Palm Beach–Bahamas is the most-flown private aviation route in the Caribbean, with an extensive island FBO network. Winter season (December–April) demand is intense. PBI is a US customs port of entry for the return; it is not a preclearance airport. Nassau (NAS) has US CBP preclearance, which private flights can request in advance (subject to CBP approval).
PBI → NAS / GGT / ELH
From PBI the Bahamas is a short hop — a natural add-on to a Palm Beach season. Light jets fly it nonstop; choose Nassau, the Exumas or North Eleuthera by where you stay.
ESTIMATED PRICES BY AIRCRAFT CLASS
| CLASS | BLOCK TIME | ROUTING | ONE-WAY ESTIMATE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light Jet | 0h 36m | Nonstop | €2,800 – €3,700 (≈ €400–€529 per passenger, 7 seats) |
| Midsize | 0h 36m | Nonstop | €3,300 – €4,500 (≈ €413–€563 per passenger, 8 seats) |
| Super Midsize | 0h 36m | Nonstop | €3,700 – €5,000 (≈ €411–€556 per passenger, 9 seats) |
| Heavy | 0h 36m | Nonstop | €5,100 – €6,100 (≈ €392–€469 per passenger, 13 seats) |
| Ultra Long Range | 0h 36m | Nonstop | €5,900 – €7,900 (≈ €369–€494 per passenger, 16 seats) |
| CLASS | BLOCK TIME | ROUTING | ONE-WAY ESTIMATE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light Jet | 0h 36m | Nonstop | €2,800 – €3,700 (≈ €400–€529 per passenger, 7 seats) |
| Midsize | 0h 36m | Nonstop | €3,300 – €4,500 (≈ €413–€563 per passenger, 8 seats) |
| Super Midsize | 0h 36m | Nonstop | €3,700 – €5,000 (≈ €411–€556 per passenger, 9 seats) |
| Heavy | 0h 36m | Nonstop | €5,100 – €6,100 (≈ €392–€469 per passenger, 13 seats) |
| Ultra Long Range | 0h 36m | Nonstop | €5,900 – €7,900 (≈ €369–€494 per passenger, 16 seats) |
Estimated, confirmed quote within 1–2 hours. Classes that cannot fly the trip are not shown; fuel stops are priced in.
SEASON & BOOKING LEAD TIME
Christmas – New Year · about 19 Dec 2026 – 3 Jan 2027
Ask for estimates 6–8 weeks ahead; aircraft sell out.
Caribbean high season · mid-December to April
Friday and Sunday departures fill first.
THE LAST MILE
HOW QUOTING WORKS · PALM BEACH TO THE BAHAMAS
Fixed-price online booking is also available on many single-leg trips.
FAQ
A light jet for up to about six passengers; midsize if you carry more luggage.
Yes — send all legs in one request.
RELATED
Sources: OurAirports runway data (public domain) · Bahamas.com — getting to Eleuthera & Harbour Island
FLY IN BY PRIVATE JET
173 nm great-circle between PBI and NAS, 45m typical block time.
“Aircraft positioning sets the Palm Beach–the Bahamas number on a 45m sector; flexing around it beats negotiating on rate.”
Depart PBI — Primary departure for Palm Beach. · Arrive NAS — Primary arrival for the Bahamas. · Value pick: Eclipse 550 · Premium pick: Cessna Citation VII
WHAT TO DO NEXT · AIRPORT CHOICE DECIDES THIS SECTOR
More than one legitimate airport carries comparable verified data on this pair, and the choice changes ground time and handling rather than the flight itself — settle the field before the aircraft.
WHICH AIRCRAFT
BEST VALUE
Light Jet
The Eclipse 550 clears both runways and has range headroom on the 173 nm leg without stepping up into a larger, more expensive cabin — the lowest hourly cost that still handles this pair reliably.
Indicative all-in €3,200 (≈ €457 per passenger, 7 seats)
MOST POPULAR
Midsize
Midsize aircraft like the Cessna Citation VII are the workhorse of Palm Beach–the Bahamas — they hit the sweet spot on cabin comfort, block time and cost that the majority of charterers pick.
Indicative all-in €3,900 (≈ €488 per passenger, 8 seats)
AIRPORTS
A private jet mission stands or falls on airport choice. For Palm Beach → the Bahamas we resolve the primary field on each side, then rank the alternatives worth considering with the trade-offs that actually matter to a client — transfer time, curfew, slot pressure, MTOW and helicopter link.
DEPARTURE · PBI
Source: published airport runway data
ARRIVAL · NAS
Source: published airport runway data
Choosing the airport
Every line below for Palm Beach → the Bahamas is drawn from the airport register, published runway length and verified handling facts. Where a figure is not published, we leave it out.
Arrival · the Bahamas
| Airport | Published runway | Class ceiling | From primary | Transfer | FBOs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
01 NAS NAS Primary endpoint | 11,353 ft | ulr | 0 nm | — | — |
02 ELH ELH verified regional alternative | 6,020 ft | midsize | 50 nm | — | — |
Dashes mark values not published for that field — we do not estimate them.
