return is planned from the closing time backwards.
Nine airports of entry
A flight from Britain must make its first landing at Dubrovnik, Mali Lošinj, Osijek, Pula, Rijeka, Brač, Split, Zagreb or Zadar. Only a flight from inside Schengen may land at any other field without customs.
The bora
A strong north-easterly wind, the bora, brings gusts and wind shear on the approach, and the airport remarks for Split, Dubrovnik, Pula, Zadar, Rijeka and Brač all warn of it. A delay for wind is a matter of safety and not of service.
Zagreb closes its terminal earlier than its airport
The airport at Zagreb runs round the clock and the general aviation terminal does not, so a late-evening arrival from London is served through the main terminal. The airport lists a way round this, opening the terminal on request for an hourly charge, and we ask for it whenever a client lands after nine at night.
Arriving from Britain: passports, permits and what to carry
Croatia is a member of the European Union and of Schengen, and Britain is in neither. A private flight from London arrives as a flight from outside the zone, so the border is cleared at the first Croatian airport you land at, and the choice of that airport is limited to a short list.
British citizens may stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa; the passport must have been issued less than ten years before arrival and be valid for at least three months after the planned departureevery passenger, children included
at the first Croatian airport, which must be one of the nine with customs and passport services; at Zagreb the general aviation terminal has a passport and customs point of its ownbefore onward travel
a first-time visitor is registered for the EU entry system with a photograph and fingerprints, free of charge, while children aged 11 or under are photographed only; hotels and rental owners register guests with the police within 48 hoursallow extra time
cash or travellers' cheques worth about £8,500 or more, a threshold the EU sets in its own currency, are declared on entry and again on departure, and each passenger signs that the flight is private and that no fare has been paidsigned before boarding
Permits, private or charter, and the way home
The Croatian civil aviation agency draws a line between two kinds of flight. A private, non-commercial flight of an aircraft registered in a Chicago Convention state needs no permit, only a written notice to the agency and a flight plan marked as private. A charter is different: the operator, which is the company that holds the air operator certificate and not the client, applies for a permit for non-scheduled services no later than three working days before one to four flights and fifteen working days before a series. An operator from outside the EU needs EASA third-country authorisation or a one-off notification, valid for up to twelve consecutive weeks and available once in 24 months. We file all of it and name the operator before you sign.
A British aircraft is also limited to the pattern UK - Croatia - UK, and may not carry passengers between two Croatian airports. 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 Croatia
The airport is nearly always decided by one address: the hotel in Hvar town, the villa above Rovinj, the office on Ban Jelačić Square. These are the usual pairings:
the capital, the head offices and the ministries; Samobor is about 24 km away, Varaždin about 80 km and an hour on the A4 motorway, and Plitvice a little under 129 km, about two and a half hoursZagreb
Rovinj is about 40 km from the airport, Poreč 52 km, and the Brijuni islands a boat ride of about 15 minutes from Fažana, which is 15 km away; Trieste is 112 km from PorečPula
Opatija is 44 km from the airport on Krk, and Lošinj has an airfield of its own that takes only light aircraftRijeka
Biograd is 21 km, Šibenik 79 km and Krka about 77 km away; Plitvice lies 120 to 135 km inland; the Kornati can be reached only by boatZadar
Trogir is a short drive from the airport, Hvar is 50 to 80 minutes by catamaran, Brač is a 50 minute ferry and Vis just over an hour by fast boatSplit
the airport is about 5 km from Bol, so the transfer is shorter than the ferry would be, but only light and midsize aircraft can use itBrač
the Old Town is 20 km from the airport, 25 to 40 minutes by car, Cavtat 18 km and Ston 55 km; Kotor in Montenegro is 90 km away and the frontier adds 30 to 90 minutesDubrovnik
Mostar is 140 km from Dubrovnik across two borders at Neum; Medjugorje is about 185 km from Split and about 25 km from MostarSplit or Dubrovnik
the plains of Slavonia in the east, which are otherwise a long drive from ZagrebOsijek
Zagreb, the coast and the islands: what our clients go for
Zagreb is where the business is. It has about 767,000 inhabitants, sits on the Sava below the Medvednica ridge and houses the government and the head offices of nearly every large Croatian company. The shortest trips we fly there are a meeting, a night and the same aircraft home, and the upper town, the lower town and Ban Jelačić Square are in the city proper, about 10 km from the airport.
