We have looked before at what we believe is a fair reflection of the ten busiest international air routes, however we also thought, having seen the reports suggesting Las Vegas McCarran International was closed to private jets in the build up to the Mayweather – Pacquiao fight because of a lack of space, that it would be interesting to look at some of the busiest airports globally for private jet travel.
1. Paris Le Bourget, France (IATA: LBG)
To the wider public, Paris Le Bourget airport – open only to general aviation – is probably best known for hosting the Paris Air Show biannually. To those who fly by private jet, however, it is better known as one of the busiest European airports for private aviation. Handling 54,971 movements (fixed wing and helicopter) in 2013, the airport has three runways and can cater for all aircraft types.
More importantly for business aviation, the airport boasts more FBO’s (private terminals) than any other general aviation airport in the world, ensuring the highest levels of comfort and efficiency that one could plausibly expect. These include:
- Advanced Air Support
- Dassault Falcon Service
- Jetex
- Landmark Aviation
- Signature Flight Support
- Unijet – Abelag
- Universal Aviation France
The airport itself is situated 11km north east of Paris, significantly closer than Paris Charles de Gaulle (IATA: CDG – 25km north east of the city) and Paris Orly (IATA: ORY – 13 km south of Paris.)
2. Teterboro Airport, New Jersey, United States (IATA: TEB)
Teterboro Airport is located only 19km’s from Midtown Manhattan – which, when you consider the huge scale of the urban area of New York City, makes it an incredibly convenient airport for those travelling to the Big Apple by private jet. The airport maintains a weight limit of 100,000 lbs per aircraft, which largely limits traffic to general aviation, as was the intention.
On top of the lack of commercial traffic, the airport also benefits from five FBO’s – second only to Paris Le Bourget on a global scale. Again, this will all but ensure that any whims and requirements on behalf of incoming or outgoing passengers are more than catered for. The FBO’s are:
- Atlantic Aviation
- Landmark Aviation
- Jet Aviation
- Meridian Teterboro
- Signature Flight Support
3. London Luton Airport, UK (IATA: LTN)
Although further from the city centre of London than both Le Bourget and Teterboro are from the cities they respectively serve, London Luton is only 2 miles from junction 10a on the M1, meaning for those arriving at Luton by private jet there is very quick access to the city centre by car. Equally, there is a train service directly from the airport to London St. Pancras station, which takes just over 30 mins.
The airport itself is the UK’s busiest for private jet traffic, despite also being an active commercial international airport. There are 3 FBO’s on site to service all general aviation traffic, allowing for all corporate or VIP passengers to transit the airport with speed and in complete comfort.
The FBO’s are:
- Harrods Aviation
- Landmark Aviation
- Signature Flight Support
4. Van Nuys Airport, Los Angeles, United States (IATA: VNY)
Of all airports solely serving general and private aviation, Van Nuys is perhaps the most well know in terms of a general awareness amongst the wider public. Situated towards the north western city limits of Los Angeles in the San Fernando valley, the airport has featured in many films and TV shows, as well as being the gateway to Hollywood for many a film star or celebrity.
With approximately 260,000 movements in 2013, Van Nuys is one of the busiest airports in the world for private aviation. There are four FBO’s on site at Van Nuys, all fully equipped to service flights into and out of the airport. These are:
- Signature Flight Support East
- Signature Flight Support West
- Castle & Cooke Aviation
- Clay Lacy Aviation
The airport is only 17km from Hollywood, or a 20 minute drive, or alternatively is a 20 minute drive to the centre of Los Angeles itself.
5. Dubai World Central / Al Maktoum International Airport, Dubai (IATA: DWC)
Those travelling by private jet to Dubai have been facing something of a conundrum over recent years; which airport to fly into.
Until 2014, the only choice was Dubai International (IATA: DXB); however, in keeping with the speed of development in the Gulf, and the emergence of Dubai as a global aviation hub connecting the far east with Europe and Africa, there are now concerted efforts underway to move all private and corporate aviation to Dubai World Central in order to ease the volume of traffic heading to Dubai International.
With four FBO’s operating at Dubai World Central, there will be no lowering of standards when it comes to the levels of luxury, pampering, efficiency and comfort that is available to those passing through the terminals. In fact, quite the opposite: with more space and less traffic, it is likely there will be less queues and delays for incoming passengers, meaning it is very plausible that those flying into Dubai World Central will be able to travel to the centre of Dubai more quickly than from Dubai International, despite being further away.
Currently, the FBO’s include:
- DC Aviation Al-Futtaim
- ExecuJet Middle East
- Jet Aviation Dubai
- JetEx Flight Support
Dubai World Centre is located 37km south west of Dubai, approximately a 30 minute drive.
Data courtesy of:
