Private jet from Teterboro to Van Nuys (Los Angeles): times, prices and what to know

What goes into the price

On a transcontinental trip, flight time is the largest part of the price: about five hours each way in a super-midsize jet. Then come:

• Positioning. Heavy and ultra-long-range jets usually aren’t based at both Teterboro and Van Nuys, so getting the aircraft to you, or home after you, is often part of a one-way quote.
• Taxes and fees. The 7.5% federal excise tax, plus a $5.30 per-passenger segment fee in 2026.
• Landing fees. These are charged at Van Nuys.
• Handling. FBO charges at both ends. At Clay Lacy this includes a quiet-hour fee for service between 11 pm and 6 am.
• Crew costs. If the aircraft and crew stay with you in Los Angeles, you pay for their nights.
• Catering. On a five-hour flight, catering matters more.
• De-icing. On winter mornings at Teterboro.
• A fuel stop. If the aircraft needs one, add the extra time plus a landing and handling charge.

What makes this route cheaper or more expensive

The aircraft you need. This route rules out most light and many midsize jets as nonstop options, so the realistic starting point is a super-midsize. A light jet with a fuel stop costs less per hour but takes longer.

Awards season and big events. Operators describe demand on this route as steadier than on the leisure routes. The peaks are awards season from January to March, the network upfronts in May, and the first week of the new year westbound. In 2027:

Event	Date
Golden Globes, at The Beverly Hilton	January 10
Super Bowl LXI, at SoFi Stadium	February 14
Academy Awards	March 14

The LA28 Olympics run July 14 to 30, 2028.

One-way versus round trip. A round trip with a few days in Los Angeles often works out cheaper than two one-way trips, because the aircraft doesn’t cross the country empty. If you’ll be there a week or more, compare that against crew costs. Jake prices both.

Empty legs on the transcontinental route

Transcontinental empty legs exist, but they are less predictable than on shorter East Coast routes, because the large jets that fly nonstop are usually based on one coast or the other. When one finishes a trip on the far coast, it has to come home. Charter Jet One says empty-leg discounts can reach 75% off a custom charter.

An illustrative example: a Challenger 350 based at Teterboro takes a client to Van Nuys on Monday and must be back in New York on Tuesday. A traveler going east on Tuesday could fly it for much less. That’s an example, not a listed flight. Empty legs change at short notice and run on the operator’s timing.

Departing from Teterboro

Teterboro is about 12 miles from Midtown, around 22 minutes in free-flow traffic. Its longest runway is 6,997 feet.

The weight limit. Aircraft over 100,000 pounds at their actual operating weight need the Airport Manager’s permission. That matters on this route only for the largest ultra-long-range jets, which can operate below the limit on a trip this length.

Night noise. Departures from runway 24 are limited to 80 decibels from 10 pm to 7 am, and the airport asks for voluntary restraint from 11 pm to 6 am.

Time zones. Los Angeles is three hours behind New York. A 3 pm departure from Teterboro lands at Van Nuys around 5 pm local time.

Arriving at Van Nuys

The airport. Van Nuys Airport (VNY) is run by Los Angeles World Airports, which also runs LAX. LAWA calls it one of the world’s busiest general aviation airports. It has no airline service.

Runways and tower. The main runway, 16R/34L, is 8,001 by 150 feet with an instrument landing system. The second runway is 4,013 feet. The tower is open 6 am to 10:45 pm.

FBOs. There are five:

FBO	Hours	Notes
Signature West	24 hours	Houses the customs facility
Signature East	24 hours	Its FAQ says day-use parking only
Signature North	5 am to 9:30 pm	Formerly Castle & Cooke, bought by Signature on September 15, 2026
Clay Lacy Aviation	24 hours	Sustainable aviation fuel; quiet-hour fee 11 pm to 6 am
Jet Aviation	24 hours	On-site sustainable aviation fuel; a 2019 terminal and hangar

LAWA’s own pages still list Castle & Cooke, which is out of date.

Ground distances (free-flow, no traffic).

