The Hefty Price Tag Upper Class People Have To Pay To Land A Private Jet

Those with the net worth necessary to own a private jet should know that the cost of actually landing a jet begins with how much it weighs. As of July 2025, New Jersey's Teterboro Airport charges a landing fee of $9.31 for every 1,000 pounds a plane weighs when fully loaded. For example, a Cessna Citation CJ3+ weighing 13,870 pounds at takeoff would incur a landing bill of about $129, whereas a Gulfstream G600, with a maximum takeoff weight of 94,600 pounds, would pay $881 to land. Meanwhile, the 737-800 Boeing Business Jet, weighing 174,200 pounds, would pay $1,622.

Van Nuys Airport, in California, offers a better deal at $6.11 per 1,000 pounds. That drops the same landing fees to about $85 for the CJ3+, $578 for the Gulfstream, and $1,064 for the Boeing. With that said, these prices are only to land, not park. At Teterboro, jets under 100,000 pounds pay $45 for the first eight hours. Heavier planes, up to 200,000 pounds, pay $70. If the plane weighs more than that, another $25 is tacked on for every extra 25,000 pounds. Overnight stays multiply your costs. The Cessna Citation CJ3+ and the Gulfstream G600 rack up $135 for a 24-hour stay, each. A Boeing Business Jet, however, costs $210, while an aircraft weighing over 500,000 pounds, like the Airbus A350-1000, pays $1,110 just to sit still for a day. These costs are in addition to the price of the jet itself and the fees for hiring a private jet pilot in America.

Missing the fine print can lead to even more charges. At Teterboro, for instance, if a pilot fails to relocate the jet as instructed, Port Authority charges $500 for the first 15 minutes, then $1,000 for every 15 minutes after that. At Dallas–Fort Worth's business terminal, flights that arrive between midnight and 5 a.m. pay $250 per hour, plus an extra 50% if the airport has to call in more staff during those hours. Noise-sensitive airports also have strict rules. After issuing a warning for the first offense, Santa Monica charges $2,000 for a second curfew or noise violation, $5,000 for a third, and $10,000 for a fourth. After that, the airport might instill a six-month ban on your jet.

Furthermore, if a private jet crosses into the U.S. from elsewhere, U.S. Customs and Border Protection requires a $35.98 annual decal to cross the border. Airports can also impose less obvious additional charges. Newark Liberty International Airport, for example, adds 13 cents to every gallon of Jet A fuel it supplies. Signature Aviation at Denver Centennial lists an infrastructure fee of $38, a lavatory service fee of $90, and ground handling fees ranging from $230 to $580. These handling fees can be waived only if the aircraft takes on a minimum amount of fuel, which is the same policy as Signature Teterboro.

Big events can similarly bring big fees for private jets. During Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas, Clark County added a "special-event" charge for every aircraft that needed landing clearance. At Henderson and North Las Vegas airports, the county charged $750 for small jets, and up to $3,000 for larger jets with wingspans over 79 feet. This fee applied regardless of the duration of the stay. But the real shock came at Signature Aviation's terminal at Harry Reid International, where a non-refundable event fee started at $2,575 and reached $14,729 for larger aircraft. Combined with the county's fee, a jet owner could have easily incurred $18,000 in fees just to be in town for the big game.

Peak-season charges can also increase the cost of landing a jet. Colorado's Aspen–Pitkin County Airport normally charges $8.59 for every 1,000 pounds an aircraft weighs, but during the busy ski season, that rate jumps by 140%. So, instead of paying $812 to land a Gulfstream G600 (which weighs 94,600 pounds), the price is instead around $1,138. Wyoming's Jackson Hole Airport handles this a bit differently. While its overnight parking fee is usually $25, during peak holiday weeks like Christmas and Presidents' Day, it bumps up to $30. While a much smaller increase, over time it can add up.