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Nassau is the most-flown private aviation destination in the Caribbean, and from the East Coast it's one of the easiest international trips you can book — under an hour from Miami and well within range of any business jet from the Carolinas, Atlanta, or the Northeast. From The Jet Guys' home base in Upstate South Carolina, the Bahamas is a popular long-weekend market: a Friday-morning departure from Greenville puts you on Paradise Island in time for a late lunch.
This page covers what you need to plan a private charter to or from Nassau: the primary airport and FBOs, customs and immigration requirements, route data for the city pairs The Jet Guys handle most often, what to expect by season, and answers to the questions clients ask before they book. The Jet Guys is a WYVERN Registered Broker and arranges every charter through vetted Part 135 operators — and for international trips, that vetting matters more than ever.
Nassau has one international airport that handles the full range of private aviation. Several Out Island airports are also relevant if your destination is Harbour Island, the Exumas, or Bimini rather than New Providence Island itself — the choice depends on where you're actually staying.
Lynden Pindling is the primary gateway to the Bahamas and the right answer for nearly every Nassau-area trip. The airport handles every business jet category up to ultra-long-range, has two long-established FBOs serving private aviation, and offers on-field Bahamas customs and immigration plus return-clearance facilitation for U.S.-bound flights.
Worth knowing about because many Nassau-bound clients are actually heading to Harbour Island, which is a 10-minute taxi and 5-minute ferry from ELH. Flying directly into ELH skips the Nassau leg entirely.
The right choice if your destination is the Exumas — Staniel Cay, Sandals Emerald Bay, the Pig Beach area, or any of the high-end villa rentals on Great Exuma. Flying GGT direct saves a connecting hop from Nassau by boat or smaller aircraft.
For the closest Bahamian island to South Florida — under 25 minutes flight time from Fort Lauderdale.
International flights to and from the Bahamas have specific clearance requirements. Most of the paperwork is handled by the operator, but it's worth understanding the basics.
The operator files an eAPIS manifest with U.S. Customs and Border Protection before departure. Passengers need a valid U.S. passport (passport cards aren't valid for air travel internationally) and will fill out a Bahamas immigration card on arrival. Aircraft must land first at a Bahamas Airport of Entry — NAS, GGT, ELH, BIM, MHH, FPO, and several others all qualify. The pilot files Bahamas Customs Form C7A on arrival, which is straightforward and handled at the FBO.
The operator files another eAPIS manifest before departure from the Bahamas and arranges Permission to Land with U.S. CBP at the U.S. arrival airport. The aircraft must land first at a U.S. designated airport of entry with on-field CBP — and this is where the airport choice matters for clients in the Carolinas.
Charleston International (CHS) and Myrtle Beach International (MYR) both have on-field U.S. Customs and Border Protection for general aviation arrivals. This means clients flying back from the Bahamas to South Carolina don't need to clear customs in Florida and reposition — they can clear directly at CHS or MYR. The Jet Guys' Flight Desk routinely arranges Bahamas trips that originate and return through these two airports specifically for that reason.
For clients in the Greenville-Spartanburg area, a typical routing is GMU/GSP → NAS outbound and NAS → CHS or MYR → GMU/GSP on return, with customs cleared on arrival in South Carolina.
Bahamas departure tax is approximately $29 per person, paid at departure. Aircraft customs processing fees apply on inbound (typically $150 for charter aircraft over four seats). These are operator-handled and appear on the trip invoice.
The Jet Guys don't publish fixed prices because every Bahamas trip is priced differently. Rates depend on departure city, aircraft category, dates, and how operator availability lines up with your schedule. A Friday-afternoon light jet from Fort Lauderdale to NAS prices very differently from a heavy jet from New York to NAS during peak winter season.
A few factors drive Bahamas charter pricing more than others.
Mid-December through April is peak season for the Bahamas. Operators position aircraft in South Florida specifically to serve this market, which means availability is generally good — but pricing firms up, especially around Christmas/New Year's, Presidents' Day weekend, spring break, and Easter. Three to six weeks of lead time is sensible for any trip in this window.
Every operator handles international fees slightly differently, but expect line items for Bahamas customs processing, departure taxes, U.S. CBP overtime fees if your arrival is outside CBP business hours, and international handling charges at both FBOs. These are typically quoted upfront so there are no surprises on the invoice.
The Florida-to-Bahamas corridor generates more empty leg flights than nearly any other Caribbean route. Aircraft positioning into Nassau for high-season clients, then returning empty to Fort Lauderdale or Miami, come up regularly. For flexible travelers, an empty leg can meaningfully reduce the cost of a Bahamas weekend. The Jet Guys' Flight Desk tracks empty legs daily.
