Private Jet to Aruba: How to Fly Private to Queen Beatrix International (AUA)

You land at Queen Beatrix International (AUA / TNCA), 2 NM south-east of Oranjestad, and clear Aruban customs and immigration at the JET-TNCA general-aviation terminal, run by the Aruba Airport Authority. From Miami (987 nm, about 2 h 50 min block on our route page), light, midsize and super-midsize jets all fly it nonstop. From New York (1,701 nm, about 4 h 20 min block), a midsize or larger jet is the comfortable nonstop choice. From Chicago, Dallas or Toronto (about 1,900–2,000 nm), think super-midsize. From London or Amsterdam (4,000+ nm), a heavy or ultra-long-range jet.

Every visitor needs an approved Aruba ED Card, and most pay the $20 Sustainability Fee with it. On the way back to the US, the operator can request CBP preclearance at the private terminal. Send us your dates, passengers, bags and any pets, and you get an estimated price per aircraft class straight away, then two or three confirmed options within 1–2 hours, 24/7.

Queen Beatrix is Aruba's only international airport. The Aruba AIP lists one runway, 11/29, 2,828 m × 45 m (about 9,278 ft × 148 ft), at 62 ft elevation. Runway length doesn't limit any business jet we charter.

The Aruba AIP asks all general-aviation traffic to make arrangements with JET-TNCA before departing for Aruba so a parking position is ready on arrival. The FBO handles fuel, catering, ground services and customs coordination. We confirm the stand and the arrival time when we book the aircraft, which matters most on busy holiday weekends.

• From Miami or Fort Lauderdale (about 990 nm): every jet class flies it nonstop. Our Miami to Aruba route page prices it from a Phenom 100EV up to a Challenger 300.
• From New York (about 1,700 nm): midsize, super-midsize and heavy jets fly it nonstop. Our New York to Aruba route page lists a Learjet 60XR as the value pick. Some light jets publish ranges around 2,000 nm (the Phenom 300 is listed at 2,010 nm on our aircraft pages), but with a full cabin, bags, winds and fuel reserves the operator may plan a fuel stop, so we confirm that for the specific aircraft.
• From Chicago, Dallas or Toronto (about 1,900–2,000 nm): a super-midsize such as a Challenger 350 gives you a nonstop with margin.
• From London or Amsterdam (about 4,000–4,250 nm): heavy and ultra-long-range jets. Aruba is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, so Amsterdam departures are common in the European winter.

Flight times

Miami and New York figures come from our route pages. The others are estimates from great-circle distance and typical cruise speeds; winds, routing and the aircraft change the final block time.

Our route pages publish indicative one-way, all-in ranges for the two busiest pairs:

For other departure cities, the starting point is our published hourly rates. From our cost-per-hour guide, 2026 retail rates run:

As a worked example, Chicago to Aruba is about 4.5 hours in a super-midsize, so roughly $34,000–$43,000 of flight time at those rates. That's not a quote. A one-way usually carries the aircraft's empty flight home, and handling, customs and the Sustainability Fee for each passenger come on top, so the final number depends on where the aircraft is based, your dates and the return plan. Our Aruba destination page gives an estimate per aircraft class for your dates.

One-way, round trip, or the aircraft stays?

1. Short stay. For a long weekend, the aircraft can wait in Aruba. You pay crew accommodation and parking, and nobody flies empty.
2. The aircraft goes home and comes back. Better for a week or more. It adds two empty sectors, which we price openly.
3. Two one-ways. If a return charter or an empty leg lines up, a separate return can cost less.

What you do

• Bring a valid passport. Aruba's immigration rules say the passport must be valid for the whole stay, and visitors must show proof of return or onward travel (your return flight covers it), plus accommodation and enough funds for the stay. Some nationalities need a visa; check before you book.
• Complete the Aruba ED Card. Every traveller, including infants and children, needs an approved Embarkation-Disembarkation Card from the official site, edcardaruba.aw. It opens about a week before travel. Aruba Tourism warns that other sites charge to fill it in and aren't affiliated with the government.
• Pay the $20 Sustainability Fee with the ED Card. It has applied to visitors arriving by air since 1 July 2024 and is fully enforced since 6 December 2024. Children under 8, crew on duty and repeat visitors returning within a year are exempt, according to AWSS, the agency that administers it.

