Private jet charter in Czech
A private jet from the London airfields reaches Prague in under two hours, and the clocks in Bohemia stand only one hour ahead of Britain. Private Jets UK plans a Czech trip around the programme, not around the capital's airport, because the country has five airfields where a flight from Britain can clear the border and they sit hundreds of kilometres apart: Prague in the middle, Karlovy Vary in the western spa country, Brno in the south-east, Ostrava on the Polish edge and Pardubice in the east of Bohemia. 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 the Czech Republic that service decides whether a spa guest lands minutes from the colonnade or spends two hours on the D6 motorway, and whether a trade-fair delegation arrives at the fairgrounds in Brno or in the capital 200 km away.
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 the Czech Republic 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+ nonstop to Prague 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 the Czech Republic?
Czechia keeps Central European time, one hour ahead of Britain all year, and both countries move their clocks on the same weekends, so the gap never changes. The sectors below are from British airfields to Prague unless stated, gate to gate, with the taxi and the approach included:
nonstop, 567 nautical miles with the routing allowance, the same from London Cityabout 1 h 45 min
nonstop, 585 nautical milesabout 1 h 45 min
nonstop, 669 nautical milesabout 1 h 55 min
nonstop, 786 nautical miles, the longest of the regular British departuresabout 2 h 05 min
nonstop, 513 nautical miles, the shortest way into the countryabout 1 h 35 min
nonstop, 723 nautical miles, about 20 minutes more than the capital runabout 2 h 05 min
Two hours in the air, one hour on the clock
Leave Biggin Hill at seven in the morning and the CJ3+ is on the ground at Prague at about a quarter to ten Czech time. A day trip is realistic, but the logic thins beyond Prague, because the road to Brno or Ostrava adds the hours the flight saved.
The planning sits in front of the flight. Prague is a slot-coordinated airport, the handler must be appointed before anything else, and customs and the passport check happen at the first Czech airfield you land at. We start all three on the day the request arrives.
Airline or private jet: where the aircraft earns its price
– For one traveller with a single meeting in Prague a scheduled seat is the cheaper answer. Outside the capital the scheduled choice from Britain is thin, so an airline passenger bound for the spa country or for Moravia usually lands in Prague or Vienna and finishes on a motorway;
– A private aircraft wins when the party is three or more, when the plans include two Czech cities in a day, when luggage means golf bags or skis, or when the destination is a spa hotel and the transfer is the tiring part. It lands as close to the door as the AIP allows.
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 the Czech Republic
Typical private jet prices from Britain to Prague, cheapest first. Every row is a nonstop flight to the capital. The sector is short enough for a light jet to do it comfortably, and the departure airfield changes the figure by thousands of pounds:
| Route | Aircraft | Price, one way |
|---|---|---|
| Biggin Hill - Prague 567 nm / 1,050 km, nonstop |
Citation CJ3+ up to 6 passengers |
from £8,300 |
| London City - Prague 566 nm / 1,048 km, nonstop |
Citation CJ3+ up to 6 passengers |
from £8,300 |
| London Luton - Prague 585 nm / 1,083 km, nonstop |
Citation CJ3+ up to 6 passengers |
from £8,550 |
| Farnborough - Prague 598 nm / 1,107 km, nonstop |
Phenom 300E up to 7 passengers |
from £8,750 |
| Southampton - Prague 621 nm / 1,150 km, nonstop |
Phenom 300E up to 7 passengers |
from £9,000 |
| Birmingham - Prague 641 nm / 1,187 km, nonstop |
Citation XLS+ up to 8 passengers |
from £11,400 |
