Private jets: How to hire a personal plane, cost, what you get on board and locations you can fly to

Private jets are often the mode of transport for A-list celebrities who need to get from A to B in a short space of time - although can also be hired.

Twitter’s CEO Elon Musk is known for jetting around the world in  his Gulfstream G650ER private jet, which cost a staggering $70 million (£53.47m).

The private plane hit headlines after Jack Sweeney was suspended from Musk’s social media platform after he made an account called Elonjet which tracked the Tesla owner’s private aircraft. The former Twitter user has now moved the plane tracking account over to Twitter’s new site competitor, Threads, which is fronted by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.

Teenager Sweeney, who had nearly half a million followers on his Twitter account before it was shut down, shared his first thread on the new platform, writing: “ElonJet has arrived to Threads! @zuck will I be allowed to stay?”

While Musk is attempting to keep his travels out of the public eye, many people are eager to know whether they can hire their own private jet and what the expense would be for the privilege. The Times reports that since the pandemic, one in ten departures from UK airports are now private jets as more people opt for luxury travel.

Here’s everything you need to know about private jets, including how much they cost for the average person and what destinations you can fly to.

What is a private jet?

A private jet is a personal mode of transport which can fly you from one destination to another. Travellers may choose to fly by private jet for a number of reasons, which include:

• The ability to skip long airport queues 
• Flight flexibility based on personal itineraries
• It can be more peaceful and relaxing than flying commercial 
• Travellers can save time by arriving minutes before a scheduled flight instead of hours
• Catered food can be made available on board
• Small airports can be used by private jets to avoid traffic in bigger airports
• Flying to locations not available to commercial airliners
• If you choose to charter a jet, a range of plane sizes are available depending on the number of people in your party

Which UK airports allow private jets?

Private jets can be used from a number of UK airports. According to JetApp, these airports can be used for private travel:

• Aberdeen Airport (EGPD / ABZ)
• Barrow Walney Island Airport (EGNL / BWF)
• Belfast Airport (EGAA / BFS)
• Birmingham Airport (EGBB / BHX)
• Bournemouth Airport (EGHH / BOH)
• Bristol Airport (EGGD / BRS)
• Cardiff Airport (EGFF / CWL)
• East Midlands Airport (EGNX / EMA)
• Edinburgh Airport (EGPH / EDI)
• Exeter Airport (EGTE / EXT)
• Glasgow Airport (EGPF / GLA)
• Inverness Airport (EGPE / INV)
• Leeds Airport (EGNM / LBA)
• London Biggin Hill (EGKB / BQH)
• London City Airport (EGLC / LCY)
• London Farnborough (EGLF / FAB)
• London Gatwick (EGKK / LGW)
• London Luton (EGGW / LTN)
• London Stansted (EGSS / STN)
• Manchester Airport (EGCC / MAN)
• Newcastle Airport (EGNT / NCL)
• Oxford Airport (EGTK / OXF)
• RAF Northolt Airport (EGWU / NHT)
• Southampton Airport (EGHI / SOU)

Where can you fly to on a private jet?

Travellers can fly to pretty much any destination on board a private jet, as long as there are good weather conditions, the airport has a sufficient runway, it is not a military airport and the location’s airport has no night flight regulations which prohibit take-offs and landings.

What amenities are available on a private jet?

Private jets are known for offering stylish travel for exquisite tastes. Onboard, travellers can be offered a number of amenities to ensure they have a VIP experience. These include:

• Catered menus
• Snacks and refreshments
• Newspapers
• Access to VIP lounges in airports
• Shower facilities
• Private bedrooms depending on the size of the jet

How much do private jets cost?

If you wish to hire a private jet for your next trip, the cost will depend on where you are travelling from, your destination, when you’d like to travel and how many people you’re travelling with.

According to PrivateFly, a round trip for two to Nice from London Gatwick in August on board a private jet has an estimated price of £27,750. In comparison, Easyjet, which is known for cheap commercial flights, currently has a returning flight for two to Nice priced at £209.10 at the start of next month.

However, it is slightly more cost-effective to fly on a private jet with a large group of people. If you’re planning a trip to Ibiza with seven friends at the start of August, this will cost approximately £30,210, which equates to around £5,035 each.

If you wish to fly by private jet but don’t have the money to spend on an expensive flight, you can opt in for an ‘empty leg’ flight. Each time a private jet is booked for a one way flight, an ‘empty leg’ becomes available for the return journey due to the aircraft needing to return to its initial location.

Empty leg flights are often cheaper. According to Victor, eight passengers can fly on a single flight from Farnborough Airport to Faro in Portugal from £12,789, which equates to around £1,598, at the start of August.