Private jet charter in Hungary
From London, Budapest is a flight of about two hours, and Private Jets UK builds most Hungarian charters around that short hop: the capital for business, Lake Balaton for the summer, and a handful of regional fields for the spa towns and the factories. 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. For 15 years of successful work, we have established partnerships with the world's largest airlines and VIP terminals, which means we can offer you the most favorable 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. The aircraft we put on Hungarian routes start mostly from the London airfields, and when a short-notice trip is cheaper to cover from Vienna, we position a jet from there instead.
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 Hungary 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 based on the following data: departure from London Biggin Hill Airport, a Citation M2, two passengers. 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 Hungary?
Hungary is one hour ahead of Britain, so the clock on arrival reads later than the flight time suggests. These are the sectors from London, gate to gate, measured from Biggin Hill:
695 nautical miles to the nearest large field to Budapest, and the usual fallback in a congested weekabout 1 h 55 min
757 nautical miles to the field for the western end of Lake Balaton and the spa town of Hévízabout 2 h 05 min
816 nautical miles into Liszt Ferenc, sixteen kilometres from the centre of the cityabout 2 h 10 min
819 nautical miles to a short-runway field in the south that needs notice for a flight from Britainabout 2 h 10 min
905 nautical miles to the east of the country, where the car and battery plants areabout 2 h 25 min
A day return to Budapest is possible, but it is a long day
The sector is about 2 h 10 min each way, which is longer than most European business hops. Add the hour lost to the time difference and a morning departure from Britain lands at about ten o'clock local time. A same-day return leaves a working day on the ground and roughly four and a half hours in the air, and we recommend it for one meeting, not two. For anything more, plan the night.
From the north the sector grows. Manchester sits 929 nautical miles from Budapest against 816 from Biggin Hill, which is a quarter of an hour, and Edinburgh 1018, which is nearer half an hour. On those departures a full cabin of six or seven starts to favour the midsize class over a light jet, because the margin for headwind on a winter sector gets thinner.
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 Hungary
Typical private jet charter prices from Britain into Hungary, listed cheapest first. The aircraft class climbs with the distance, and the Hungarian airport you pick moves the price almost as much as the British one:
| Route | Aircraft | Price, one way |
|---|---|---|
| London Biggin Hill - Hévíz-Balaton 757 nm / 1,402 km |
Citation M2 up to 7 |
from £9,850 |
| London Biggin Hill - Budapest 816 nm / 1,511 km |
Citation M2 up to 7 |
from £10,500 |
| London Stansted - Budapest 815 nm / 1,509 km |
Citation CJ3+ up to 7 |
from £11,200 |
| London Luton - Budapest 837 nm / 1,550 km |
Phenom 300E up to 8 |
from £11,500 |
| London Farnborough - Budapest 846 nm / 1,567 km |
Citation CJ3+ up to 7 |
from £11,600 |
| Southampton - Budapest 866 nm / 1,604 km |
Phenom 300E up to 8 |
from £11,850 |
| Birmingham - Budapest 896 nm / 1,659 km |
Phenom 300E up to 8 |
from £12,150 |
| Leeds Bradford - Budapest 916 nm / 1,696 km |
Citation XLS+ up to 9 |
from £15,400 |
| Bristol - Budapest 922 nm / 1,708 km |
Citation XLS+ up to 9 |
from £15,450 |
| London Luton - Debrecen 925 nm / 1,713 km |
Citation XLS+ up to 9 |
from £15,500 |
| Manchester - Budapest 929 nm / 1,721 km |
Citation XLS+ up to 9 |
from £15,550 |
| Newcastle - Budapest 941 nm / 1,743 km |
Praetor 600 up to 9 |
from £16,600 |
| Cardiff - Budapest 947 nm / 1,754 km |
Praetor 600 up to 9 |
from £16,700 |
| Edinburgh - Budapest 1018 nm / 1,885 km |
Challenger 350 up to 9 |
from £20,900 |
| Glasgow - Budapest 1051 nm / 1,946 km |
Challenger 350 up to 9 |
from £21,500 |
| Belfast - Budapest 1076 nm / 1,993 km |
Challenger 605 up to 12 |
from £23,850 |
Two things worth knowing about these figures
– The Hungarian end matters. Hévíz-Balaton is 59 nautical miles closer to Biggin Hill than Budapest, and Debrecen is 89 further, so the same light jet is priced about £650 lower into the lake and noticeably higher into the east. Where the meeting is decides the airport, and the airport sets the invoice;
– Business traffic keeps Budapest steady through most of the year. The jumps come with dated events, the Grand Prix weekend and the August festival week above all, when the same aircraft costs more and is harder to find at any price.