On arrival
Curated ground facts held for the Palm Beach → the Bahamas endpoints. Transfer times and modes are published values, quoted as held — where a figure is not published, nothing is stated.
Departure · PBI · City access
PBI is 15 min to Palm Beach island; Dec–Apr is the anchor season.
Destination register · localTransfer
Published runway length at PBI and NAS, read against the 173 nm sector.
Departure field
PBI · Palm Beach
10,001ft
Arrival field
NAS · the Bahamas
11,353ft
PBI publishes 10,001 ft of runway, which accepts ultra-long-range aircraft and below at full performance.
NAS publishes 11,353 ft, accepting ultra-long-range aircraft and below.
The 173 nm sector is inside the usable range of light jet, midsize, super-midsize, heavy jet and ultra-long-range metal after IFR reserves.
Nonstop and runway-legal on this pair: light jet, midsize, super-midsize, heavy jet and ultra-long-range.
WHAT DRIVES THE PRICE
On Palm Beach → the Bahamas, aircraft positioning is the biggest lever on price today.
PRICE DRIVERS
Aircraft based off-route are repositioned to Palm Beach before pickup — the shorter that leg, the more competitive the quote.
If the aircraft can't pick up a return charter from the Bahamas, the empty repositioning leg is baked into your quote.
Landing, handling and ramp fees on PBI–NAS are set field by field.
Across 173 nm the fuel uplift is a bounded line item on PBI–NAS, not the driver of the quote.
Palm Beach → the Bahamas demand cycles pull the 173 nm sector off its low band on peak weeks.
Ramp capacity at NAS constrains the lift available for 173 nm inbounds from Palm Beach — operators quote accordingly.
Weather rarely re-prices PBI–NAS beyond marginal fuel adjustments over 173 nm.
Permission rules at NAS are confirmed with the handler on PBI–NAS.
At 173 nm, PBI–NAS sits far inside a single crew duty period — no augmented crew cost.
Overnight parking at NAS is normally available and adds a defined ramp and handling fee to the PBI–NAS quote.
SAVING OPPORTUNITIES
Saving levers on Palm Beach → the Bahamas
If the aircraft is already positioned closer to another Palm Beach-area field, using it reduces positioning cost and often trims 5–15% off the quote.
Alternative arrivals near NAS can trim handling and slot pressure on PBI–NAS — see the airport comparison above.
PBI ↔ NAS (173 nm) is a corridor we monitor for empty legs — set an alert and match one when your dates flex.
Handling on the 173 nm run from PBI to NAS follows the field's published permission rules.
On a 173 nm hop a larger cabin adds cost without a meaningful time saving. Light jet is the usual category on PBI–NAS; stepping down from heavy metal is not the decision.
Estimated price ranges · Your confirmed quote follows within 1–2 hours
How the flight works
Palm Beach → the Bahamas operational profile
Nonstop feasibility
Well within super-midsize range — comfortably nonstop on this corridor.
Typical flight level
FL280–FL380 on the short 173 nm PBI–NAS hop
Typical routing
Direct PBI–NAS routing, 173 nm great-circle with negligible airway detour.
Runway
the shorter runway on this pair clears heavy metal unrestricted.
Fuel stop likelihood
No fuel stop on 173 nm; PBI–NAS is a single-sector mission for every class we quote.
Cabin service
Light catering only — 173 nm block time leaves no window for a galley service.
Best departure time
Mid-morning (10:00–12:00) departure from PBI clears the weekday slot peak and lands NAS before midday handling pressure.
Measured movements only — aggregated, de-identified and stated without interpretation.
At Palm Beach (PBI) the archive holds 5 recorded repositioning movements (4 outbound, 1 inbound) involving 5 distinct operators.
Source: v_broker_airport_supply · legs_out, legs_in, operators
The types most frequently observed at Palm Beach (PBI) are Cessna Citation CJ3, Cessna Citation Excel, Cessna Citation Ultra, Cessna Citation X, Gulfstream GVII-G600.
Source: v_broker_airport_types · aircraft_type, rank
At the Bahamas (NAS) the archive holds 65 recorded repositioning movements (27 outbound, 38 inbound) involving 15 distinct operators.
Source: v_broker_airport_supply · legs_out, legs_in, operators
The types most frequently observed at the Bahamas (NAS) are Learjet 60XR, Challenger 605, Challenger 300, Challenger 604, Cessna Citation XLS.
Source: v_broker_airport_types · aircraft_type, rank
Recorded movement at the Bahamas (NAS) concentrates in July and November, which account for 65% of 65 archived legs; December is the thinnest recorded month.
Source: v_broker_airport_months · month, legs
Observed availability, positioning reality and airport friction from our own movement archive — anonymised, never operator-attributed.
Full-charter one-way, desk quote
€2,800 – €4,500
Light Jet through Midsize over 173 nm PBI–NAS, all-in of landing, handling, crew and fuel surcharge. Weekend and peak-season departures out of PBI sit at the upper end.
Price stand: November 2026. PBI–NAS quotes move with fuel, crew duty and slot availability — we re-price at the point of booking.
PBI–NAS supply — thin
PBI — 5 archived movements (4 out / 1 in) from 5 operators. NAS — 65 archived movements (27 out / 38 in) from 15 operators.