How long you can stay. The standard maximum visit is 30 days, which can be extended up to 180 days per calendar year. US nationals may stay up to 90 days without asking for an extension.

What the operator handles. The handling request and parking with JET-TNCA, the passenger manifest, and the flight permits that apply to the operator.

This is Aruba's biggest advantage for US travellers. According to US Customs and Border Protection, private-aircraft preclearance is available at only two places in the world, Shannon in Ireland and Oranjestad in Aruba. You, your bags and the aircraft are inspected in Aruba before departure, so you land in the US as if it were a domestic arrival.

The conditions, from CBP's general-aviation preclearance FAQ and guide:

• The operator requests preclearance at least 24 hours before departure and before close of business the day before. For charter flights it's approved case by case.
• The operator submits the electronic manifest (APIS) at least 60 minutes before the inspection.
• All passengers, bags and personal effects go through the inspection.
• Flights are limited to 19 people in total, crew included.
• The flight must go directly to the US airport named in the manifest, and that airport must have a USDA agreement for handling international garbage. CBP publishes the list of eligible airports.
• Preclearance runs during set daytime hours, so the departure time is planned around them. The Aruba AIP asks for preclearance requests 48 hours ahead through JET-TNCA, so we book it when we book the return.

Dogs, cats and birds can be precleared too. Dogs and cats need a health certificate that includes rabies vaccination details.

On a private jet your pet travels in the cabin with you, but Aruba's import rules are the same as for anyone. From the Aruba Veterinary Service, Aruba Customs and the USDA pet-travel page for pets coming from the US:

• You need prior approval from the Aruba Veterinary Service. Email the USDA-endorsed health certificate and the import-permit application at least two business days before travel; approval usually comes back within two working days. Print it for customs.
• The pet needs an AVID or ISO-compatible microchip, inserted before the rabies vaccination.
• Rabies vaccination at least 30 days before arrival (and, per Aruba's Department of Economic Affairs, not more than a year before). Pets under three months are exempt, with a note on the certificate.
• A USDA-endorsed health certificate issued within 14 days of arrival.
• The pet must have lived in the US for the previous six months, or since birth.
• Dogs and cats from South and Central America (including Mexico), Cuba, Haiti and the Dominican Republic can't be imported, so a pet joining a trip from those countries needs a different plan.

Because the certificate window is short, we time the vet visit, the approval and the flight together.

The Aruba AIP lists car rentals, taxis and public transport at the airport, and the island is small. We usually book a car and driver to meet you at JET-TNCA. Most resort hotels on Eagle Beach and Palm Beach are a short drive north-west of the airport.

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from 1 June to 30 November, according to NOAA. Aruba lies far south of most hurricane tracks, but tropical storms can still bring wind and rain, so the operator checks the forecast before every departure. The US winter and the holiday weeks are the busiest time for flights from the Northeast, so ask for estimates early for Christmas, New Year and Presidents' Day.

Aircraft that drop clients in Aruba often fly back empty to Florida or the Northeast. When one lines up with your dates, it can be well below the on-demand fare. Our cost guide puts empty-leg pricing typically 25–75% below the hourly rates.

1. Get an on-demand quote so you have a firm Plan A.
2. Set an empty-leg alert for Aruba in both directions, or run a quick AI empty-leg search.
3. If a matching leg appears in your window, we confirm the operator, the exact aircraft and the all-in price before you commit.

Comparing islands? See our guides to flying private to Turks and Caicos, the Bahamas, Barbados, Jamaica, Bermuda, St Barts and Puerto Rico. For the cost basics, see how much a private jet costs in 2026.

1. Send your departure city, dates, passengers, bags and any pets through the quote form.
2. We return fixed, all-inclusive options and confirm which aircraft fly your route nonstop.
3. We arrange handling and parking with JET-TNCA, the passenger manifest, US preclearance for the return and the pet import steps.
4. You confirm the aircraft, and we handle operator contracting and the car to your hotel or villa.

Limitless Sky is an independent charter broker and NBAA member. Flights are operated by licensed air carriers that keep full operational control of the aircraft.