Private jet flights within Hungary and to its neighbours
Hungary is a small country, and for most distances a jet is not the sensible way to cross it. What we do fly are the short sectors that save a long drive, and the hops to Vienna and Bratislava for clients whose trip does not stop at the border:
| Route | Aircraft | Flight time | Price, one way |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budapest - Bratislava 97 nm / 180 km |
Pilatus PC-12 NGX up to 9 |
about 45 min | from £3,100 |
| Budapest - Győr-Pér 62 nm / 115 km |
Pilatus PC-12 NGX up to 9 |
about 35 min | from £3,100 |
| Budapest - Debrecen 99 nm / 183 km |
Citation CJ3+ up to 7 |
about 35 min | from £5,300 |
| Budapest - Hévíz-Balaton 101 nm / 187 km |
Citation CJ3+ up to 7 |
about 35 min | from £5,300 |
| Budapest - Pécs-Pogány 101 nm / 187 km |
Citation CJ3+ up to 7 |
about 35 min | from £5,300 |
| Budapest - Vienna 120 nm / 222 km |
Phenom 300E up to 8 |
about 35 min | from £5,700 |
| Vienna - Hévíz-Balaton 92 nm / 170 km |
Phenom 300E up to 8 |
about 35 min | from £5,700 |
| Debrecen - Hévíz-Balaton 196 nm / 363 km |
Citation XLS+ up to 9 |
about 50 min | from £6,800 |
| Vienna - Debrecen 215 nm / 398 km |
Citation XLS+ up to 9 |
about 50 min | from £6,800 |
Two things worth knowing about the short sectors
– The jet earns its place where the road is long. Budapest to Hévíz and Keszthely is about 190 kilometres of motorway and country road, roughly two hours by car, against about 35 min in the air and twelve kilometres from the field to Hévíz. Budapest to Győr or Bratislava, by contrast, is a drive a car handles well, and we say so when a client asks us to quote it;
– Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest are all inside Schengen, so a hop between them is a domestic-style leg with no passport check on arrival in the usual case. The border post is used once, at the first airport the aircraft reaches from Britain, and the passengers carry on from there.
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:
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
Turboprops
Worth having for the short sectors between Budapest, Vienna, Bratislava and the regional fields. From London they are not an option: at turboprop speed the sector to Budapest runs past three hours.
Light jets
The class that carries most London to Budapest bookings, with six or seven people and the luggage of a two-night trip. We leave the very light jets out on purpose, because a sector of over two hours with bags is a tight fit for four seats.
Super-midsize
Where the departures from the north settle, and where a board of eight or nine lands whatever the sector. There is room to stand and work for two and a half hours, which is what the Scottish and Irish legs ask for.
Heavy jets
For a delegation, a team or a family travelling with staff. Budapest has two runways of well over three kilometres, so no aircraft in this class is turned away by the field, only by the parking.
Ultra-long range
A range this long is wasted on a two-hour sector, so these are rare on the British run. At Budapest one is usually on its way from the Gulf, Asia or across the Atlantic.
How to book a private jet?
