The aircraft that suits a trip to or from Japan depends on four things: how far you are going, how many people are traveling, how much baggage is coming, and which airport suits each end of the trip. Two executives flying from Tokyo to Seoul for a day of meetings and a family of ten flying from San Francisco to Hokkaido for the ski season need very different aircraft, and the difference shows up in the quote.
Below are the categories we work with. When we send options, your advisor will explain why each one fits.
Passenger charter
- Piston aircraft for short flights with one or two passengers
- Turboprops for shorter regional trips within Japan
- Very Light Jets for two to four people on a short business trip within Japan
- Light jets for trips from Tokyo to Seoul, Shanghai or Taipei
- Super light jets and midsize jets for Guam and Hong Kong from Tokyo
- Super midsize jets and heavy jets for Hong Kong and Manila, and for larger groups
- Long-range jets for Honolulu, Singapore and the US West Coast
- VIP airliners for wedding parties and groups that outgrow a heavy jet
- Helicopters, where the route and conditions suit one
Open any category to see the individual aircraft, with seating, range and cabin details, or begin with the passenger charter overview.
Which category fits your trip
Distance decides a lot. From Tokyo, Seoul is about 640 nautical miles away, Hong Kong 1,570, Honolulu 3,340, Seattle 4,160 and Los Angeles 4,750; from Osaka, Hong Kong is 1,340. A light jet covers the short trips to Korea, China and Taiwan, a super midsize jet reaches Hong Kong and Manila, and a long-range jet crosses to Honolulu and, for most types, to Seattle and San Francisco in one leg. Los Angeles and the East Coast usually mean a fuel stop on the way, and the routing and any fuel stop are confirmed with the operator before you book.
Families heading to the ski resorts and groups traveling to a wedding often bring a lot of luggage, so tell us the passenger count and the baggage at the start. Both decide the aircraft as much as the distance does.
The airport matters too. Most private flights into Tokyo use Haneda or Narita, and private-jet slots at Haneda are scarce, so we often plan Narita as well. Kyoto has no airport of its own, so international flights for Kyoto land at Kansai, and the aircraft that brings your group into Japan can usually carry the same group on to other Japanese cities as part of the same trip. The runway an aircraft needs is calculated by the operator for that day’s conditions, and we confirm it with the operator for your trip.
Cargo and medical
- Air cargo charter when a shipment needs its own aircraft, whether it is urgent equipment or a full load
- Medical and air ambulance flights for patients who need medical support on board
How we choose an operator
Whichever category you end up in, the operator behind the aircraft goes through our internal due diligence before we present it. We confirm operator certification, review the operator’s safety and incident history, and confirm pilot experience and currency on the specific aircraft type. Where the operator takes part in a Wyvern or ARGUS program, we use those audits as well. Our safety page explains each step.
Get options for your trip
Call 1-888-987-5387 or request a quote online, and we will come back with aircraft that fit the trip. The phone is answered at any hour, on any day of the year.