Nassau is well within range of any business jet from the entire eastern half of the U.S., so range isn't usually a constraint. Group size and luggage are the bigger drivers — a light jet handles 6 passengers comfortably for a long weekend with normal luggage; a mid-size jet is the right call for 7-8 passengers with heavier baggage; and a heavy jet makes sense for larger groups or extended trips with full luggage.
For a quote tailored to your specific trip, contact The Jet Guys Flight Desk.
The Bahamas has a clear seasonal pattern that drives both demand and pricing. Winter is peak. Summer is value season but comes with hurricane considerations.
Nassau is a base camp as much as a destination. Many private charter clients land at NAS and continue by short flight, charter helicopter, or boat to surrounding islands.
A 25-minute drive from NAS over the Sir Sidney Poitier Bridge. Paradise Island is home to the Atlantis resort complex, the Ocean Club, and a concentration of high-end residential properties. For most NAS arrivals, Paradise Island is the default destination.
A 10-minute drive from NAS — the closest major resort area to the airport. Baha Mar's three-hotel complex (Grand Hyatt, SLS, Rosewood) plus the original Cable Beach resort corridor make this the easiest landing-to-poolside transition in the Bahamas.
About 30 nautical miles northeast of Nassau. Most clients fly directly into North Eleuthera (ELH) — a 6,020 ft runway suitable for light through super-mid jets — and continue by 5-minute ferry. Harbour Island is famous for its pink sand beaches and a small concentration of high-end boutique hotels (Pink Sands, Dunmore, Coral Sands). Worth flying direct rather than connecting through NAS.
About 100 nautical miles southeast of Nassau. Great Exuma Airport (GGT) handles the full range of business jets and serves Sandals Emerald Bay, Grand Isle Resort, and the high-end villa market. The Exuma Cays — including Staniel Cay, Pig Beach, and the Thunderball Grotto — are accessible from GGT by short boat or seaplane charter.
About 50 nautical miles east of Miami, often a short hop from South Florida rather than a Nassau side trip. South Bimini Airport (BIM) handles light through super-mid jets. Resorts World Bimini is the main draw, plus the marlin fishing tradition that put Bimini on the map.
The Out Islands (Andros, Cat Island, San Salvador, Long Island, Crooked Island) are accessible primarily by smaller turboprops and light jets given runway constraints. The Jet Guys' Flight Desk regularly arranges multi-stop trips combining a Nassau base with Out Island day trips for fishing, diving, or remote villa stays.
Lynden Pindling International (NAS) is the right choice for any Nassau-area trip — Paradise Island, Atlantis, Cable Beach, Baha Mar, and downtown Nassau. The 11,000 ft runway accommodates every business jet category, on-field customs and immigration are available, and both Odyssey Aviation and Jet Nassau provide full FBO services. If your destination is Harbour Island, fly directly into ELH instead. For the Exumas, fly into GGT.
Pricing depends on your departure city, aircraft category, dates, and operator availability. South Florida-to-Nassau is the shortest and most flexible route; Northeast and Carolinas-to-Nassau are typically priced for light or mid-size jets. Peak winter season firms up pricing, especially around major holidays and Presidents' Day. International handling and Bahamas customs fees are additional line items but are quoted upfront. The Jet Guys' Flight Desk provides fixed-price quotes through vetted Part 135 operators — request a quote here.
Yes — the Florida-to-Bahamas corridor generates more empty legs than nearly any other Caribbean route. Aircraft positioning into Nassau for high-season clients regularly return empty to Fort Lauderdale, Miami, or further north. Empty legs require date flexibility but can substantially reduce the cost of a Bahamas long weekend. The Jet Guys' Flight Desk tracks empty legs daily. Learn more about empty leg flights.
Not necessarily — and this is worth knowing if you're based in the Carolinas. Both Charleston International (CHS) and Myrtle Beach International (MYR) have on-field U.S. Customs and Border Protection for general aviation arrivals. That means the operator can file the return eAPIS manifest directly to CHS or MYR, clear customs on arrival in South Carolina, and skip the Florida stopover entirely. The Jet Guys' Flight Desk regularly arranges Bahamas trips that originate from and return to these airports specifically for this reason.
Roughly 2 hours 10 minutes nonstop from Greenville-Spartanburg (GSP) or Greenville Downtown (GMU) to NAS. This is well within the range of any light jet for a 6-passenger trip, and a mid-size jet handles 7-8 passengers with full luggage comfortably. Both options are commonly available for charter.
Yes, and these are some of the most-requested multi-leg itineraries in the Caribbean. A typical example: arrive Nassau Friday afternoon for a hotel stay, fly to GGT Saturday morning for a day in the Exumas, return to Nassau or fly directly back to the U.S. Sunday. The Jet Guys' Flight Desk regularly builds island-hopping itineraries through one aircraft and crew. Contact us to discuss your routing.
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