You can book a private jet flight in Hungary 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. For over 15 years of experience in business aviation, 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 Hungary
One airport carries the country. Budapest takes nearly every booking, and the regional fields each have a narrow use and narrower opening hours, which is why the table below is as much about hours and border posts as it is about runways:
| Airport | Ground | How it operates |
|---|---|---|
| Budapest Liszt Ferenc BUD / LHBP |
16 km, about 30 min to the centre | The one Hungarian field that takes every aircraft and works all night. Customs, immigration, handling and fuelling are staffed round the clock, two parallel runways of 3,707 and 3,009 metres carry anything we fly, and the handler works from the general aviation terminal at Terminal 1. Almost every Hungarian booking lands here |
| Hévíz-Balaton (Sármellék) SOB / LHSM |
12 km to Hévíz, 16 km to Keszthely | The field for the western end of Lake Balaton and the thermal lake at Hévíz, with a 2,500 metre runway, an instrument approach and Jet A1. It is staffed in office hours only and the border post keeps those hours, so the schedule has to be built around the field |
| Debrecen DEB / LHDC |
5 km to the city centre | The airport for the east of the country and the car and battery plants around Debrecen. A 2,500 metre runway with an instrument approach; customs and handling follow opening hours that vary by day of the week |
| Győr-Pér QGY / LHPR |
15 km to Győr | A 2,030 metre runway with an instrument approach, serving Győr and the Audi engine works. A flight from outside the EU and Schengen needs permission at least 24 hours ahead, and that includes a flight from Britain |
| Pécs-Pogány PEV / LHPP |
9 km to Pécs | A 1,500 metre runway, so light jets and some midsize types only. A flight from outside Schengen needs three working days of notice for customs, which makes it a planned destination and never a diversion |
| Vienna VIE / LOWW |
18 km to central Vienna, about 216 km from Budapest by road | Not a Hungarian airport, but the usual neighbour: two runways of 3,500 and 3,600 metres and a business aviation terminal where Jet Aviation runs the FBO round the clock. We use it when Budapest is full or the trip includes Austria |
| Bratislava BTS / LZIB |
9 km to the centre, about an hour from Vienna by car | A general aviation terminal open round the clock with its own passport and customs control, a 3,190 metre runway and a separate slot desk for private flights. For Győr and the western border it is the nearer field |
Budapest takes almost every booking, but the regional fields and the border set their own terms:
Budapest: open all night, with a quota
Budapest never closes, but commercial movements across the night window are capped at fifty, and only six may fall in the deepest hours around midnight. A landing after eleven is checked against the quota before the schedule is fixed, and a late departure after a delay is not guaranteed a place. We plan evening returns with a margin.
Regional fields: notice and hours
Pécs needs three working days of notice for customs, and Győr permission at least 24 hours ahead. Hévíz-Balaton and Debrecen keep customs to opening hours, and Hévíz-Balaton opens outside them only on request, for roughly £250 an hour. Name the field when you first ask for a price.
Budapest: handler, terminal and fuel
Handling is mandatory and runs from the general aviation terminal, with a private lounge, a crew room and a ramp car to the aircraft. An international turnaround takes about 25 minutes. There are no fuel trucks reserved for general aviation, so uplift can wait half an hour, and one to two hours at peak.
Border and entry
Hungary is in Schengen, so a flight from Britain clears passports and customs at the terminal, staffed day and night at Budapest. A first entry may involve a photograph and fingerprints at a booth, so allow extra time. Cash of about £8,500 or more must be declared. Anyone travelling with sporting guns tells us at the quote stage.
Slots and permits at Budapest are confirmed per date, so in event weeks we ask early. A British passport needs no visa for up to 90 days in any 180, but it must have been issued within the last ten years and run three months past departure.
Which airport for which part of Hungary
Because the country is small and the interests are scattered, the arrival airport on a Hungarian booking is usually settled by a single address. These are the pairings behind most of our Hungarian private jet bookings:
the ministries, the banks and the hotels on both banks, all within about half an hour of the terminalBudapest Liszt Ferenc, 16 km
at Mogyoród, on the northeastern edge of the city, 30 to 45 minutes from the airport in a normal week and a good deal longer in race weekBudapest
the spa lake and the western shore, 12 km from the runway at Sármellék against about 190 km from BudapestHévíz-Balaton
about 105 km and 130 km from Budapest by road, or about 40 minutes by helicopterBudapest, then road or rotor
the BMW works and the CATL battery plant, with the field only 5 km from the cityDebrecen
Bratislava is about 63 km from Győr in a straight line and Budapest about 124 kmGyőr-Pér or Bratislava
a short runway and notice for customs, so it is booked early and with the right aircraftPécs-Pogány
for a trip that takes in both capitals, and the fallback when Budapest is fullVienna
The capital, the baths and the lake: what our clients go for
Budapest is the reason most people book. It produces close to 40 per cent of the national output, the headquarters of MOL, OTP Bank and Gedeon Richter are in the city, and pharmaceutical, software and congress business fills the rest of the week. Outside the capital the work is industrial. Audi builds engines at Győr, Mercedes-Benz assembles cars at Kecskemét, and BMW and CATL have plants at Debrecen. Those sites produce one kind of trip above all others: a day on the ground and out again the same evening.
