Private Jet to Mexico, the Caribbean and Hawaii: A Broker’s Guide

Beach Escape Charter Guides · 11 min read

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By Pat Sinnott, Founder of Peak Aviation Solutions. With 21 years in aviation, Pat holds a commercial pilot certificate with multi-engine and instrument ratings, a BS in Flight Operations and Aviation Management, and NBAA membership.

Last updated: November 2, 2026

Every winter the requests change shape. In October it’s ski trips. By Thanksgiving, half the calls are for somewhere warm: Cabo, Cancun, Turks and Caicos, Hawaii, the Bahamas, St. Barts.

We book all of them. They look alike from a lounge chair, but from the cockpit side they’re very different trips.

Quick answer: A private jet to Mexico is the simplest warm-weather trip: Cabo and Cancun are two to four hours from much of the U.S., and same-day trips are possible when the operator holds Mexico’s charter permit. The Caribbean needs more notice for customs and handling. Hawaii needs no passport but does need a super-midsize jet or larger to cross the Pacific.

The Border, Water, Runway Check

The Border, Water, Runway Check is the three-question test Peak Aviation Solutions runs on every beach trip before quoting an airplane. The questions:

1. Border: does the trip leave the U.S.? That decides passports, customs, permits and lead time.
2. Water: how far does it fly over open ocean? That decides the aircraft category and the overwater survival gear it must carry.
3. Runway: can the destination runway take the airplane? That decides whether you land at your island or connect.

Answer those three and most of the trip plans itself. Here is how the main destinations come out.

Sources: Peak Aviation Solutions; airport details from the linked guides below.

Private jet to Mexico: the quick trip

Mexico is the easiest international trip on this list, and the one we can most often do on short notice.

Mexico and Canada are the two international trips I can sometimes turn around the same day, as long as customs can clear the flight. Most first-timers assume every international trip works that way. It doesn’t.

The catch is the permit. Mexico now requires foreign charter operators to hold a standing blanket permit from AFAC, its civil aviation agency; single-trip charter permits ended in December 2024 (Universal Weather and Aviation).

Operators who have it can fly you tomorrow. Operators who don’t face a long wait. We screen for it before you see a quote.

Mexico also limits foreign charters to one stop in the country, so a Cabo-to-Cancun itinerary takes extra approval.

Cabo

Most of our Cabo trips land at Cabo San Lucas International (MMSL), a general aviation airport 10 to 20 minutes from downtown with customs at the FBO. Los Cabos International (MMSD) is the main airline airport, and the better pick when your stay is closer to it.

From Phoenix it’s about 629 nautical miles, from Dallas 896, from Bozeman 1,360. A client flew a Gulfstream G200 home from Los Cabos to Bozeman last December 26 in 3 hours 33 minutes (Peak quote history). Full details: private jet to Cabo.

Cancun and the Riviera Maya

Cancun International (MMUN) is the gateway for the Hotel Zone, Playa del Carmen and Mayakoba. Tulum’s newer airport (MMTL), open to international flights since March 2024, saves a two-hour-plus drive if you’re staying in Tulum. Houston is about 706 nautical miles from Cancun, New York about 1,357. Full details: private jet to Cancun.

Puerto Vallarta and the rest of Mexico

Puerto Vallarta, Punta Mita and San Miguel de Allende follow the same rules: passports, customs on arrival, and an operator with a current Mexico permit. Puerto Vallarta in particular is a quick trip from Texas and the West Coast.

Flying private to the Caribbean

The Caribbean is where first-timers get caught on timing. These trips cross a border and a lot of water, and the islands’ airports run on tighter hours and space.

What has to line up before we can confirm:

• Customs and immigration officers at the arrival FBO at your time.
• Handling and parking, which fill up at Christmas and spring break.
• Overwater equipment on the airplane, since most routes cross open ocean.
• The U.S. manifest, filed with CBP through eAPIS at least 60 minutes before departure (FAA).

None of that is hard. It just takes days, not hours.

Turks and Caicos

Providenciales (MBPV) is the port of entry for nearly every private jet, with three FBOs that each have customs on site. Miami is about 502 nautical miles away, New York about 1,149. Full details: private jet to Turks and Caicos.

The Bahamas

The closest of the island trips from Florida, with dozens of islands and airstrips for island-hopping. See our Bahamas private jet charter page, and our Miami private jet charter page if you’re starting from South Florida.

St. Barts

St. Barts is the one where the runway decides everything. Its runway is about 2,100 feet long, with a hill at one end and a beach at the other, and only small propeller aircraft and specially certified pilots can use it (AIN; PrivateFly).

So a private jet to St. Barts really means two flights:

1. Jet to St. Maarten (TNCM). About 1,481 nautical miles from Teterboro, a super-mid trip.
2. A short hop to St. Barts. About 17 nautical miles, usually in a turboprop such as a Pilatus PC-12 or by helicopter.

We book both legs and time the connection so you’re not waiting at TNCM.

Aruba, Puerto Rico and beyond

Recent Caribbean trips from our book include Palm Beach to Aruba in a Citation X, and San Juan to Fort Lauderdale in a Challenger 605 (Peak quote history).

Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory, so U.S. citizens need no passport, though bags flying back to the mainland go through a USDA inspection. If Bermuda is on your list, see our Bermuda private jet charter page.

Flying private to Hawaii

Hawaii flips the checklist. No border: it’s a domestic flight with no passport and no customs. All water: the West Coast to Honolulu is about 2,217 nautical miles with nowhere to land in between.

That water is why most private jets can’t go. The smallest airplane that makes the crossing nonstop each way is a super-midsize jet, like a Challenger 350 or Citation X.

"So typically for those requests, we see a lot of super mid and heavy activity."

Pat Sinnott

From Bozeman or Denver, the distance runs past 2,700 nautical miles, so it takes a heavy jet or a fuel stop on the coast. On the way home, the USDA checks bags at the airplane before departure. Full details: private jet to Hawaii.

Passports, customs and the paperwork

The short version for this whole guide:

• Mexico and the Caribbean: passport book for every passenger. A passport card won’t work for international air travel.
• Hawaii and Puerto Rico: no passport for U.S. citizens. A REAL ID-compliant license works.
• Customs: cleared at the private terminal, usually quickly, at both ends of an international trip.
• The return stop: coming back from Mexico or the Caribbean, the first U.S. landing must be a designated border or coastal customs airport unless the operator has a CBP overflight exemption. Not every airport has customs, and many keep limited hours, so we plan the stop before departure.
• Manifest: send passport details to your broker early. Late changes mean refiling.

Everything else is in do you need a passport on a private jet.

Picking the airplane for a beach trip

The Border, Water, Runway Check usually points to one of these:

Whatever the category, the safety work is the same. Every operator we use is ARGUS or Wyvern rated, and we run a trip check on the crew. We also hold operators to insurance minimums by category: for example, $100 million for super-mids and $150 million for heavy jets. More in our guide to ARGUS and Wyvern ratings.

On the ground

A private trip shouldn’t end with a taxi line. At every one of these airports, we line up ground transport before you land: a car service in a sedan or SUV, or a Sprinter van for a bigger group with luggage. Prefer to drive? We’ll have a self-drive car delivered to the FBO before you arrive and track it so it’s there when you land.

When to fly: seasons and storms

• High season: mid-December through April for Mexico and the Caribbean. Christmas, New Year’s and spring break fill airplanes and ramps first.
• Hawaii: busy year-round, heaviest over the holidays and in summer.
• Hurricane season: June 1 to November 30 in the Atlantic and Caribbean. Trips still happen. We watch the tropics, check the forecasts ourselves, and build a backup plan.

Book holiday trips four to eight weeks out. For ordinary weeks, a few days covers Mexico and a week covers most of the Caribbean.

Questions about flying private to Mexico, the Caribbean and Hawaii

Can you fly a private jet to Mexico the same day?

Often, yes. If the operator already has Mexico’s blanket charter permit and customs can take the flight, a same-day departure can work. Since December 2024, single-trip charter permits are no longer issued, so operators without a standing permit face long lead times. More notice means more aircraft to choose from.

Do you need a passport to fly private to Mexico or the Caribbean?

Yes. Every passenger needs a valid passport book for a private flight to Mexico or any Caribbean country, and a passport card is not accepted for international air travel. U.S. citizens flying to Hawaii or Puerto Rico do not need a passport; a REAL ID-compliant license works.

What is the smallest private jet that can fly to Hawaii?

A super-midsize jet, such as a Challenger 350 or Citation X, is the smallest category that can fly from the West Coast to Hawaii nonstop each way. The crossing is about 2,217 nautical miles over open ocean, and light and midsize jets cannot carry enough fuel plus required reserves.

Can a private jet land in St. Barts?

Not a typical private jet. St. Barts’ runway is about 2,100 feet long with a hill at one end, and only small propeller aircraft flown by specially certified pilots operate there. Most travelers fly a private jet to St. Maarten (TNCM), then take a short turboprop or helicopter flight of about 17 nautical miles to St. Barts.

How far in advance should you book a private jet to the Caribbean?

For an ordinary week, several days to a week is usually enough to arrange customs, handling and parking. For Christmas, New Year’s and spring break, book four to eight weeks ahead, because FBO ramp space and suitable aircraft fill early. Mexico can often be arranged on shorter notice than the Caribbean.

What is the Border, Water, Runway Check?

It is Peak Aviation Solutions’ three-question test for any beach trip by private jet. Border: does the flight leave the U.S., requiring passports, customs and permits? Water: how far does it fly over open ocean, which sets the aircraft category and survival gear? Runway: can the destination runway accept the aircraft?

The short version

A private jet to Mexico is the quick trip. The Caribbean needs a few more days. Hawaii needs a bigger airplane but no passport. Run the Border, Water, Runway Check, book early for the holidays, and let the paperwork happen before you get to the FBO.

Ready to trade winter for the beach?

Tell us where, when and who’s coming, whether it’s a private jet to Mexico, the islands or Hawaii. We’ll run the Border, Water, Runway Check, match the airplane, line up customs and handling, and have the car waiting when you land. On the call, I’ll show you which of your destinations can still go on short notice this season.

Picture it: snow on the ground at breakfast, sand underfoot by the afternoon.

Book a call with Pat to plan your trip. Already know the dates? You can also request a quote.