Buying a Private Jet for Government Flights

Government and representative tasks call for aircraft with a large cabin, range and status: ultra-large jets and business liners (ACJ, BBJ, SBJ) seating 15–50 with zones for the delegation, meetings and staff. Priority goes to reliability, nonstop range and a representative level of finish. Send us a request — we'll prepare options, calculate running costs and analyse the best fit for your task.

Key are capacity for the delegation and support staff, nonstop range to the destination, a representative cabin with a meeting area and rest zone, a flight attendant and hot meals. For protocol tasks, aircraft reliability and an experienced crew matter. Cabins from super-midsize and above provide the required level. Send us a request — we'll prepare options, calculate running costs and analyse the best fit for your task.

The cost depends on the aircraft class, range and number of passengers. A large jet is from $8,000/hour, an ultra-large $8,000–12,000, a business liner $15,000–30,000. For a delegation of 15–30 on an intercontinental flight we prepare the estimate individually for the route and party. Send us a request — we'll prepare options, calculate running costs and analyse the best fit for your task.

Representative tasks use ultra-large jets (Legacy 650, Falcon 900LX) and business liners (SBJ ~$30–50M, ACJ/BBJ from $45M). The SBJ is supported in Russia and Kazakhstan. We cost the purchase and running against the mission and route map. Send us a request — we'll prepare options, calculate running costs and analyse the best fit for your task.

The standard path takes 6–10 weeks. Step 1: a letter of intent (LOI) with price and terms — 3–5 days. Step 2: a 5–10% deposit into escrow and signing of the purchase agreement. Step 3: a pre-purchase inspection — 1–3 weeks. Step 4: rectification of findings and price adjustment. Step 5: closing — simultaneous transfer of funds, title and risk, technical acceptance and ferry of the aircraft.

A pre-purchase inspection (PPI) is an independent check at a certified centre: airframe, engines, corrosion, records and compliance with airworthiness directives. It takes from 3 days on a turboprop to 2–3 weeks on a heavy jet and costs $15–100K — paid by the buyer. By market practice the seller pays to rectify airworthiness-affecting defects. A seller refusing a PPI is grounds to walk away.

The import budget depends on jurisdiction. In the EU the main items are any customs duty (most business-jet codes carry reduced or zero rates) and import VAT, which varies by country of entry (for example 19–22% in much of Europe). Registration in Aruba, San Marino or the Isle of Man under operation outside the EU allows a temporary-admission regime. We produce an exact calculation before the LOI is signed — an error here costs millions.

After purchase the aircraft must be entered into service: choose a registry (Aruba, San Marino, Isle of Man or a national one), sign a management and maintenance contract with an operator, enrol the engines on a programme (ESP/JSSI), arrange insurance, hangar and crew, and plan the first maintenance. We support all of these steps. Send us a request — we'll prepare options, calculate running costs and analyse the best fit for your task.

Before a deal we check: title and absence of liens or leases (a registry title search), the full maintenance history and airworthiness-directive records, the status of heavy maintenance checks and engine time remaining, any incident involvement, and compliance with export rules. We organise this review and an independent pre-purchase inspection before any funds move. Send us a request — we'll prepare options, calculate running costs and analyse the best fit for your task.

Running costs depend on utilisation and aircraft class. Budget for fixed and variable items:

- Crew and support staff;
- Fuel and navigation charges;
- Maintenance and insurance;
- Hangar storage and airport fees;
- Management company fee.

A light jet flying 200 hours a year typically costs from USD 700,000 annually; a long-range aircraft on the same utilisation runs into several million. We prepare a cost-of-ownership calculation for the specific aircraft before you commit, so the budget holds no surprises.