The other half of the market is water. Budapest sits on more than a hundred medicinal springs, and its bathing goes back to Roman times. The Széchenyi bath in City Park opened over a century ago and has eighteen pools, three outdoors and fifteen under cover, fed by springs of 74 and 77 degrees; Rudas and Király are two more of the capital's baths. Further west, Hévíz is described as the largest thermal lake in Europe and stays at or above 24 degrees on the coldest winter day, so unlike the rest of the Balaton it is a destination all year round.
Lake Balaton itself is the largest lake in central Europe, about 78 kilometres long and up to 14 wide, and shallow enough, at an average of 3.3 metres, to warm quickly. Swimming runs from May to September, with lifeguards from mid-June to the end of August. Siófok, Balatonfüred and Keszthely are the main resorts, the northern shore around Badacsony is wine country with the harvest in September and October, and outside the summer most of the tourist facilities close. For a jet the geography is the awkward part: the main resorts lie 105 to 130 kilometres from Budapest and Keszthely about 190, so the choice is Budapest and a drive or a helicopter, or Hévíz-Balaton and a short drive.
The Hungaroring weekend, Sziget and the other dates that fill the ramp
Hungary has a short and sharp calendar. Two events dominate it, the Grand Prix and a week-long festival on a Danube island, and both fall in late summer, when the Balaton is already full:
The Grand Prix weekend is the date to book early
Budapest is the main airport for the race, and the field does not stretch to fit it. Overnight parking for a business jet is normally approved on request, but approval is not automatic in race week. Hangar space for a visiting aircraft is generally not available. About half the general aviation stands need a pushback, which the handler provides. Fuel is the pinch point: with no trucks reserved for general aviation, uplift takes about half an hour in an ordinary week and can take one to two hours when the field is full.
Where parking cannot be approved, the aircraft puts the passengers down and positions to Vienna or Bratislava to wait, which costs two extra short sectors and needs planning in advance. The road from the airport to the circuit is a drive of 30 to 45 minutes in a normal week and longer in race week, so a car with a driver is booked with the flight. A helicopter transfer between the airport and the track is sometimes possible, but capacity is limited and demand is high, and it has to be held weeks ahead.
Flying to Hungary with a dog or a cat
Hungary is an easy destination for an animal, and a private jet makes it easier: about two hours on the cabin floor beside the owner, with no hold and no weight limit. The paperwork is the ordinary European set. The one date to plan is the dog's treatment before the journey home.
The one fact to read before you book
A dog or cat travelling from Britain on the standard route is not asked for a rabies blood test, and what Hungary does require is an Animal Health Certificate from an official vet in Britain, issued within ten days of arriving in the EU. The certificate also covers the return to Britain, but only for that one trip, so a second trip needs a second certificate. Hungary itself does not ask for a tapeworm treatment on the way in. Britain does on the way back: a dog must be treated no less than 24 hours and no more than five days before landing, and the vet records the date and the product. On a three-night trip that window is tight, so we book the Budapest appointment with the flight.
An animal that arrives in Britain without the right paperwork can be held in quarantine for up to four months, so the return treatment is the item we check last and most carefully.
- 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 full days between the first vaccination and travel;
- An Animal Health Certificate from an official vet, issued no more than ten days before arrival in the EU;
- Up to five animals per owner on a journey that is not commercial;
- For a dog, tapeworm treatment between 24 hours and five days before landing back in Britain.
Cats need the same list without the worming. Hungary keeps strict customs rules on pets, so we tell the handler in advance that an animal is on board. The sector from London is short enough that most dogs sleep through it.
not on the field; we book a practice in Budapest, or near Hévíz for a lake trip, for the return treatment and the paperworknot on the field
depending on whether the animal is heading for the lake, the capital or the east2 h 05 min to 2 h 25 min
hot in July and August, cold in winter, when the aircraft is de-iced on its standplan the season
one certificate for one trip, out and back; a client who visits every few weeks needs a fresh one each timeone trip
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
Another way to fly cheaper is to use Empty Legs. This service allows you to save on regular charter rates. As you know, part of the flights is one-way (for example, when the passenger flies from England to Hungary). After the flight, the jet returns to its home base (for example, to London Farnborough airport) empty. Such flight is called "Empty Legs". Empty leg flights can be as cheap as 50-75% off the standard charter price. This option is profitable for both the passengers and the charter companies. The clients can enjoy the services of business aviation at a very good price, while the airlines recoup part of the cost of fuel and jet maintenance.
