The Essendon curfew decides more about a Melbourne charter than the aircraft does. Jets cannot operate there between 11pm and 6am, which rules out the field for a flight home after a dinner, a late board meeting or anything arriving from a later time zone. Essendon Fields is 10 km from the city and has a private terminal, so it is where you want to be. Tullamarine and Moorabbin have no Commonwealth curfew, and Navair says it can fly from both 24 hours a day, but they are further out.
On price, a light jet to Sydney runs about $11,000 to $18,000 depending on the operator, Melbourne to Adelaide is $10,500 for a same-day return with Navair, and Melbourne to the Gold Coast starts at $20,355 according to Airly. Perth is the expensive one at $50,000 to $60,000 and up.
Prices shown are published estimates only. Your final price will depend on the aircraft available, travel date, route, passenger numbers, luggage and any additional fees. Request a quote from the charter company for an exact price.
What the curfew rules out
Under the Air Navigation (Essendon Fields Airport) Regulations 2018, jets cannot operate at Essendon between 11pm and 6am unless the flight is an emergency or police operation and the aircraft is 50,000 kg or under. Propeller aircraft under 45,000 kg with a noise certificate may still fly. Essendon also cannot be nominated as a planned alternate airport, so it cannot be your backup. Penalties reach $55,500.
In practice, a dinner that runs late means Tullamarine, which is about 23 km from the CBD against about 10 km for Essendon. If your return is likely to slip late, book Tullamarine at the outset rather than discovering the problem on the night.
Essendon handles around 50,000 aircraft movements a year and ExecuJet runs a fixed base operation there, meaning a private terminal for charter passengers. Navair operates a lounge. Textron Aviation opened a new service facility on the field in May 2026.
Moorabbin, in the south-east, has no Commonwealth curfew either. For anyone on that side of the city it removes a cross-town drive.
Prices from Melbourne
| Route | Distance | Published price | Basis | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melbourne to Sydney | 706 km | $10,500 to $13,000 | Light jet, return, ex GST | FlightCharter |
| Melbourne to Sydney | 706 km | From $11,500 plus GST | Same-day return, up to 4 passengers | Navair |
| Melbourne to Sydney | 706 km | $12,000 to $18,000 light, $18,000 to $25,000 midsize | Charter, basis not stated | Charter One |
| Melbourne to Adelaide | 642 km | $10,500 | Light jet or turboprop, same-day return | Navair |
| Melbourne to Gold Coast | 1,329 km | $20,355 to $57,500+ | Charter | Airly |
| Melbourne to Gold Coast | 1,329 km | From $12,786 | One way, jet card member | Airly |
| Melbourne to Hobart | Not stated | From $3,030 per person | 4 passengers, Citation Mustang, same-day return, incl. GST | Navair |
| Melbourne to Perth | 2,706 km | $50,000 to $60,000+ | Midsize or heavy, return | FlightCharter |
| Melbourne to Perth | 2,706 km | From about $50,000 light, about $60,000 midsize | Trip type not stated | Charter One |
| Melbourne to Cairns | Not stated | $60,000 | Mid or heavy jet | Navair |
| Melbourne regional circuit | Mildura and Griffith | About $12,500 plus GST | 8 passengers, King Air, undated | Adagold |
Prices checked: 7 September 2026.
Navair prices Melbourne to Hobart per person, which is unusual in charter and easy to misread. At $3,030 a head for four passengers on a Citation Mustang, the aircraft comes to roughly $12,120 including GST. The Mustang seats four, so that is a full cabin. A fifth passenger means a different aircraft and a different price, not a smaller share of the same one.
Adelaide, the Gold Coast and Brisbane
Adelaide is 642 km, about 40 to 50 minutes in the air, and Navair's $10,500 same-day return is among the cheaper interstate charters published anywhere. Six people makes that $1,750 each. Adelaide has an 11pm to 6am curfew, but low-noise jets under 34,000 kg may still operate, averaging about six movements a month, and must route over Gulf St Vincent. On 29 September 2026 FlightCharter listed an Adelaide to Tullamarine empty leg on a Legacy 600 at $12,500 excluding GST.
The Gold Coast is 1,329 km and Airly's $20,355 to $57,500 range is wide because it spans aircraft classes. Its jet card rate of $12,786 one way is the more useful figure for anyone flying the route often. The Gold Coast curfew also permits low-noise jets under 34,000 kg, with about four business jet movements a month on average. On 29 September 2026 FlightCharter listed Essendon to Gold Coast on a G650ER at $31,000 excluding GST.