Destination	Distance	Time
Brentwood	12.9 miles	about 20 minutes
Hollywood Hills	13.5 miles	about 20 minutes
Hidden Hills	12.8 miles	about 21 minutes
Bel Air	13.2 miles	about 22 minutes
Calabasas	14.0 miles	about 22 minutes
Santa Monica	17.7 miles	about 25 minutes
Beverly Hills	16.5 miles	about 26 minutes
West Hollywood	17.6 miles	about 28 minutes
Downtown LA	21.4 miles	about 31 minutes
Malibu	25.1 miles	about 38 minutes

The 405 decides how long most Westside trips really take, and it is notoriously jammed on the Thanksgiving weekend.

The Van Nuys curfew, and what it means for your schedule

Van Nuys has some of the most detailed noise rules of any US airport, set by City of Los Angeles ordinances:

• Departure curfew, 11 pm to 7 am. No aircraft may take off unless its FAA takeoff noise rating is 74 decibels or less. There is no exemption for modern Stage 3 jets in these hours.
• 10 pm to 11 pm. The same 74-decibel test applies, but Stage 3 aircraft are exempt.
• The 77-decibel ceiling. Since January 1, 2016, aircraft rated 77 decibels or more may neither land nor take off at any hour. Stage 3 and 4 aircraft are exempt, so this mainly affected older jets such as early Learjets, Gulfstream IIs and IIIs, and the Falcon 20.
• Fines. Up to $750 for a first violation, $1,500 for a second and $3,500 for a third. Repeat violators can be barred from the airport for three years.

Arrivals aren’t curfewed. A late westbound flight can land. But the tower closes at 10:45 pm, the airport asks jets to avoid 11 pm to 7 am voluntarily, and not every FBO is open, so we book late arrivals into a 24-hour FBO.

Eastbound red-eyes. This is where the curfew bites. Unless the specific aircraft is rated 74 decibels or less, it must leave Van Nuys before 11 pm. Jake checks the aircraft’s rating before planning a late departure.

Other Los Angeles airports

Airport	Longest runway	When it makes sense
Hollywood Burbank (BUR)	6,886 ft	Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena. Restrictions apply 10 pm to 7 am for Stage 2 jets.
Santa Monica (SMO)	3,500 ft	Closing permanently at midnight December 31, 2028. The shortened runway rules out most jets.
Los Angeles International (LAX)	12,923 ft	Atlantic and Signature handle private flights, on a very busy airline airport.
Long Beach (LGB)	10,000 ft	The South Bay and Orange County. Strict noise limits; most runways close 10 pm to 7 am.
Thermal (TRM)	8,500 ft	Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley. The jet airport for Coachella weekends.

Winds and fuel stops

The jet stream blows from west to east, and NOAA notes it is strongest in winter. Going west you fly into it. Trade sources put the westbound penalty at about 20 to 60 minutes, at its worst in winter.

That’s why range matters so much here. The Phenom 300E’s published range is 2,010 nautical miles, and the Citation XLS Gen2’s is 1,940, both under the 2,134-mile route even in still air. With headwinds, a fuel stop is the norm for light jets and XLS-type midsize jets. Tulsa, Dallas Love Field and Kansas City are common choices, adding roughly 30 to 45 minutes. The Citation Latitude, at 2,700 nautical miles, has more margin. The Challenger 3500, at 3,400, flies it nonstop with room to spare.

Which aircraft fits best

A super-midsize jet is the right answer for most trips. The Challenger 350 or 3500, Citation Longitude or Gulfstream G280 each fly nonstop both ways in about five hours, with a cabin you can stand in and work in.

Size up to a heavy or ultra-long-range jet for more than eight passengers, for sleeping on a red-eye, or for continuing to Hawaii or Asia. Size down to a light or midsize jet only if a fuel stop is acceptable and the saving matters.

How Jake handles this route

Jake starts with the curfew. He checks the aircraft’s takeoff noise rating before planning any late departure from Van Nuys, and books late arrivals into a 24-hour FBO. He confirms the operator is ARGUS Gold or Platinum rated, checks whether the aircraft is based on your side of the country, and prices both a round trip and two one-ways when you’ll stay a while. He is often at Teterboro to see coast-to-coast clients off.