| Leeds Bradford - Prague 654 nm / 1,211 km, nonstop |
Citation XLS+ up to 8 passengers |
from £11,600 |
| Manchester - Prague 669 nm / 1,239 km, nonstop |
Citation XLS+ up to 8 passengers |
from £11,800 |
| Newcastle - Prague 677 nm / 1,254 km, nonstop |
Citation XLS+ up to 8 passengers |
from £11,950 |
| Bristol - Prague 674 nm / 1,248 km, nonstop |
Praetor 600 up to 8 passengers |
from £12,550 |
| Belfast City - Prague 814 nm / 1,508 km, nonstop |
Praetor 600 up to 8 passengers |
from £14,700 |
| Edinburgh - Prague 753 nm / 1,395 km, nonstop |
Challenger 350 up to 8 passengers |
from £16,200 |
| Glasgow - Prague 786 nm / 1,456 km, nonstop |
Challenger 350 up to 8 passengers |
from £16,750 |
Two things worth knowing about these figures
– The cheapest departures are the ones in the south-east of England. Biggin Hill and London City on a Citation CJ3+ are both £8,300, Luton on the same type is £8,550, and Farnborough on a Phenom 300E is £8,750. From the Midlands and the north the pattern changes: a midsize Citation XLS+ from Birmingham is £11,400, because the hourly rate of the bigger cabin climbs faster than its speed;
– Prague is the benchmark, not always the cheapest landing. From Biggin Hill the same CJ3+ is £7,700 to Karlovy Vary, which is £600 less, against £9,000 to Pardubice, £9,600 to Brno and £10,150 to Ostrava. The quote includes the handler's fee and the landing charges, so the figure does not grow at the airport.
Private jet flights within the Czech Republic and to its neighbours
The country is compact, but its two big regional cities lie far from the capital: Brno is about 213 km from Prague and Ostrava about 291 km, and the motorway to Ostrava runs to roughly 360 km. A turboprop covers either sector in about an hour or less.
| Route | Aircraft | Flight time | Price, one way |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prague - Karlovy Vary 54 nm / 100 km |
Pilatus PC-12 NGX up to 8 passengers |
about 35 min | from £3,100 |
| Prague - Brno 115 nm / 213 km |
Pilatus PC-12 NGX up to 8 passengers |
about 45 min | from £3,100 |
| Prague - Ostrava 157 nm / 291 km |
Pilatus PC-12 NGX up to 8 passengers |
about 55 min | from £3,100 |
| Prague - Dresden 67 nm / 124 km |
Citation CJ3+ up to 6 passengers |
about 30 min | from £5,300 |
| Prague - Berlin Brandenburg 144 nm / 267 km |
Citation CJ3+ up to 6 passengers |
about 40 min | from £5,300 |
| Prague - Bratislava 171 nm / 317 km |
Citation CJ3+ up to 6 passengers |
about 45 min | from £5,300 |
| Prague - Vienna 156 nm / 289 km |
Citation CJ3+ up to 6 passengers |
about 45 min | from £5,300 |
| Prague - Munich 149 nm / 276 km |
Phenom 300E up to 7 passengers |
about 40 min | from £5,700 |
| Prague - Nuremberg 134 nm / 248 km |
Phenom 300E up to 7 passengers |
about 40 min | from £5,700 |
| Prague - Budapest 265 nm / 491 km |
Citation XLS+ up to 8 passengers |
about 1 h | from £6,800 |
| Prague - Warsaw Chopin 293 nm / 543 km |
Citation XLS+ up to 8 passengers |
about 1 h | from £6,800 |
| Prague - Zurich 287 nm / 532 km |
Citation XLS+ up to 8 passengers |
about 1 h | from £6,800 |
| Prague - Nice Cote d'Azur 502 nm / 930 km |
Praetor 600 up to 8 passengers |
about 1 h 30 min | from £9,950 |
| Prague - Dubai (DXB) 2,507 nm / 4,643 km |
Praetor 600 up to 8 passengers |
about 5 h 55 min | from £40,250 |
Two things worth knowing about these sectors
– Most of the neighbours sit inside the minimum charge. Dresden, Berlin, Vienna and Bratislava all cost the same £5,300 on a Citation CJ3+, whether the flight takes 30 min or 45 min, because the minimum, not the distance, sets the price. Prague to Karlovy Vary is only about 100 km, 35 minutes by helicopter, so the Pilatus sectors to the spa town are mostly positioning flights;
– Prague to Brno or Ostrava saves most of an afternoon, and the turboprop suits a small party with light baggage. Warsaw, Budapest and Zurich are the second ring, and Nice and Dubai the long sectors.