Brisbane has no published charter price from Melbourne at all, despite 3.65 million airline passengers on the route in 2025 (BITRE). At 1,379 km, in our reading, a quote should land nearer the Gold Coast figures than the Sydney ones.
Cup week and the Grand Prix
FlightCharter and Charter One both flag the Melbourne Cup and the Australian Grand Prix as peak, alongside Christmas and Easter.
Charter One says a booking made inside 48 hours typically costs 20 to 30 per cent more than one made further out. Charter One also says booking a month ahead usually gets a better rate, so for Cup week or the Grand Prix, book early.
Who you can book through
| Company | Melbourne presence | Focus | Operator or broker |
|---|---|---|---|
| Navair | Essendon lounge | Mustang through to Falcon 7X, 20-hour jet card | Holds a certificate, CASA.AOC.0056 |
| Airly | Adelaide to Hamilton Island network | Jet cards on Mustang, Phenom 100, CJ2 | Broker, states it is not an airline |
| FlightCharter | Essendon and Tullamarine empty legs | Charter, published empty legs | Broker, states it holds no AOC |
| Charter One Aviation | Not stated | Charter, published cost guides | Not found on the CASA register |
| The Air Charter Group | Not stated | Charter enquiries | Not found on the CASA register |
| Adagold Aviation | Not stated | Group and regional movements | Not found on the CASA register |
| ACAM Pacific | Not stated | Aircraft management and charter | Not found on the CASA register |
| ExecuJet | Essendon FBO | Fixed base operation, not a charter seller | Not applicable |
| Black Jet | Sydney to Melbourne only | Unlimited monthly membership, pre-order | Awaiting regulatory approval, its website says |
We checked this list against the CASA register on 29 September 2026, and the results change how you should read it. Navair holds CASA.AOC.0056. Airly and FlightCharter both say plainly on their own sites that they are not operators: Airly describes itself as a booking agent and states that the operators it uses hold the certificates, and FlightCharter calls itself an air charter broker. That disclosure is a point in their favour rather than against them, but it means the company you pay is not the company flying you, and you should still ask which operator is. The remaining four did not appear under the names we searched, which is not proof they lack a certificate, since the register lists legal entities rather than trading names.
Black Jet needs its own note because it is taking pre-orders and is not yet flying. The offer is unlimited Sydney to Melbourne flights for a flat monthly fee on a new turboprop with two pilots, and Black Jet is awaiting regulatory approval, its website says. We checked the CASA register on 29 September 2026 and could not find an entry for it. The monthly price is not published. Treat it as a pre-order.
Empty legs into and out of Melbourne
Both Melbourne fields appear regularly in operator listings. FlightCharter's sectors on 29 September 2026, all excluding GST, included Sydney to Essendon on a Praetor 500 at $8,500, Sydney to Tullamarine and Adelaide to Tullamarine on a Legacy 600 at $12,500, Brisbane to Tullamarine on a Challenger 604 at $13,000, Tullamarine to Hamilton Island on a Challenger 604 at $16,000, Essendon to Gold Coast on a G650ER at $31,000 and Auckland to Tullamarine on a Legacy 600 at $31,000.
On that list, more sectors ran into Melbourne than out of it, so if you are flying here and can move your dates, it is worth asking.
Common questions
Can a private jet fly out of Essendon at night?
No. Jets cannot operate at Essendon Fields between 11pm and 6am under the Air Navigation (Essendon Fields Airport) Regulations 2018, except in an emergency or police operation, and the field cannot be used as a planned alternate. Propeller aircraft under 45,000 kg with a noise certificate can. For a late jet departure use Tullamarine, which has no Commonwealth curfew.
Which Melbourne airport is closest to the city for a private jet?
Essendon Fields, at about 10 km from the CBD, against roughly 23 km for Tullamarine.
How much is private jet hire in Melbourne per hour?
Light jets run about $3,000 to $6,000 per flight hour, midsize $6,000 to $10,000 and heavy jets $10,000 to $15,000 or more, on rates published by FlightCharter, Charter One and Air Charter Network. Air Charter Network notes most operators bill a minimum of one and a half to two hours per flight, so a short sector is not charged by the minute.
How long is Melbourne to Adelaide on a private jet?
About 40 to 50 minutes. Airly says roughly 50; Air Charter Network puts a Phenom 300 at about 40.
Do I need a passport to fly private to Queenstown or Auckland?
Yes, you need a passport. Confirm with the operator which Melbourne airport will clear customs for your flight. Navair publishes Sydney to Queenstown at $45,000 and Sydney to Auckland at $100,000 on 2024 pricing as a guide to scale. No company publishes Melbourne figures for these sectors.
Compare Melbourne operators or request quotes for your route.