Private jet from Teterboro to Miami: Opa-locka, MIA or Miami Executive

What goes into the price

The price of a Miami trip has the same parts as any domestic charter:

• flight time at the operator’s hourly rate
• positioning if the aircraft has to come from elsewhere or go home empty
• the 7.5% federal excise tax
• a $5.30 per-passenger segment fee for 2026
• handling at both ends
• crew costs if the aircraft waits
• catering
• de-icing on a cold Teterboro morning

The Miami airport you choose can make a small difference. Miami-Dade County says Opa-locka has no landing fees. Miami International charges them, and its general aviation ramp is run separately from the FBO. FBO handling fees aren’t published at any of the Miami airports, so Jake gets them per trip.

What makes this route cheaper or more expensive

Art Basel week. Art Basel Miami Beach runs December 4 to 6, 2026, and private aviation demand is high for the whole week around it. In 2018, Miami Today reported 70 to 100 private arrivals a day at Opa-locka during the fair. Prices and FBO parking both get tight. Book early.

Holidays and the winter season. Miami’s dry season runs roughly mid-October to mid-May, which is when most of the private traffic from New York happens. Thanksgiving, Christmas to New Year’s and the spring weeks are the most expensive.

Spring events. The Miami Open is scheduled for March 14 to 28, 2027, subject to change, at Hard Rock Stadium. Ultra Music Festival is March 26 to 28, 2027, in downtown Miami. Opa-locka is about 10 minutes from Hard Rock Stadium, according to Miami-Dade County.

One-way repositioning. As with Palm Beach, much of the traffic goes south together. An aircraft that takes you down may have to fly home empty, and one-way prices reflect that.

Empty legs between New York and Miami

An empty leg is a flight the operator would fly anyway without passengers, sometimes sold at a discount. Charter Jet One says empty-leg prices can be up to 75% below a custom charter. On this route, the most likely candidates are aircraft heading back north after taking clients down. That is a general industry pattern, not published data.

An illustrative case: a super-midsize jet drops a group at Opa-locka on the Saturday after Art Basel and is due back at Teterboro on Sunday. A flexible traveler could take the northbound leg for less. Empty legs are on the operator’s schedule and can disappear at short notice. Tell Jake your window and he will look.

Choosing your Miami airport

This is the decision that matters most on the route.

	Opa-locka (OPF)	Miami International (MIA)	Miami Executive (TMB)	Fort Lauderdale Executive (FXE)
Longest runway	8,002 ft	13,016 ft	6,000 ft	6,002 ft
FBOs	Atlantic, Signature, Fontainebleau, Jet Aviation, JHSF Private Terminal	Signature only	Signature and three smaller FBOs	Signature, Atlantic, Banyan, W Aviation
Landing fees	None, per Miami-Dade County	Yes	Not stated	Not listed
Tower hours	7 am to 11 pm	24 hours	7 am to 11 pm	24 hours
Customs	9 am to midnight	24 hours	Hours vary by source; ask	8 am to midnight
Best for	Miami Beach, Bal Harbour, Sunny Isles, Design District	Brickell, Downtown, Coconut Grove, Coral Gables, Key Biscayne	Kendall, Pinecrest, south Miami-Dade	Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton

Opa-locka (OPF) is where most private flights from New York go. It’s about 10 miles north of downtown, and Miami-Dade County puts it at about 30 minutes from Miami Beach and 35 minutes from downtown. It has five FBOs. Jet Aviation opened there in November 2025 and was fully open by July 2026. The JHSF Private Terminal appears to be the former Embassair, acquired in April 2026. The control tower closes from 11 pm to 7 am, and the main runway is closed overnight without prior permission. Customs is a separate building, not inside the FBOs.

Miami International (MIA) is closest to Brickell, downtown and Coral Gables, at about 6 to 9 miles in a straight line. For private flights it comes with conditions:

• Prior permission is needed three hours before arrival on the general aviation ramp.
• Aircraft with a wingspan over 78 feet aren’t allowed on that ramp.
• There is only one FBO.
• Landing fees apply. It works well for light and midsize jets going to the south side of the city.