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 the Czech Republic:
Light jets
The class behind the price in the title. Four to six people reach Prague nonstop from the London fields in under two hours, and the same class suits Karlovy Vary, whose runway is 2,150 metres.
Midsize
The usual pick from the Midlands and the north of England, and for a party with golf bags or skis. A Citation XLS+ or a Latitude gives a standing cabin and a baggage hold that takes a week's luggage.
Super-midsize and large
For delegations, for families travelling with staff and for the northern departures from Scotland and Northern Ireland. Prague and Ostrava have runways of 3,715 and 3,511 metres, so size is a question of the stand and the slot, not of the concrete.
Heavy and ultra-long range
For ten or more passengers, or when Prague is one stop of a longer programme to the Gulf or Asia. A large cabin is checked against the Prague night rules before a figure is sent.
Turboprops
The aircraft for Prague to Brno, Ostrava or Karlovy Vary, and for the short hops to Vienna or Dresden when speed is not worth a jet's price. Not for the crossing from Britain, where a jet is faster and costs no more.
For a Czech booking the best aircraft is rarely in the Czech Republic. The nearest suitable jet may stand in Britain, in Germany or in Vienna, so the positioning leg can change the price more than the choice of model. We look at the whole map before a number is sent.
How to book a private jet?
You can book a private jet flight to the Czech Republic in 6 easy steps:
- Flight request - indicating the route and your preferences for the model of business jet and other points.
- Coordination of flight details - our consultant will contact you to offer the possible flight options and answer all your questions.
- Commercial offer - we will send you a final offer on a specific model taking into account all your wishes.
- Signing of the contract.
- Payment for the flight and booking a business jet.
- Departure at the agreed time and date. Assistance during the whole flight.
In addition to renting the private jets and arranging the flights, we provide concierge services, premium transfer, security, exclusive catering, etc. We have learned to solve problems of any complexity, offering the service of the European level. Our experts will be happy to answer your questions and help you arrange your flight.
How to rent a business jet with a crew
5 main stages:
-
Sending an application
-
Clarification of details and search for options
-
Preparation and coordination of optimal options
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Registration of documents. Payment of the invoice.
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Departure on the route.
Business aviation airports in the Czech Republic
A flight from Britain arrives from outside the Schengen area, so the first Czech landing has to be at an aerodrome with a permanent customs and passport service. The AIP names five for non-commercial traffic: Prague, Brno, Karlovy Vary, Ostrava and Pardubice, and Vodochody joins them on request. Runway data below come from the Czech AIP, and the opening times of customs and of each handler are confirmed in writing before every flight:
| Airport | Ground | How it operates |
|---|---|---|
| Prague, Václav Havel PRG / LKPR |
about 12 km west of the city centre | The gateway for a large jet and the airport for any programme in the capital. Two runways: 06/24 at 3,715 m by 45 m, with a Category II/III approach on 24, and 12/30 at 3,250 m by 45 m. Business aviation and helicopters are dispatched from Terminal 3, with Terminal 4 for state and VIP flights, and the apron used by private aircraft lies on the south side of the field. The Czech AIP lists the aerodrome, customs, handling, fuel and de-icing as available round the clock. Handling is compulsory, the general aviation agents listed are Bell Textron Prague, ABS Jets and Time Air, and hangar space is limited |
| Prague, Vodochody VOD / LKVO |
about 15 km north-west of the capital | The factory airfield of Aero Vodochody, used when Terminal 3 has no room or the meeting lies north of Prague. One runway, 10/28, of 2,500 m by 45 m, with an instrument approach to 28 and no low-visibility operations. Handling and air traffic services work by prior request, and customs for flights from outside Schengen are listed on working days or with 24 hours' notice (48 at weekends and on public holidays) |
