Private jet from Teterboro to Nassau, Bahamas: times, prices, entry and the return

What goes into the price

Nassau is a two-and-a-half-hour flight, so the hours flown are the largest part of the bill.

Flight time. The operator’s hourly rate for about 2.5 hours each way.

Positioning. If you stay a few days, the aircraft either waits or flies home empty and comes back. A one-way trip often includes the empty return, so it costs close to a round trip.

International taxes. A flight to the Bahamas is international, so the 7.5% excise tax doesn’t apply to it. The US international arrival and departure tax does: $23.40 per passenger for each US departure and arrival in 2026.

Bahamian charges. Bahamas Customs lists a departure tax of $29 per passenger on private aircraft. Landing, handling and parking at Nassau are quoted per trip, and we could not find a published schedule for charter aircraft.

Crew costs. If the aircraft waits in Nassau, there are crew hotel and per diem costs.

What makes this route cheaper or more expensive

Aircraft size. A light jet is the least expensive aircraft that flies the route comfortably, and a larger jet adds hourly cost for only a few minutes saved.

Length of stay. For a weekend, the aircraft usually waits. For a week, it usually flies home and returns.

Peak dates. Holiday weeks and school breaks are when aircraft are scarcest. Ask for a quote early for those.

Empty legs to and from Nassau

Nassau is close enough to Florida and the Northeast that aircraft often reposition through it. We have no published data on how often. Charter Jet One’s figure for the discount is up to 75%.

An illustrative example: a midsize jet brings a family to Nassau on a Friday and returns empty on Sunday morning. A traveller who needs to come back then could fly it for less. It shows how an empty leg arises. It isn’t a flight on offer, and it runs on the operator’s timing.

Departing from Teterboro

Teterboro is about 12 miles from Midtown, roughly 22 minutes in free-flow traffic. Its runways are 6,997 and 6,014 feet. For this trip the airport’s rules matter little: the aircraft is well under the 100,000-pound limit and the flight is short. The airport asks for voluntary restraint from 11 pm to 6 am, and runway 24 departures are limited to 80 decibels at night.

Because the flight is international, bring passports for everyone, including children, and give the operator names and passport details in advance so the advance manifest can be filed.

Arriving in Nassau

The airport. Lynden Pindling International (MYNN) has two runways: 14/32 at 11,107 feet and 9/27 at 8,273 feet. The Nassau Airport Development Company manages it.

The FBOs. There are two.

• Odyssey Aviation Nassau is listed as 24-hour, with customs and immigration in the facility.
• JET Nassau is also listed as 24-hour, with customs on site.

Customs and immigration. On a private flight you clear at the FBO, not in the airline terminal. The Bahamas Customs page says passengers shouldn’t leave the aircraft until the process is complete. Customs hours at the FBOs can be confirmed with the operator before you fly.

Entering the Bahamas

• Visa. US citizens are exempt from a Bahamian visa for a visit. Visa-free stays are generally limited to about three months, and the Immigration Department tells longer stays to check.
• Passport. It must be valid for at least six months, and a passport card is not accepted.
• Immigration card. Each traveller completes a Bahamas Immigration disembarkation and embarkation card. We found no online arrival form listed on the Immigration Department’s entry requirements page.
• Return ticket. The Immigration Department asks for a valid return ticket or other means of leaving. A charter return normally satisfies this, and Jake confirms it.
• Non-US passports. Visa rules vary. Check before you book, and tell Jake each traveller’s nationality.

Charter versus private. The Bahamas Customs forms for private pleasure aircraft apply only to recreational flights with an unpaid pilot and no cargo. A charter files a General Declaration, which the operator handles. Don’t rely on fees you may see quoted for private pilots.

Coming home

The operator files the US advance passenger manifest and asks for permission to land. CBP’s Teterboro fact sheet says to request it at least two hours before leaving the foreign airport, with a 30-minute tolerance. Teterboro has customs on the field from 7:30 am to 11:15 pm daily.

Preclearance. CBP lists Nassau as a preclearance location, which lets you clear US customs before you leave. An aviation industry source from November 2024 says private and charter flights can preclear only at Shannon in Ireland and Aruba, and that Nassau is for scheduled airlines. We couldn’t confirm otherwise, so we plan to clear at the US airport. If the plan changes, the operator confirms it before departure.

Time of day. If you want to land at Teterboro before customs closes at 11:15 pm, plan to leave Nassau well before dark.

Which aircraft fits best

A light jet works for up to six people with bags. A midsize jet gives more baggage space for a week away. A super-midsize or heavy jet suits groups of eight to twelve. The flight is under three hours for all of them, so choose on cabin and luggage, not speed.

How Jake handles this route

Jake collects every traveller’s passport details early so the operator can file the advance manifest, and he confirms the FBO, its customs hours and the Bahamian departure tax before you fly. He checks the operator is ARGUS Gold or Platinum rated, plans the return so you reach Teterboro before customs closes, and arranges ground transport at both ends. He often meets clients on the ramp at Teterboro.