A private jet Miami trip has five airports to choose from, and the choice is not mainly about runway length. South Florida carries three different customs categories across those five fields, and that is what decides where an international flight can land. JETAURA works as a charter broker, and a private jet Miami request starts with that question rather than with the aircraft.
Depending on the aircraft type, private flights can use a wide range of airports, including smaller airfields that scheduled aircraft do not serve regularly. Around Miami those differences are set out airport by airport in our airport guides.
Tell us your destination, travel date and number of passengers, and our aviation team will check what fits. Your enquiry is not binding.
Request a flightThe five airports at a glance
| Main runway | Customs status | Worth knowing | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opa-locka Executive (OPF) | 8,002 ft × 150 ft | Landing Rights Airport | The main runway is closed nightly and needs 60 minutes' prior permission |
| Miami Executive (TMB) | 6,000 ft × 150 ft | Landing Rights Airport | Both jet runways are rated FAIR; the field is unattended outside 06:00–21:00 |
| Fort Lauderdale Executive (FXE) | 6,002 ft × 100 ft | Landing Rights Airport | Landing weights above 56,000 lb single wheel need permission, obtainable Mon–Fri only |
| Miami International (MIA) | 13,016 ft × 150 ft | Airport of Entry | Aircraft above 78 ft wingspan may not enter the general aviation ramp |
| Boca Raton (BCT) | 6,276 ft × 150 ft | User Fee Airport | Customs available Thursday to Monday only, 10:30 to 18:30 |
Runway, bearing, customs and access figures come from the FAA National Flight Data Center, including its remarks fields, data current for 3 September to 1 October 2026. Palm Beach International is not covered here: its FAA record was not retrievable when we checked.
Opa-locka in figures
| Codes | OPF · ICAO KOPF |
| Runways | 09L/27R: 8,002 ft · 12/30: 6,800 ft · 09R/27L: 4,306 ft declared |
| Landing distance available | 6,000 ft on runway 12, against 6,800 ft published |
| Bearing strength | 120,000 lb single wheel · 249,000 lb double wheel, on 09L/27R and 12/30 |
| Weight limit for charter | none recorded by the FAA |
| Tower | 07:00 to 23:00; field attendance continuous |
| Customs | Landing Rights Airport, CBP 09:00 to 24:00 daily |
| Location | 10 miles north of Miami |
Figures come from the FAA National Flight Data Center, data current for 3 September to 1 October 2026, and from the Miami-Dade Aviation Department. The airport is owned by Miami-Dade County.
Three customs regimes across five airports
This is the part of a South Florida trip that is easiest to get wrong, because the airports look interchangeable and are not.
Miami International is an Airport of Entry. The FAA states it plainly: "Not a Landing Rights Airport — Airport of Entry". An arrival from abroad is handled under the regular customs regime.
Opa-locka, Miami Executive and Fort Lauderdale Executive are Landing Rights Airports, each recorded by the FAA as "NOT an Airport of Entry". That is a different arrangement. US Customs and Border Protection publishes what it means for Opa-locka:
"Pilots must secure permission to land by contacting CBP no less than one hour but no more than 24 hours in advance of the anticipated arrival time at KOPF."
"Permission to land is granted with a tolerance of (+/-) 30 minutes. If your ETA deviates outside these parameters, previously granted permission(s) are invalid and you must contact the CBP port to re-secure permission to land."
That half-hour window is the line worth remembering. Permission is granted for a slot, not for a day. CBP adds that flights arriving within an hour of closing time may be diverted to another international airport with supervisory approval, and that at Fort Lauderdale the last inbound flight must be blocked and ready for processing by 23:30.
Boca Raton is a third category again, a US Customs User Fee Airport. The FAA record gives the service as available Thursday to Monday, 10:30 to 18:30, and adds that arrivals outside those hours need advance request and approval by US Customs. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays no regular customs service is listed.
We set out the status because it decides which airports are even candidates. What a particular flight requires is a question for CBP and for the operating carrier, not for a broker's website.
The main runway that closes every night
The Miami-Dade Aviation Department describes Opa-locka as "open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week". That is true of the field. It is not true of the runway you would want to use.
The FAA record says:
"RWY 09L-27R CLSD DLY 0400-1200Z++ EXC PPR 60 MINS-305-869-1660."
"RWY 09R-27L CLSD DLY 0400-1200Z++."
In local time that is midnight to 08:00 in summer, 23:00 to 07:00 in winter. The 8,002-foot main runway is closed every night and usable only with 60 minutes' prior permission by telephone. The short parallel runway is closed in the same window with no exception at all. Without that call, the runway left at night is 12/30.
The lighting works the same way. Outside tower hours the main runway's approach lighting, PAPI and runway edge lights cannot be switched on by radio; the FAA record requires 30 minutes' notice by telephone. Runway 12/30 is pilot-activated on the common frequency.
None of this is a noise rule and none of it is a curfew. Opa-locka has no night flying ban. What it has is a night infrastructure position that puts an unannounced arrival on the shorter runway.
The 6,800-foot runway that lands at 6,000
Runway 12/30 is published at 6,800 feet, and the airport's own page gives that figure. The number that governs an arrival on runway 12 is 6,000 feet, because the threshold is displaced by 800 feet. In the opposite direction, on runway 30, the full 6,800 feet is available.