| Brno, Tuřany BRQ / LKTB |
about 7.5 km from the main railway station, 10 km from the centre | The airport of South Moravia and the trade-fair city. One concrete runway, 09/27, of 2,650 m by 60 m, with an instrument approach to 27, listed as open round the clock. Handling is by the airport company, customs and non-Schengen handling are limited to the middle, west and east aprons, and the west apron takes wingspans up to 24 m, enough for most light and midsize jets |
| Karlovy Vary KLV / LKKV |
about 4.5 km south-east of the town, 606 m (1,989 ft) above sea level | The spa country's own field. One runway, 11/29, of 2,150 m by 30 m, with a Category I approach on 29. The airport company handles aircraft and sells Jet A1; there are no repair facilities. Its hours are short, listed as 06:00 to 17:00 UTC in summer and 07:00 to 15:00 UTC in winter, which is 08:00 to 19:00 and 08:00 to 16:00 Czech time. Customs follow the same hours, and outside them the operator needs 24 hours' notice |
| Ostrava, Leoš Janáček OSR / LKMT |
Mošnov, about 20 km south-west of the main railway station, 257 m (842 ft) above sea level | The airport of Silesia and the industrial north-east, with a longer runway than any other field here except Prague: 04/22 of 3,511 m by 63 m in concrete, with a Category III approach on 22. The AIP lists the aerodrome, customs, handling and de-icing as available round the clock, with a small hangar of the airport's own. The airport handles all flights, Eurojet is listed for private and business aircraft, and flights from outside Schengen use the central or south apron |
| Pardubice PED / LKPD |
about 4 km south-west of the town, 226 m (741 ft) above sea level | A combined military and civil field in the east of Bohemia, about 90 km east of Prague. One concrete runway, 09/27, of 2,500 m by 75 m, with a Category I approach to 27. The listed hours are daytime ones, and anything outside them is arranged 24 hours ahead. East Bohemian Airport provides handling and Jet A1, and there is no hangar for visiting aircraft |
Four rules settle most Czech arrivals before a quote goes out:
The permit: private or paid, the answer differs
A private flight by a foreign aircraft normally needs no permit from the Ministry of Transport, only a flight plan. A paid charter by a foreign operator needs the Ministry's permit, applied for at least three working days ahead (fifteen for a series of flights), and an operator from outside the European Union also needs EASA third-country authorisation.
The slot: Prague only, but Prague always
Prague is a coordinated airport, so every landing and take-off needs a slot from the airport coordinator. The AIP typically accepts general aviation requests down to an hour before the movement, but we ask days ahead in the weeks that matter. The other fields here work from their opening hours instead.
The handler: always, and chosen before the slot
Handling is compulsory at Prague. At Brno and Ostrava the airport company itself is the handling agent, and Pardubice is served by East Bohemian Airport. The handler files the general declaration and the passenger lists, orders fuel and the stand, and tells the driver which terminal to wait at.
The clock: three round-the-clock fields, one short day
Prague, Brno and Ostrava are listed with customs available at all hours, while Karlovy Vary and Pardubice are daytime fields. A late spa dinner or a festival night in Karlovy Vary has to be planned around a 16:00 winter closing, not around the table.
Night rules at Prague and the question of the stand
Prague applies a night regime that limits aircraft above 45 tonnes to an approved list and asks lighter aircraft to meet a noise category. The great majority of business jets qualify, and a large VIP airliner is checked in advance. For a heavy aircraft the better question is often the stand: Ostrava has fire and rescue cover raised to category 10 with 24 hours' notice, while Prague has little hangar space.
Arriving from Britain: passports, customs and what to carry
The Czech Republic is a full member of the Schengen area and Britain is outside it, so the border check takes place at the first Czech landing. At Prague the handler normally arranges it at Terminal 3, and at the regional airports it is done in the general aviation area.
