Private jet from Atlanta (PDK) to Nassau, Bahamas: times, prices and the customs window

What goes into the price

On a two-hour flight the flying is the largest part of the bill, positioning is the second, and the international paperwork is the third.

Positioning. Atlanta has a good supply of charter aircraft, which keeps the first leg cheap. The return is the expensive half: an aircraft that takes you to Nassau has to come back, and in winter many jets are already in Florida and the Caribbean. A one-way trip tends to carry well over half of a round trip.

Bahamian authority. A US charter operator needs Bahamian approval to carry passengers there, and the Civil Aviation Authority Bahamas publishes licence forms for foreign charter operators. Jake asks the operator what it holds before it quotes.

International tax. International flights pay a US arrival and departure tax of $23.40 per passenger each way in 2026 instead of the 7.5% domestic excise tax. The Bahamas add a $29 departure tax per passenger.

The rest is the usual: handling at both ends, catering and ground transport.

What makes this route cheaper or more expensive

Season. The busiest period for the Bahamas is the winter, with holiday weeks the most expensive. We did not find an official source for exact peak dates, so ask when you request a quote.

Day and time. The US return is constrained by customs hours, not just aircraft. A return that lands in Atlanta before 4 pm costs less than one that needs after-hours cover.

Aircraft size. Every category flies the route in about the same time. A larger jet adds comfort, not speed.

Empty legs on this route

Aircraft often fly south to the Bahamas full and come back empty, and the reverse at the end of a season. That follows from how the trip is structured; it is broker experience, not a published statistic. Charter Jet One’s figure for the saving on an empty leg is up to 75%. On an international route the operator’s permits and the customs arrangements have to match the day, so an empty leg is less flexible than a domestic one.

These are illustrative. They aren’t flights for sale. They run on the operator’s timing and can change at short notice.

Flights actually on offer are posted on our empty legs page as operators release them, and one-way charters and empty legs explains where the discount comes from.

Departing from DeKalb-Peachtree

DeKalb-Peachtree Airport (PDK) is owned by DeKalb County. Its main runway, 3R/21L, is 6,001 feet by 100 at a field elevation of 998 feet, with an instrument landing system to runway 21L.

• FBOs. Atlantic Aviation and Signature Aviation, both open around the clock, and Aero Center Atlanta, whose charter service is 24 hours but whose FBO counter keeps shorter hours. Atlantic’s listing notes that customs clears on the ramp.
• Noise. There is a voluntary curfew from 11 pm to 6 am. High-power runs are banned from 10 pm to 7 am, and the county asks for close-in noise-abatement departures. The county says it cannot make the curfew mandatory.
• The tower. Open from 6:30 am on weekdays and 7 am on weekends until 11 pm.
• Size. Aircraft above 75,000 pounds need prior permission, and the 6,001-foot runway makes large cabin jets a poor fit. They use Hartsfield-Jackson (ATL), about 16 nautical miles away.
• Alternatives. Fulton County Brown Field (FTY) has a 5,797-foot runway and Cobb County International (RYY) a 6,295-foot runway. CBP’s fact sheets for Brown Field and Cobb give the same 8 am to 4 pm inspection window and 24 hours’ notice.

Arriving in Nassau

The airport. Lynden Pindling International Airport (NAS, ICAO MYNN) has two runways: 14/32 at 11,107 feet and 9/27 at 8,273 feet.

The FBOs. Odyssey Aviation and JET Nassau both list customs on site and round-the-clock service.

Customs and immigration. On arrival, passengers and crew clear Bahamian customs and immigration at the FBO, and nobody leaves the aircraft until clearance is complete. Charter flights file a General Declaration, and the Bahamas charge a departure tax of $29 per passenger, including infants. Operators are also being billed back-dated air navigation fees, Nassau flights included; Bahamas private jet fees sets out what that means for a charter.

Documents. A passport valid for at least six months for every traveller. The Bahamas do not accept passport cards. See Teterboro to Nassau for the full arrival guide.

Coming home to Atlanta

The US side decides your return time, so it is planned before the outbound is confirmed.

• Permission to land. CBP’s fact sheet for DeKalb-Peachtree (May 2024) says to contact CBP before departing the foreign airport and at least 24 hours before arrival, with a tolerance of 30 minutes either side of the estimate.
• Hours. Arrival inspection is available seven days a week from 8 am to 4 pm Eastern, according to the same sheet. Later arrivals need paid reimbursable coverage. The sheet is two years old, so Jake confirms the current hours.
• At the ramp. There is no CBP office at PDK. Officers meet the aircraft on the ramp at the FBO named in the operator’s notification, and passengers are processed planeside.
• The first landing. Under 19 CFR 122.23 to 122.25, an aircraft arriving from the Bahamas must first land for US customs at the designated airport nearest to where it crosses the coast, such as Fort Pierce or Palm Beach, unless the operator holds a CBP border overflight exemption. DeKalb-Peachtree is not on the list, so a nonstop return to Atlanta depends on that exemption. The border rules explain the details.
• Manifests. For a charter, the operator files the passenger manifest 30 minutes before the aircraft is secured and the crew manifest 60 minutes before departure. See flying private internationally.

About two hours of flying from Nassau means a return that must land before 4 pm leaves Nassau by about 1 pm or 2 pm local time after clearance. A later return needs after-hours cover or a different airport.

Which aircraft fits best

A light jet such as a Phenom 300E does the trip in about two hours and is the best value. A midsize jet suits seven or eight people with golf bags. A super-midsize adds comfort and is still within PDK’s limits. A turboprop such as a Pilatus PC-12 saves money and adds about 45 minutes, and the operator should confirm its overwater equipment. Heavy jets over 75,000 pounds are better placed at Hartsfield-Jackson.

The customs sequence, permits and manifest deadlines for any international trip are in flying private internationally.

How Jake handles this route

Jake starts with the return, because the US customs window decides when the aircraft can land in Atlanta. He confirms the operator’s Bahamian authority, collects passport details early, files the permission-to-land request and picks the Atlanta airport that fits the aircraft and the hour. He confirms the operator is ARGUS Gold or Platinum rated, arranges a car on the ramp at both ends, and plans a fallback for late returns.