Positioning into Palm Beach (PBI)
Few aircraft are recorded as based on the field. The nearest recorded bases are KPBI (0 nm, 13 aircraft), KBCT (18 nm, 6 aircraft), KPMP (26 nm, 6 aircraft).
Positioning into the Bahamas (NAS)
Alongside the based fleet, the nearest recorded bases are MYNN (0 nm, 9 aircraft), KFLL (158 nm, 15 aircraft), KMIA (160 nm, 8 aircraft).
the Bahamas (NAS)
Charter movement in our archive concentrates in July and November (65% of 65 recorded legs), and falls away in December and September.
Global 7500 / Gulfstream G650 on a short sector
Over 173 nm an ultra-long-range cabin bills roughly €8,100/hour for a flight measured in single-digit hours, and rarely repositions economically to this pair. You pay ULR money for a cabin you cannot use.
Empty Legs
Repositioning legs departing PBI within 14 days, priced per aircraft for up to 19 seats.
LATEST EMPTY LEGS · PALM BEACH → THE BAHAMAS
Checking live inventory…
EMPTY-LEG ALERTS
We scan operator inventory every 12 hours. The moment a leg matches your route, date window and budget, we email you with a direct booking link.
BOOKING ADVICE
LEAD TIME
48–72 hours is comfortable — 12 hours is achievable when aircraft are in position.
BEST BOOKING WINDOW
Tuesday–Thursday midweek is typically the lowest-friction window on this pair.
FLEXIBLE DATES
A ±1-day window opens up meaningfully more empty-leg and repositioning options — worth signalling in the enquiry.
HOW TO SAVE MONEY
CONTINUE READING
More on Palm Beach → the Bahamas
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Palm Beach → the Bahamas frequently asked questions
ASK A QUESTIONAirborne time is approximately 45m on the 173 nm great-circle sector in a light jet, or about 1h 00m block to block once taxi at PBI and NAS is counted. Across the 5 classes that clear both runways nonstop, block time runs from 55m in a heavy jet to 1h 00m in a super-midsize. All five cabin classes are runway-legal and range-capable on this pair, so the decision is cabin and cost rather than sector time. Figures are indicative great-circle estimates; actual times move with routing, winds and ATC on the day.
Over the 173 nm sector our desk models light jet charter from €2,800 one-way and midsize from €3,300. Neither field length nor sector range removes a cabin category here, so the spread between light jet and midsize reflects cabin choice rather than an operating restriction on the pair. The two accepted categories sit close together on this sector, so moving up from light jet to midsize changes cabin and range headroom more than it changes the modelled figure. super-midsize, heavy jet and ultra-long-range aircraft clear both fields on this pair but carry no modelled row here, so those cabins are quoted on request. More than one field serves this pair, and the modelled rows above are the ones our desk applies to the primary airport pairing. These are modelled charter estimates for this pair — not live quotes, not observed transactions — and the final figure moves with aircraft positioning and availability on the date.
Cessna Citation VII (Midsize) is our standing pick — Midsize aircraft like the Cessna Citation VII are the workhorse of Palm Beach–the Bahamas — they hit the sweet spot on cabin comfort, block time and cost that the majority of charterers pick.
Runway constraints dominate — Cessna Citation VII is currently the sweet-spot answer.
Depends on the specific airport — some Caribbean fields are STOL-only. See the airport comparison.
Dec–Apr high season; hurricane risk pushes cost and cancellation risk Aug–Oct.
Observed pricing
On a 173 nm sector our fixed price is €3,500 for a light jet and €7,400 for an ultra long range in standard season — 5 cabin classes clear the range and runway test here.
first party operations · confidence 95% · verified 2026-08-18
Peak weeks move the same light jet sector from €3,500 to €4,100, an uplift of 17% on a block time of about 1h 00m.
first party operations · confidence 95% · verified 2026-08-18
Field capability
We track 3 ground-handling and 4 VIP catering suppliers at Palm Beach (Jet Aviation West Palm Beach, Pike Aviation and 1 more), so handling, slots and catering are arranged through named counterparties rather than a broker chain.
first party operations · confidence 95% · verified 2026-08-18
We track 5 ground-handling and 4 VIP catering suppliers at Miami (Pike Aviation, Signature Aviation Miami Opa-locka and 3 more), so handling, slots and catering are arranged through named counterparties rather than a broker chain.
first party operations · confidence 95% · verified 2026-08-18
The longest jet-capable runway across the 3 fields serving Miami is 8,002 ft at Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport, which sets the largest cabin class that can be dispatched here.
first party operations · confidence 95% · verified 2026-08-18
Longest runway on file is 10,001 ft at PBI and 11,353 ft at NAS; the 10,001 ft at PBI sets the ceiling for this pair, which admits everything up to ultra long range equipment.
first party operations · confidence 95% · verified 2026-08-18
Observed supply
1 charter operator in our verified directory declare a home base at Miami — Vista America — which is why positioning legs from this end are often quotable same-day.
first party operations · confidence 95% · verified 2026-08-18
KNOWLEDGE GRAPH