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
a photo and fingerprints are taken at the first entry, free of charge; children aged 11 or under are not fingerprintedqueues are possible; a private terminal keeps them short
British passport holders do not need a visa for a short stay; where the EU's online ETIAS authorisation applies to a British passport on your date, we tell you before the offer, not on the apronwe check for your date
foreign guests are registered with the foreign police within three days of arrival; a hotel does it at check-in, while a private rental leaves it to the guestask the host for the form
neighbouring countries may carry out checks at their land borders, so the passport goes in the hand luggage on a drive to Dresden, Nuremberg or Viennapassport, not a photocopy
a declaration is due at customs if you carry cash or travellers' cheques worth ten thousand in the EU's own currency or more, about £8,500 at the rate we usedeclare when in doubt
Aircraft paperwork, goods and the way home
The aircraft brings its own file: a general declaration, a passenger manifest and the crew documents, all of which go to the handler before arrival. Meat and milk products cannot be brought into the EU, with narrow exceptions for baby food, medically required food and pet food.
Coming home is a flight into Britain. A General Aviation Report goes to the border authorities not earlier than 48 hours and not later than two hours before departure, and British and Irish citizens need no electronic travel authorisation, while most other nationalities do. A passenger who is not British should ask us about the visa and the authorisation for both ends of the journey.
Which airport for which part of the Czech Republic
The country is small on a map and awkward on the ground, because the motorways run mostly out from Prague like spokes. Allow more than these distances in winter:
Kutná Hora and its UNESCO ossuary are about 84 km and an hour from the capital, Plzeň is some 80 km to the west, and Český Krumlov in the south is about 170 km, two and a half hours by carPrague
the spa triangle of west Bohemia: Mariánské Lázně is 47 km and 47 minutes from Karlovy Vary, Cheb 43 km, and Prague 127 km and about two hours on the D6Karlovy Vary
Mikulov is about 40 minutes from Brno by road, the Moravian Karst 35 minutes and the battlefield of Austerlitz 25; Vienna is about 143 km and Bratislava 130 kmBrno
the Lower Vítkovice complex and the festival grounds are in the city; Katowice in Poland lies about 90 km away by roadOstrava
Pardubice is about 90 km east of Prague; Špindlerův Mlýn is about two hours from Prague by road and about 80 km from Pardubice in a straight linePardubice, or Prague for the capital
no airfield in the south has a permanent customs service for a flight from Britain, so Český Krumlov and České Budějovice are reached from Prague by road or by helicopterPrague
Prague, the spas, Moravia and the north: what our clients go for
Prague is where most of the business is, and the meeting is rarely the whole reason for the trip. The city has congress centres, the exhibition grounds at Letňany and Holešovice, an arena for 17,000 spectators that has hosted ice hockey world championships, and a calendar of music that keeps the Rudolfinum and the Municipal House full from spring.
The second reason is health, in the old sense of the word. Karlovy Vary has more than 80 springs, 16 of them for drinking, and the hottest, the Vřídlo, reaches 73.4 degrees Celsius and shoots almost 12 metres into the air. The town lives on its spa hotels, on Becherovka, Moser crystal and a film festival every summer. Mariánské Lázně, 47 minutes away, has about 100 springs, 53 of them tapped, and a guest book that includes Goethe, Chopin, Wagner, Kafka and Edward VII. Both belong to the spa towns of Europe that UNESCO has listed.
Moravia is the third. Brno, the second city, has about 404,000 residents, a hilltop fortress at Špilberk and Villa Tugendhat, the glass-walled house by Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich that is a UNESCO monument. Moravia holds about 96 percent of the country's vineyards, and south of the city lie a Liechtenstein landscape of castles and ponds at Lednice and Valtice that covers 283 square kilometres, and the Macocha abyss, 138 metres deep, in the Moravian Karst.