It is almost impossible to find Empty Leg flights, as the information about them is stored in special databases available only to the aviation brokers and specialized companies. You should know that Empty Leg flights offer the same service as private jet charters. The passengers enjoy a 100% private jet flying experience. Services and flight conditions are discussed individually. We should note that our company cooperates with the world's largest home bases, so we can offer our clients a wide choice of return flights. Just send a request to our manager who will help you find the best flight options. Please note that Empty Leg flights are sold out very quickly. To avoid such a problem, you can leave us a deposit, and we will contact you as soon as the flight of your choice becomes available. For additional information, check with the operators.
A selection of the empty legs that run on the Hungarian routes. Dates are left off, since a leg lasts only until somebody claims it:
| Route | Aircraft | Capacity | Whole aircraft |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hungary (Budapest) - UK (London Biggin Hill) | Cessna Citation M2 | 7 seats | £4,400 |
| UK (London Luton) - Hungary (Budapest) | Phenom 300E | 8 seats | £4,850 |
| Hungary (Hévíz-Balaton) - UK (London Stansted) | Cessna Citation M2 | 7 seats | £4,150 |
| UK (Birmingham) - Hungary (Budapest) | Phenom 300E | 8 seats | £5,100 |
| Hungary (Debrecen) - UK (London Luton) | Citation XLS+ | 9 seats | £6,500 |
| UK (Manchester) - Hungary (Budapest) | Citation XLS+ | 9 seats | £6,550 |
| Hungary (Budapest) - UK (Edinburgh) | Challenger 350 | 9 seats | £8,800 |
| UK (Belfast) - Hungary (Budapest) | Challenger 605 | 12 seats | £10,000 |
How to read those figures
– Each price is for the whole aircraft rather than per seat. A Challenger 350 out of Budapest to Edinburgh at £8,800 carrying nine works out at under £1,000 a head;
– Set each line beside the same class in the tables above. A Citation XLS+ into Budapest from Manchester at £6,550, against £15,550 for a fresh charter on the same sector, is the saving in plain terms;
– Hungarian legs are less regular than on a busy corridor to Germany or Italy, and they cluster after the big dates. Aircraft that went out full for the Grand Prix or the festival week tend to come back empty. A client who can leave the return date open sees far more of them than one who cannot.
Helicopter charter
Budapest airport has no helipad. Helicopters use the runways and are escorted on the apron, and Hévíz-Balaton lists no landing area for them either, so the link between a jet and a helicopter is planned as a transfer, not as a step across the stand. In Hungary the work is short, and mostly about the lake and the track:
the Grand Prix shuttle, when the road from the airport takes 30 to 45 minutes or longerabout 15 minutes
the south shore of the lake, about 105 km by roadabout 40 minutes
the resorts of the north shore and the peninsula, about 130 km by roadabout 40 minutes
the thermal lake, about 190 km by road and two hours behind the wheelabout 55 minutes
the industrial west and the Audi works, a hop in place of a driveabout 40 minutes
The times are straight-line estimates at a cruise of about 115 knots, and the operator confirms the route and the figure for your date.
The machines that work these routes
– Airbus H125, the light single behind most short transfers, comfortable over land and our second choice over the lake;
– Airbus H135 and H145, the twins we prefer for any transfer that crosses water, such as a hop between two Balaton resorts;
– Airbus H130 for a group of six where the leg is long enough that cabin noise starts to matter.
Two points on Hungarian rotary legs
– At Budapest the helicopter is treated as a runway movement, so the airport's rotary capacity is small and goes first in event weeks. For the race, hold the helicopter weeks ahead, before the aircraft;
– A landing at a hotel, a vineyard or a country house away from an airfield needs a landing site agreed in advance, and the Balaton is no exception, so a lakeside arrival is arranged days ahead and never on the day.
Flights from the UK to Hungary
The most popular routes run from London, Manchester, Edinburgh and Belfast to Budapest. However, this is only a small part of the flights operated by our company. 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 Bradford 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 |
Hungarian charters from the booking notes: six typical trips
What a Hungarian quote looks like once it becomes a flight. Six typical jobs, put together from booking notes with the particulars changed, so none of them describes one named client or one date.
DAY TRIP · LONG BUT POSSIBLE
Two directors and one afternoon meeting
Biggin Hill - Budapest and return, Citation M2, about 2 h 10 min each way · 2 pax
Wheels up at seven, on the ground at about ten local time after the hour lost to the time difference, a car at the terminal within minutes and a meeting that ran from noon to four. Back at Biggin Hill in the early evening. It worked because the aircraft waited at Budapest rather than repositioning, which is a real line in the quote and still came in below two separate one-way charters.