The Dalmatian coast accounts for most of the rest. Split grows around Diocletian's Palace, and from its harbour the islands of Hvar, Brač and Vis are a boat ride away. Hvar is the sunniest of them, with more than 2,700 hours of sun a year, and in season the yachts fill its harbour. Trogir, a UNESCO town with two marinas, is a few minutes from the airport.
Dubrovnik is a place apart. The walled Old Town, the fortress of Lovrijenac, the island of Lokrum and the arboretum at Trsteno all appeared in Game of Thrones, and the visitors who follow that trail are numerous enough that the city caps the number of cruise ships calling in a day. Clients who come for the walls often leave for Korčula or the oysters of Ston within a day, along the Pelješac peninsula.
Istria is the quietest of these regions. Rovinj and Poreč are small towns with a Venetian or a Byzantine past, Pula has an amphitheatre about 32 metres high, and in autumn the white truffle brings the food crowd. Further north the Kvarner bay has Opatija, a Habsburg resort with a 12 kilometre seafront promenade, and Rijeka behind it.
Two national parks come up on most itineraries. Plitvice has sixteen lakes, a UNESCO listing and a ban on swimming, and Krka has waterfalls and an easy base at Skradin. Of the eight national parks and eleven nature parks in the country, the Kornati, a group of islands with no permanent residents, is the one that needs a boat and a skipper.
Yachts sit behind many of these trips. The country has 1,244 islands, islets and rocks, of which 50 are inhabited, and about 1,800 kilometres of coast. ACI Marina Dubrovnik at Komolac is about 6 km from the Old Town with 380 berths, and Marina Kornati at Biograd has 750.
The Croatian year: when the coast opens and when Zagreb takes over
Croatia has two flying seasons on one map. The coast runs from spring to autumn with a summer peak, while Zagreb works all year:
Zagreb's business calendar, Advent in the squares and skiing on Sljeme; the coast is quiet, island ferries run on winter timetables and the small airports work to short winter hourslow season on the coast
April is calm and depends on the weather, May begins to fill, and Dubrovnik and Split open up as the days lengthenshoulder
the balance between full and empty is best; the sea warms, music festivals begin and hotels are open without the August crowdsshoulder to high
demand is high in July and very high in August; airport parking at Split, Dubrovnik and Zadar is tightest, and the summer festivals fill the old townspeak
the sea is still warm and the crowds thin out; truffle weeks begin in Istria and the sailing season winds downshoulder, then low
The aircraft that brings you in August may not be able to stay
At Split and Dubrovnik the parking, not the slot, is what runs out. When a stay runs to a long weekend, the crew may be asked to reposition to another airport, with Zadar 56 nautical miles up the coast, and return for you. A weekend from Farnborough to Split on a Phenom 300E is £11,800 each way, about £23,600 for the pair of sectors, and the quote lists the repositioning as a line of its own.
The Croatian calendar: carnival, festivals and the truffle weeks
The dated events are not many, but each pulls on a different airport:
What a Croatian event does to a flight plan
The festival dates of Dubrovnik and Split land inside the summer coordination period, when the airports ask for parking before they confirm a slot. The Rijeka carnival and the truffle weeks fall in the quiet months, when the problem is the short winter hours of the small airports and not the crowds.
Flying to Croatia with a dog or a cat
A dog or cat travels in the cabin, and the paperwork is the ordinary European set with one Croatian addition: the animal must be presented at an airport that the veterinary and customs services accept. The second thing to plan is the dog's treatment before the journey home.
The one fact to read before you book
Croatia lists the airports where an animal from outside the EU may enter: Dubrovnik, Mali Lošinj, Osijek, Pula, Rijeka, Split, Zadar and Zagreb. Brač has customs, but it is not on that list, so a pet bound for Bol lands first at Split and finishes the journey by boat, helicopter or car. Customs checks cover up to five animals travelling with their owner; a larger number goes to veterinary inspection at a border post.
Two further points concern the animal itself. Pit bull terriers and their crosses that are not registered with the international kennel federation may neither enter nor stay, and other listed breeds have their own conditions. On the way home the rule is British: 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, and Croatia is not exempt. An animal without the right paperwork can be held in quarantine for up to four months.