The north-east has a different character. Ostrava, with about 281,000 residents the third city of the country, grew on coal, which was found in the 18th century and mined until the 1990s, and on the Vítkovice ironworks. The Lower Vítkovice complex of former coke ovens and ironworks survives as a cultural site and as the ground of the Colours of Ostrava festival. Further west, Pardubice is a town of 93,000 known for its protected gingerbread, a Renaissance Green Gate with a 60 metre tower, and a steeplechase. Plzeň, 78 km from Prague, is the home of Pilsner beer, and Český Krumlov, a UNESCO town on a bend of the Vltava, has one of the largest castles in central Europe.
The Czech year: snow, spas and a long festival summer
There is no dead season in Prague, but the private-jet calendar follows the ski slopes in winter, the festivals from May, and the harvest and trade fairs in autumn:
Christmas markets in Prague from late November, the ice hockey season, and skiing in the Giant Mountains, where Špindlerův Mlýn has 26 km of downhill runs and 85 km of cross-country trailsPardubice or Prague, plus a drive
the spa season opens in Karlovy Vary in May, Prague Spring runs from mid-May to early June, Brno's fireworks competition lights the reservoir at the turn of May and June, and the MotoGP round fills the circuit in Junespring weekends and city visits
the busiest festival weeks: the Karlovy Vary film festival in early July, Colours of Ostrava in the middle of the month, and the music festival at Český Krumlov through July and Augustfestival season
the harvest festivals of Znojmo, Mikulov and Brno, the Moravian Autumn music festival, the Brno engineering fair in the autumn and the Velká pardubická on the second Sunday of Octoberautumn trade and sport
The Czech calendar: spring music, summer festivals and one famous ditch
Dated events fill an apron fastest, and most concentrate private flights on a single airport:
What a Czech peak does to a flight plan
The pinch points are the Prague Spring weeks, the film festival, the Brno motorcycle weekend and any week when a fair opens at the exhibition grounds. Slots at Prague, the short hours at Karlovy Vary and the limited stands at Brno are what we secure first, and then the hotel car. A request sent as soon as the dates are known gives the permit, the handler and the stand time to line up.
Flying to the Czech Republic with a dog or a cat
A dog or cat travels in the cabin beside you, and the paperwork has two halves: the European set for the way out and one vet appointment for the way home. The Czech Republic applies the rules of the European Union, and a pet arriving from Britain is treated as coming from a listed country, so the blood test and the three-month wait that apply to animals from unlisted countries do not come into it.
The one fact to read before you book
The animal must carry an ISO microchip, fitted before the rabies vaccination or at the same time, and a rabies vaccination given from the age of 12 weeks, with 21 days to pass before travel. A health certificate from an official vet is issued for each trip and is valid for ten days for entry. The owner signs a written declaration that the journey is not commercial, and no more than five pets may travel with one person.
Coming home is where the diary matters. A dog needs a tapeworm treatment from a vet no less than 24 and no more than 120 hours before it arrives in Great Britain, with the product, date and time entered in the document, and a cat does not. Because the window is short, we book a vet near the hotel alongside the flight and count back from the departure time.
- A microchip, fitted before the rabies vaccination or at the same time;
- A rabies vaccination at 12 weeks or later, with 21 days elapsed before travel;
- An official veterinary health certificate for each trip; a British pet passport cannot be used to enter the EU;
- For a dog on the homeward leg, the tapeworm treatment 24 to 120 hours before landing in Great Britain.
Cats need the same list without the worming. The Czech tourist board and the customs service name Prague airport as the border veterinary check for dogs and cats, and the station there is listed with weekday hours of 10:00 to 15:00, so a weekend arrival with an animal needs a written answer first. A programme that starts in Brno, Karlovy Vary or Ostrava with a dog in the cabin is raised at the quote stage, because the point of entry has to be agreed with the veterinary authority, and if it cannot be agreed the flight goes to Prague.