GRAND PRIX · THE FUEL WAS THE DELAY
A group of six and a Monday-morning departure
Farnborough - Budapest, Challenger 350, about 2 h 15 min · 6 pax
The jet was never the difficulty. The ground was. Parking was approved only after several requests, the fuel truck took well over an hour, and the crew hotel cost more than anyone had planned for. They left late but inside the night rules, because an hour of margin had been built into the return. Booked earlier, the aircraft would have fuelled on arrival and left on time.
BALATON · THE OTHER AIRPORT WON
A family and two grandparents for a week at Hévíz
London Luton - Hévíz-Balaton, Phenom 300E, about 2 h 05 min · 5 pax
They had asked for Budapest, the better-known airport, on the reasonable assumption that the lake was a short drive from it. It is about two hours. Sármellék is twelve kilometres from Hévíz. Same aircraft, a lower price and the better part of two hours saved at each end. The one condition was the opening hours of the field, so the arrival moved to the afternoon and the border post was staffed when they landed.
DEBRECEN · A PLANT VISIT
Four engineers, one site and a short day
London Luton - Debrecen, Citation XLS+, about 2 h 25 min · 4 pax + equipment
The site was five kilometres from the airport, and the whole difficulty was the border post, which keeps the airport's opening hours. We planned the arrival inside them and agreed the return time at the quote stage, not on the day. The XLS+ rather than a light jet was a baggage decision, since the equipment cases took the hold.
WITH THE DOG · THE TREATMENT WINDOW
A couple, a labrador and three nights in Budapest
Bristol - Budapest, Citation XLS+, about 2 h 25 min · 2 pax + dog
The paperwork out was a single certificate. The part that needed planning was the way home: the tapeworm treatment had to fall between 24 hours and five days before landing in Britain, so we booked a vet in the city for the second morning, well inside the window, and the treatment went into the certificate.
EMPTY LEG · AFTER THE RACE
A flexible return on a Monday
Budapest - London Luton, Phenom 300E empty leg, about 2 h 15 min · 3 pax
Aircraft that go out full for the Grand Prix weekend tend to come back empty. The client gave us a window of three days instead of a date, which is what makes these work, and paid a little under half of a fresh one-way charter for a Monday departure.
Frequently asked questions about flying to Hungary
1How long does it take to fly to Hungary by private jet?
About two hours and ten minutes from London to Budapest, five minutes less to Hévíz-Balaton for Lake Balaton and a quarter of an hour more to Debrecen in the east. From Manchester add about fifteen minutes and from Edinburgh nearer half an hour. Hungary is one hour ahead of Britain, so the clock on arrival reads later than the flight time suggests.
2How much does a private jet to Hungary cost?
From about £10,500 one way from Biggin Hill to Budapest on a light jet, and £9,850 to Hévíz-Balaton for Lake Balaton. Manchester to Budapest on a Citation XLS+ starts around £15,550 and Edinburgh on a Challenger 350 around £20,900. Short sectors are far lower: Budapest to Vienna starts at £5,700.
3Which airports do private jets use in Hungary?
Budapest Liszt Ferenc takes almost every booking and is open round the clock. The regional fields are Hévíz-Balaton for west Lake Balaton, Debrecen in the east, Győr-Pér in the northwest and Pécs-Pogány in the south, each with its own opening hours and its own notice for customs on a flight from outside Schengen. Vienna and Bratislava are the usual neighbours when Budapest is full or the trip crosses the border.
4What are the passport and customs rules for a private flight from Britain to Hungary?
Hungary is in the EU and Schengen, so a flight from Britain clears passport control and customs on arrival, at the terminal. 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 first entry may involve registering a photograph and fingerprints, so the handler allows extra time. Cash worth about £8,500 or more must be declared.
5Can I take my dog or cat on a private jet to Hungary?
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 arriving in the EU. Dogs need a tapeworm treatment between 24 hours and five days before landing back in Britain, which we book with a vet in Budapest. There is no weight limit and no hold.
6When should I book for the Hungarian Grand Prix or the Sziget festival?
As early as the dates are public, and in practice weeks ahead for the race. The Grand Prix usually falls in late July or early August and Sziget in August. Budapest has no hangar space for a visiting aircraft, parking approval is not automatic in race week and fuel can take one to two hours, so we plan the ground side before the flight.