Miami Executive (TMB), formerly Kendall-Tamiami, is in southwest Miami-Dade. Its runways top out at 6,000 feet and have a lower pavement strength rating than Opa-locka’s, so it suits light and midsize jets. Sources disagree on its customs hours, so if you’re arriving from abroad, we confirm them first.

Fort Lauderdale Executive (FXE) is the choice for Fort Lauderdale, north Broward and Boca Raton, about 13 miles away. For South Beach it’s the furthest of the four.

Fisher Island and Key Biscayne. Fisher Island has no road. Residents and guests take a ferry from the terminal on the MacArthur Causeway, which runs every 10 to 15 minutes around the clock, and guests need security clearance arranged in advance. Key Biscayne is reached by the Rickenbacker Causeway, closest from Miami International.

Departing from Teterboro

Teterboro is about 12 miles from Midtown, roughly 22 minutes in free-flow traffic, longer on Fridays and before holidays. Its runways are 6,997 and 6,014 feet. Aircraft over 100,000 pounds at their actual weight need the Airport Manager’s permission, which doesn’t affect any aircraft you’d charter for Miami. Departures from runway 24 are limited to 80 decibels between 10 pm and 7 am, and the airport asks for voluntary restraint between 11 pm and 6 am. The FBOs are Jet Aviation, Atlantic and several Signature terminals.

From Westchester the trip is about the same length. See our Westchester to Palm Beach page for that airport’s details.

Big events and parking reservations

For major events in South Florida, the FAA hasn’t recently used slot reservations. The arrangements have been more local:

• Super Bowl LIV (2020). The FAA’s notice covered Miami International, Fort Lauderdale, Opa-locka, Fort Lauderdale Executive, Miami Executive and others. The local FBOs ran parking reservations, and flight plans had to be filed 6 to 22 hours before departure.
• World Cup matches (July 2026). Opa-locka had a 24-hour prior-permission notice. NBAA’s advice was blunt: without a required prior permission, expect to be diverted.
• Art Basel 2024. Signature’s guide reported that Opa-locka required landing and departure reservations and charged an event fee. We couldn’t confirm the 2026 arrangements yet.

In practice, the scarce thing in event weeks is parking. Jake books FBO parking and checks the notices for your dates as soon as the trip is confirmed.

Weather and timing

Miami’s rainy season runs from about May 15 to October 15. Summer heat is often broken by afternoon thunderstorms, so in summer a morning departure from Teterboro usually lands before the worst of them. Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30, peaking between mid-August and mid-October. In winter, the weather to plan for is at the Teterboro end: de-icing on cold mornings.

Customs if you’re going on to the Bahamas or Caribbean

Many clients use Miami as a stepping stone. Customs hours matter on the way back:

• Opa-locka: 9 am to midnight, seven days a week. Arrivals within an hour of closing may be turned away or diverted.
• Miami International: the general aviation center has customs 24 hours a day.
• Fort Lauderdale Executive: 8 am to midnight, and the customs ramp is closed to arriving aircraft from midnight to 8 am.

For the Caribbean, see our Teterboro to St. Barths page.

Which aircraft fits best

A light jet is the usual choice for up to six people with normal luggage, and it reaches Opa-locka nonstop in under three hours. A midsize jet is worth it for more bags or seven passengers. For larger groups, a super-midsize or heavy jet works well into Opa-locka. If you want Miami International instead, Jake checks the aircraft’s wingspan against the 78-foot limit on its general aviation ramp before quoting.

How Jake handles this route

Jake starts with where you’re staying and picks the airport from that: Opa-locka for Miami Beach and the Design District, Miami International for Brickell or Coral Gables, Fort Lauderdale Executive for Boca or Fort Lauderdale. He checks that the operator is ARGUS Gold or Platinum rated, books the car and, for Art Basel and other event weeks, secures FBO parking as soon as the trip is confirmed. He often meets clients on the ramp at Teterboro before they leave.