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. The Czech Republic feeds a steady supply of them: aircraft bring clients out and fly home empty, or fly out empty to collect a party that has finished its week.
Where Czech empty legs come from
– The spa trade: aircraft land at Karlovy Vary or Prague with guests for a long weekend, and the return leg goes unsold until the party flies home;
– The event calendar: the Brno engineering fair, the motorcycle round in June, the film festival in July and Prague Spring bring aircraft in full and send them out empty, and the reverse happens at the end of each event;
– Business trips to Prague, where a jet takes executives for a meeting and goes home in the evening or the next morning, and aircraft from Vienna, Munich or Berlin that position to Britain for a client.
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 Czech empty legs follows:
| Route | Aircraft | Capacity | Whole aircraft |
|---|---|---|---|
| Czech Republic (Karlovy Vary) - UK (London Luton) nonstop |
Citation CJ3+ | 7 seats | £3,300 |
| Czech Republic (Prague) - UK (London Biggin Hill) nonstop |
Citation CJ3+ | 7 seats | £3,500 |
| UK (London City) - Czech Republic (Prague) nonstop |
Citation CJ3+ | 7 seats | £3,500 |
| UK (Farnborough) - Czech Republic (Brno) nonstop |
Phenom 300E | 8 seats | £4,200 |
| Czech Republic (Prague) - UK (Manchester) nonstop |
Citation XLS+ | 9 seats | £4,950 |
| Czech Republic (Prague) - UK (Bristol) nonstop |
Praetor 600 | 9 seats | £5,250 |
| UK (Birmingham) - Czech Republic (Ostrava) nonstop |
Citation XLS+ | 9 seats | £5,750 |
| UK (Edinburgh) - Czech Republic (Prague) nonstop |
Challenger 350 | 9 seats | £6,800 |
How to read those figures
– Each price is for the whole aircraft rather than per seat. A Citation XLS+ from Manchester with eight aboard comes to about £600 a head.
Helicopter charter
In the Czech Republic a helicopter saves the road between the airport and the castle, the spa or the slope, not the crossing from Britain. These are our estimates for the main transfers, calculated at about 115 knots with a few minutes for the start and the landing:
the spa town, instead of two hours on the D6about 35 min
the silver-mining town with the UNESCO ossuary, against an hour by roadabout 30 min
the home of Pilsner beer, 80 km to the westabout 30 min
the main ski resort of the Giant Mountains, against about two hours by roadabout 40 min
the UNESCO town in the south, a long day trip by carabout 50 min
the heart of the Moravian wine country, 40 minutes by roadabout 20 min
These are estimates and move with the weather and the load. We confirm the aircraft, the route, the number of passengers and the baggage allowance for your date before the offer goes out.
Two points on Czech rotary legs
A helicopter that lands away from an airfield needs a site that the operator and the owner of the land have agreed, and the choice is narrow near castles and old towns. A flight into the mountains in winter depends on cloud and wind, so the helicopter and the jet are booked together, with the road transfer as the fallback.
Flights from the UK to the Czech Republic
Biggin Hill, London City, Luton and Farnborough send most of the traffic on this corridor, with Scotland and Northern Ireland at the long end; the price table higher up covers thirteen 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 |
Czech 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.
PRAGUE · A DAY IN THE CAPITAL
Two directors, one meeting and a return the same evening
Biggin Hill - Prague, Citation CJ3+, about 1 h 45 min · 2 pax
Wheels up at seven, a car waiting at Terminal 3 on landing, a late-morning meeting in the centre and lunch with the client. The aircraft was back in Kent in time for dinner.
KARLOVY VARY · THE SPA WEEKEND
A couple and a four-night stay in a spa hotel
London Luton - Karlovy Vary, Citation CJ3+, about 1 h 40 min · 2 pax
The spa town's own airfield put them minutes from the hotel instead of two hours from Prague. The return was timed for mid-afternoon, because the airfield and its customs close early in winter.
