Private jet travel to Russia for the World Cup
With just days to go until the start of the world’s biggest sporting event, Russian airports, support services and global private jet operators are standing by, and ready for action.
The FIFA World Cup will attract a huge number of visitors to Russia for the duration of the tournament. Some of those flying by private jet to the World Cup includes players; teams and agents; sponsors and corporate executives; VIPs and celebrities; and of course, fans – who are looking to travel on a flexible schedule and in comfort.
The 12 venues, which are spread throughout the country, are well-served by private jet airports. Particularly busy will be Moscow’s Vnukovo (the country’s busiest private jet airport); Domodedovo and Sheremetyevo airports (also serving Moscow); and Pulkovo Airport in St Petersburg.
There is good choice of private aircraft available for charter into Russia, or between venues. While cabotage rules usually apply (meaning non-Russian operators cannot perform internal flights within the country), during the World Cup these rules have been relaxed.
The Russian government is expecting its biggest ever influx of private jets for the tournament, with numbers expected to either match if not exceed that of Brazil in 2014. The high activity levels do mean that passengers should plan ahead and be aware of conditions that apply to flights in and out of Russia’s airports over the period of the games.
Our PrivateFly flight team experts – including Russian speakers – are well-placed to advise you on any aspect of flying to Russia for the World Cup, and can assist with your requirements 24/7. Here are some of their tips:
1. Plan further in advance
While private aviation usually allows you to take-off in an hour or two from booking, we’re advising clients to confirm further in advance for World Cup flights if possible. Our 24-hour flight team will organise all the paperwork and permits as usual for your flight, but it can take a little longer when so many flights are expected at the same airport.
Other flight planning such as catering, ground transfers, fuel, crew VISAs and landing permits may also take longer than usual to arrange – due to high demand. So in order to ensure your preferred flight schedule, when you are flying into such a major event, it pays to confirm your plans in advance.
Prepare for repositioning
Usually private jets can park up and wait if their passengers have booked a return flight. But Russian airports serving the World Cup venues will have very limited parking available for private jet aircraft – before, during and for at least a week after the tournament.
This means many aircraft will need to land to drop off passengers, then reposition to other, close-by airports which will be used as overflow parking. These airports will also act as service facilities for fuel, catering, water, crew rest, and maintenance.
Repositioning does impact the charter price in many cases, as these flights will incur extra costs. But we will quote you the final charter price, including any repositioning charges, before you book.
Scheduled slots will be required
While private jets can usually operate to a very flexible schedule at most airports, most Russian airports will operating on a slot system – officially known as PRP procedures (Prior Permission Required) during the World Cup. This means aircraft have a specified runway slot that must be booked in advance.
Aircraft will be given a plus-or-minus 30 minute window to hit their slots, but no more flexibility than this. Those that miss designated slots may find it difficult to rebook, so we’d recommend sticking to an itinerary if at all possible.
Airport closures during matches
Primary airports for the 2018 World Cup will have some closures on match days during the tournaments, including one hour before a match and for three to four hours afterwards.
If 100% capacity is reached, airport closures may take place at other times to new flight bookings – so again, it makes sense to plan ahead as far as possible.
Some airports are also expected to close entirely for helicopters during the World Cup period.
Our 24-hour multi-lingual Flight Team are ready with expert advice and pricing for your private jet flights to Russia. Contact us or call +44 (0)20 7100 6960.