Private jet from Miami (Opa-locka) to Nassau, Bahamas: times, prices, entry and the return

What goes into the price of a Miami to Nassau charter?

On a 45-minute flight the minimum bill matters more than the flying. Paramount Business Jets says most operators bill a daily minimum of 2.0 to 3.0 hours, typically 2.0 for light and midsize jets, so a trip to Nassau is usually billed as if it took two hours. How much a private jet costs per hour shows the arithmetic.

Positioning. An aircraft that takes you to Nassau has to come back to Florida, and that empty leg is built into a one-way price. On a route this short the outbound and the empty return together still fit inside one daily minimum, which is why a same-day round trip costs only a little more than a one-way.

International tax. The flight is international, so the 7.5% domestic excise tax does not apply. The US international arrival and departure tax does: $23.40 per passenger for each US departure and arrival in 2026.

Bahamian charges. Bahamas Customs lists a departure tax of $29 per passenger, including infants, and an aircraft fee for charters: $150 inbound and $150 outbound for an aircraft with more than four seats, $75 each way for four seats or fewer. Handling at the Nassau FBO is quoted per trip. The Bahamas’ air navigation authority is also billing operators back to May 2021, Nassau flights included; see Bahamas private jet fees.

The rest is the usual: handling at Opa-locka, catering and ground transport.

What makes this route cheaper or more expensive?

Same day or overnight. An aircraft that waits a few hours in Nassau costs least. If you stay several nights, the aircraft usually flies home empty and comes back for you, and each of those days carries its own minimum. That is the top of the round-trip range.

Season. Florida is the busiest state for business aviation: Argus counted 384,080 business aircraft flights there in 2025, more than any other state. Ask for a quote early for holiday weeks and school breaks; we did not find an official source for Bahamas peak dates.

Aircraft size. Every category flies the route nonstop in under an hour. The smallest aircraft that fits your group and bags is usually the cheapest, and a larger jet saves only a few minutes.

Are there empty legs between Miami and Nassau?

Sometimes. Aircraft based in South Florida fly to Nassau with passengers and come back empty, and the reverse happens when a group flies home. That follows from how the trips are structured; it is broker experience, not a published statistic. On an international leg the operator’s Bahamian authority and the customs arrangements have to match the day, so an empty leg is less flexible than a domestic one. One-way charters and empty legs explains what to ask before relying on one.

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

What should you know about departing from Opa-locka?

Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport (OPF) is owned by Miami-Dade County and sits about 10 miles north of Miami. The county puts it at about 35 minutes from downtown.

• Runways. 9L/27R is 8,002 feet by 150, and 12/30 is 6,800 feet. Either is far longer than any aircraft on this route needs.
• FBOs. AirNav lists five: Atlantic Aviation, Fontainebleau Aviation, Jet Aviation, JHSF Private Terminal and Signature Aviation.
• Hours. The airport is attended around the clock, but the tower is open only from 7 am to 11 pm. The main runway, 9L/27R, is closed overnight except with prior permission, and the Chart Supplement lists Opa-locka as a noise-sensitive airport.
• Outbound clearance. CBP says a charter operator leaving the US must get outbound clearance by contacting CBP directly. You do not go through US customs on the way out; the operator files the manifest with your passport details.

What happens when you arrive 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. Passengers and crew clear Bahamian customs and immigration at the FBO, not in the airline terminal, and nobody leaves the aircraft until clearance is complete. A charter files a General Declaration, which the operator handles. The Bahamas’ Click2Clear system and its C7A form are for private pleasure flights only, so they do not apply to a charter.

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

What do you need to enter the Bahamas?

• Passport. Valid for at least six months for every traveller, including children. The Bahamas do not accept passport cards.
• Visa. US citizens do not need one for a visit of up to three months. Other nationalities should check before booking, so tell Jake each traveller’s nationality.
• Immigration card. Each traveller completes a Bahamas Immigration disembarkation and embarkation card.
• A way home. The Immigration Department asks for a return ticket or other means of leaving. A charter return normally satisfies this.

The full arrival guide is on Teterboro to Nassau.

How does the return to Miami work?

Coming home is where this route is simpler than most, with one fixed limit: the hours of US customs.

Where you may land. Federal rules (19 CFR 122.23 and 122.24) require most aircraft arriving from the Bahamas and the Caribbean to give CBP notice at least an hour before crossing the US coastline and to land first at the nearest airport on a designated list. Opa-locka is on that list. So are Miami International, Tamiami (now Miami Executive), Fort Lauderdale Executive and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood. A return to Miami therefore needs no extra stop. If you wanted to fly from Nassau straight to an airport that is not on the list, the operator would need a CBP overflight exemption or a stop at a listed airport first. Flying private to Mexico or Canada explains the rule.

Customs hours. CBP’s fact sheet for Opa-locka (December 2025) gives inspection from 9 am to midnight Eastern, seven days a week. Flights arriving within an hour of closing may be refused or diverted, so plan to land by 11 pm. There is no early-morning option: the first arrival can clear at 9 am.

Permission to land. The operator must request it at least two hours before leaving Nassau. The arrival must fall within 30 minutes either side of the time given, and any change is phoned in at once. On a 45-minute flight, that means the return time is fixed before you leave for the Nassau airport.

At Opa-locka. The aircraft parks at the CBP ramp, not at the FBO. Passengers and crew take all their bags into the federal inspection building, which is separate from the FBOs and the terminal, and leave from there once cleared. The operator files the passenger and crew manifests in advance; the deadlines are in flying private internationally.

The northern alternative. Fort Lauderdale Executive (FXE) has a 6,002-foot runway and, according to CBP’s February 2024 sheet, customs inspection generally from 8 am to 11:30 pm, with the last flight blocked in by 11:30 pm. AirNav places it 5 miles north of Fort Lauderdale, so it can suit travellers who live north of Miami.

Which aircraft fits best?

A light jet such as a Phenom 300E or Citation CJ3 is the natural fit: six or seven seats, about 45 minutes and plenty of baggage room for a few nights away. A turboprop such as a Pilatus PC-12 is the cheapest choice and only about 10 minutes slower; the operator should confirm its overwater equipment. A midsize or super-midsize jet adds seats and space for larger groups. On a 161-mile leg, a heavy jet adds cost without saving time.

How does Jake handle this route?

Jake starts with the return, because US customs hours decide when the aircraft can land back in Miami. He confirms the operator’s Bahamian authority, collects passport details early so the manifests and the permission to land can be filed, and chooses Opa-locka or Fort Lauderdale Executive to suit where you live and when you want to come home. He checks that the operator is ARGUS Gold or Platinum rated, confirms the Nassau FBO and its customs arrangements, and arranges a car on the ramp at both ends.