- An ISO-standard microchip, fitted before or at the same time as the rabies vaccination and never after it;
- A rabies vaccination given when the animal was at least 12 weeks old, with at least 21 days between the vaccination and travel;
- An Animal Health Certificate from an official vet, issued no more than ten days before arrival in the EU and valid for the return as stated on the certificate. A British pet passport cannot be used;
- A written statement that the animal is not being moved for sale;
- For a dog, the tapeworm treatment described above. On a short trip the treatment can be given before leaving, as long as the dog lands back in Britain inside the same window.
Cats need the same list without the worming. We tell the handler in advance and confirm in writing which airport will receive 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. Croatia produces a steady supply, because so many coastal trips run in one direction at a time.
Where Croatian empty legs come from
– Weekend and week-long coastal stays at Split, Dubrovnik and Zadar: the aircraft flies in with the client and leaves empty, or comes out empty to collect the client on the day of the return;
– The edges of the season, when operators move aircraft between Britain and the Adriatic in May and again after the first weeks of September;
– The days around the Dubrovnik and Split summer festivals and the August holidays, when aircraft that arrived full leave 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. Whatever is free is listed on our empty legs page. A selection of Croatian empty legs follows:
| Route | Aircraft | Capacity | Whole aircraft |
|---|---|---|---|
| Croatia (Zagreb) - UK (London Biggin Hill) | Citation CJ3+ | 7 seats | £4,400 |
| UK (London Stansted) - Croatia (Split) | Phenom 300E | 8 seats | £4,900 |
| UK (Farnborough) - Croatia (Pula) | Citation XLS+ | 9 seats | £5,350 |
| Croatia (Dubrovnik) - UK (London Luton) | Phenom 300E | 8 seats | £5,500 |
| Croatia (Zadar) - UK (Southampton) | Citation XLS+ | 9 seats | £5,900 |
| UK (Manchester) - Croatia (Zagreb) | Citation XLS+ | 9 seats | £6,250 |
| Croatia (Split) - UK (Bristol) | Citation XLS+ | 9 seats | £6,550 |
| UK (Edinburgh) - Croatia (Dubrovnik) | Challenger 350 | 9 seats | £10,200 |
How to read those figures
– Each price is for the whole aircraft rather than per seat. A Challenger 350 from Edinburgh to Dubrovnik with nine aboard comes to about £1,150 a head;
– Croatian legs gather around the start and end of the summer and are thinner in winter, so an open return date helps far more here than it does on a year-round corridor.
Helicopter charter
Helicopters earn their place in Croatia because the roads are slow and the islands are far from the airports. A landing away from an airfield needs the consent of the landowner and an approved site, which the operator arranges; at Pula, for one, helicopters land on the runway and wait on the taxiway with a marshalling vehicle instead of using the apron. The usual transfers are these:
central Dalmatia to the island, in place of a catamaran of 50 to 80 minutesabout 20 min
to the beaches of south Brač, in place of a ferry of 50 minutes and a driveabout 20 min
the outermost of the central islands, in place of a fast boat of just over an hourabout 25 min
the south of the country to the island, in place of a day by road and seaabout 55 min
the capital to the lakes, in place of a drive of about two and a half hoursabout 40 min
the waterfalls from the Zadar coast, in place of a drive of about an hourabout 25 min
the lakes from the Zadar coast, in place of a drive of an hour and a halfabout 35 min
The times are straight-line estimates at a cruise of about 115 knots, and the operator confirms the route for your date.
Two points on Croatian rotary legs
Plitvice and Krka are national parks, so a landing inside the park boundary is not something we promise; the operator proposes a site outside it, and a scenic flight is agreed separately. In July and August the seats go first, so take the helicopter and the jet as one booking.
Flights from the UK to Croatia
Biggin Hill, Farnborough, Luton, Stansted and Gatwick send most of the traffic on this corridor, with London City, Southampton and Birmingham behind them and Manchester, the north-east 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 |
Croatian 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.
ZAGREB · ONE NIGHT ON THE GROUND
Two directors and a meeting in the afternoon
Biggin Hill - Zagreb and return, Citation CJ3+, about 2 h 10 min each way · 2 pax
Wheels up at eight, on the ground before noon by the Croatian clock and a meeting at three. The group went through the general aviation terminal with its own passport and customs point, and the aircraft waited on the apron for the next morning.