BRNO · THE ENGINEERING FAIR
Three buyers and two days at the exhibition centre
Farnborough - Brno, Phenom 300E, about 1 h 55 min · 3 pax
Brno was chosen over Prague because the fairgrounds are a short drive away, against more than 200 km from the capital. The handler cleared customs on the west apron, and the party flew home on the second evening.
PARDUBICE · THE STEEPLECHASE
Six guests for the second Sunday of October
Birmingham - Pardubice, Citation XLS+, about 2 h · 6 pax
The party landed in the town that hosts the race and drove to the course. Because the airfield works daytime hours, the return was fixed for the early evening, and the handler had the stand and fuel booked in advance.
WITH THE DOG · TAPEWORM FIRST
A couple and a labrador on a long weekend
Southampton - Prague, Phenom 300E, about 1 h 45 min · 2 pax + dog
The certificate was dated six days before departure, the dog's papers were checked at Prague airport, and a vet near the hotel gave the tapeworm treatment on the Friday afternoon, inside the window for the Sunday flight home.
EMPTY LEG · AFTER THE FESTIVAL
A flexible return to London
Ostrava - London Luton, Citation CJ3+ empty leg, about 2 h 10 min · 3 pax
The client gave us a window of two days instead of a date, which is what makes these work, and paid about £4,350, a little under half of a fresh one-way charter on the same sector, for a Monday departure.
Frequently asked questions about flying to the Czech Republic
1How long does it take to fly to the Czech Republic by private jet?
About 1 hour 45 minutes from Biggin Hill to Prague in a Citation CJ3+, about 1 hour 55 minutes from Manchester in a Citation XLS+ and about 2 hours 5 minutes from Glasgow in a Challenger 350. The Czech Republic is one hour ahead of Britain all year, so a morning departure lands before lunch local time.
2How much does a private jet to the Czech Republic cost?
From about £8,300 one way from Biggin Hill to Prague on a Citation CJ3+, the same from London City and £8,550 from Luton. A Citation XLS+ from Manchester is about £11,800 and a Challenger 350 from Glasgow about £16,750. Karlovy Vary is nearer and costs about £7,700 from Biggin Hill, while Brno is about £9,600 and Ostrava about £10,150.
3Which airports do private jets use in the Czech Republic?
Prague is the gateway for large jets, with Terminal 3 for business aviation, customs listed round the clock and compulsory handling. Brno serves South Moravia and Ostrava the north-east, both with customs on site. Karlovy Vary is the airfield for the spa towns, with daytime hours, and Pardubice serves East Bohemia. Vodochody is a private field north-west of Prague that works by prior request.
4What are the passport and customs rules for a private flight from Britain to the Czech Republic?
British citizens may stay up to 90 days in any 180 without a visa, and the passport must be less than ten years old on arrival and valid for three months after departure. Photos and fingerprints are taken under the Entry/Exit System. The first Czech landing must be at an airfield with a permanent customs and passport service, such as Prague, Brno, Ostrava, Karlovy Vary or Pardubice. A paid charter by a foreign operator needs a Ministry permit, a private flight normally does not, and we confirm which case applies.
5Can I take my dog or cat on a private jet to the Czech Republic?
Yes. The animal needs a microchip, a rabies vaccination given from 12 weeks and valid after 21 days, an official health certificate issued within ten days before entry and a written declaration of a non-commercial journey. A dog coming home needs a tapeworm treatment 24 to 120 hours before it lands in Great Britain, so we book a vet for the day before the flight. We confirm in writing which airport receives the animal.
6How early should I book a private jet to the Czech Republic?
As soon as the dates are known, and at least a few working days ahead for a Prague slot and, for a paid charter by a foreign operator, the three working days the Ministry asks for. Prague Spring, the Karlovy Vary film festival, the Brno motorcycle weekend and the autumn trade fairs fill the aprons first, and Karlovy Vary and Pardubice close in the afternoon or evening.