SPLIT · A BOAT ON THE FRIDAY
Six friends joining a charter yacht
Farnborough - Split, Phenom 300E, about 2 h 15 min · 6 pax
Parking was asked for before the slot, because a weekend in July at Split is where the apron runs out. The crew repositioned to Zadar for the weekend and flew back to collect the group on Sunday evening, and the quote carried the repositioning as its own line.
DUBROVNIK · FESTIVAL WEEK
A family of five and a villa in Cavtat
London Luton - Dubrovnik, Phenom 300E, about 2 h 30 min · 5 pax
The airport coordinates its summer schedule across the whole day, so the slot was requested through the handler and confirmed in writing. Cavtat is 18 km from the airport, and a boat took the group to a dinner on Lokrum.
PULA · TRUFFLE WEEKEND
Four guests and an October table in Istria
London Stansted - Pula, Citation XLS+, about 2 h · 4 pax
October is shoulder season, so the airport worked to its normal hours and there was no trouble over parking. A car covered the road to Motovun, and the return was booked for the Sunday early enough to clear the winter closing time of the small fields.
WITH THE DOG · A LISTED ENTRY POINT
A couple, a spaniel and a week at Opatija
Southampton - Rijeka, Citation XLS+, about 2 h 05 min · 2 pax + dog
Rijeka is on the list of airports that receive animals from outside the EU, so the dog was presented there with a certificate dated inside ten days of arrival. A vet in Opatija gave the tapeworm treatment the day before the flight home.
EMPTY LEG · END OF THE SEASON
A flexible return from Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik - London Luton, Phenom 300E empty leg, about 2 h 30 min · 3 pax
The client gave us a window of three days instead of a date, which is what makes these work, and paid about £5,500, a little under half of a fresh one-way charter on the same sector, for a Tuesday departure.
Frequently asked questions about flying to Croatia
1How long does it take to fly to Croatia by private jet?
About 2 hours 5 minutes from London to Pula, 2 hours 10 minutes to Zagreb, 2 hours 25 minutes to Split and 2 hours 40 minutes to Dubrovnik on a light jet. Croatia is one hour ahead of Britain.
2How much does a private jet to Croatia cost?
From about £10,450 one way from Biggin Hill to Zagreb on a Citation CJ3+. Pula is about £550 less and Dubrovnik about £2,300 more on the same aircraft. Domestic hops are lower, with Split to Dubrovnik from £5,950 and Zagreb to Split from £5,950, flown by an EU operator.
3Which airports do private jets use in Croatia?
Zagreb takes every aircraft type all year and has its own general aviation terminal. On the coast the main ones are Split, Dubrovnik, Pula, Zadar and Rijeka on the island of Krk, with Brač and Mali Lošinj for light aircraft and Osijek in the east. A flight from Britain must make its first landing at one of nine airports with customs and passport services: Dubrovnik, Mali Lošinj, Osijek, Pula, Rijeka, Brač, Split, Zagreb or Zadar.
4What are the passport, customs and permit rules for a private flight from Britain to Croatia?
Croatia is in the EU and Schengen, so a flight from Britain clears passport control and customs on arrival. British passport holders need no visa for up to 90 days in any 180, and the passport must have been issued within the last ten years and run three months beyond departure. A private flight needs no permit, only a notice and a flight plan marked as private, while a charter needs a permit that the operator applies for at least three working days ahead. A British aircraft may not carry passengers between two Croatian airports.
5Can I take my dog or cat on a private jet to Croatia?
Yes. The animal needs an ISO microchip fitted before or with the rabies vaccination, a rabies vaccination at least 21 days old and an Animal Health Certificate from an official vet issued within ten days of arrival. It must be presented at an airport on the Croatian list, which includes Zagreb, Split, Dubrovnik, Pula, Zadar and Rijeka. Dogs need a tapeworm treatment between 24 and 120 hours before landing back in Britain.
6How early should I book for July, August or the festival weeks?
As early as the dates are known, and in practice weeks ahead for the coast. Split and Dubrovnik coordinate their summer schedules, parking at the coastal airports is limited from June to September, and the Dubrovnik Summer Festival and the Split Summer Festival fall inside that period.