Boca Raton has the same pattern on both ends. Its 6,276-foot runway gives 5,580 feet of landing distance on runway 05 and 5,898 feet on runway 23.
The 40,000-pound rule that is not a weight limit
A second figure is easy to misread. The FAA record for Opa-locka reads:
"NOISE SENSITIVE ARPT. FLT T IS LTD TO ACFT 40000 LBS MAX GROSS TKOF WT & BLW & ONLY BTN 0700-2300."
Read quickly, that looks like a 40,000-pound ceiling on the airport. "FLT T" is the FAA's abbreviation for flight training, and two sources settle it. The FAA writes the abbreviation out in full in its record for Miami Executive, as "FLT TRNG". And the Miami-Dade Aviation Department states it in plain words on its own page: "Flight training activities are limited to aircraft weighing less than 40,000 lbs."
So the figure restricts training flights, not charter. It is also expressed as maximum gross take-off weight, which is the certified figure rather than the weight on the day. The FAA records no weight ceiling for charter operations at Opa-locka. What limits the aircraft there is the pavement: 120,000 pounds single wheel and 249,000 pounds double wheel on runways 09L/27R and 12/30.
One caveat belongs with this. The FAA gives the training window as ending at 23:00, the airport operator gives it as ending at 21:00. We have not been able to resolve which is current.
Fort Lauderdale weighs what you actually land with
Fort Lauderdale Executive works on a different principle, and it is the one worth understanding before a heavy aircraft is offered. The FAA record says:
"PPR FOR ACFT IN EXCESS OF RY WEIGHT BEARING CAPACITY. CALL AMGR MON-FRI 954-828-4955."
The airport names the threshold and, unusually, names what it applies to: "Landing Weight Limits: S-56, D-81, landing weights in excess require prior permission". Landing weight — the weight the aircraft actually arrives with, not its certified maximum. Readers of our New York guide will recognise the construction from Teterboro, with two differences. This is not a ceiling but a permission threshold: above it the flight is allowed if the airport manager agrees. And the office that agrees is staffed Monday to Friday, which matters for a weekend arrival with heavy equipment.
Two figures decide private jet charter Fort Lauderdale operations, and both are lower than at Opa-locka. The main runway is 6,002 feet by 100 feet, the narrowest jet runway of the airports here. Its bearing strength, 56,000 pounds single wheel, is the lowest as well.
What binds at night in Fort Lauderdale, and what does not
At Fort Lauderdale the question has been settled by the regulator rather than left to interpretation. The city applied to make several night measures formally binding. In 2005 the FAA refused, item by item, and its wording is worth quoting: "Disapproved as to Formalizing the Procedure; Continuation of the Current Procedure on a Voluntary Basis Is Approved". The night runway preference and both versions of the "Quiet One" departure procedure were refused in the same way, each left in place as a voluntary measure.
One measure was approved as binding: the prohibition on maintenance engine run-ups between 19:00 and 07:00, which the FAA notes is "formally codified in the Aviation section of the Fort Lauderdale City Code". The FAA record confirms it: "MAINTENANCE ENGINE RUN-UPS PROHIBITED 1900-0700."
A second binding instruction exists, but it comes from air traffic control rather than a noise rule. A letter of agreement between the Miami and Fort Lauderdale towers, revised in 2004, requires controllers to assign a heading of 330 degrees to all turbojet aircraft departing runway 8 between 23:00 and 07:00, emergency Lifeguard flights excepted. The airport still published it in 2026.
The airport labels its own night measures as voluntary where they are: "Voluntary nighttime … Preferential Runway for Departures is Runway 27 for all aircraft, wind permitting" and "Voluntary restriction of jet aircraft on Runway 13-31". The runway 13/31 closure is not voluntary: the FAA gives it as closed from 03:00 to 12:00 UTC whenever runway 09/27 is operating full length, which is 22:00 to 07:00 local time in winter and an hour later in summer.
Boca Raton is the clearest of all on this point. Its operator writes the word in capitals: "Night-Time VOLUNTARY CURFEW — 22:00 – 07:00". The FAA record matches, and the one rule there without the word "voluntary" is again the run-up prohibition.
Which FBO handles private flights at Opa-locka airport
There is no single Opa-locka FBO. A fixed base operator is the terminal a private flight is handled through, away from the scheduled terminal a passenger airline would use, and in South Florida they are spread across five airports.
| Airport | FBO | Operator |
|---|---|---|
| Opa-locka (OPF) | Signature Opa-Locka | Signature Aviation |
| Opa-locka (OPF) | Atlantic Aviation Miami/Opa-Locka | Atlantic Aviation |
| Opa-locka (OPF) | Jet Aviation Miami – Opa Locka | Jet Aviation |
| Opa-locka (OPF) | Fontainebleau Aviation | Fontainebleau Aviation |
| Fort Lauderdale (FXE) | Banyan Air Service | Banyan Air Service |
| Fort Lauderdale (FXE) | Signature Fort Lauderdale Exec | Signature Aviation |
| Fort Lauderdale (FXE) | Atlantic Aviation Fort Lauderdale | Atlantic Aviation |
| Miami Executive (TMB) | Signature TMB | Signature Aviation |
| Boca Raton (BCT) | Atlantic Aviation Boca Raton | Atlantic Aviation |
| Boca Raton (BCT) | Signature Flight Support Boca Raton | Signature Aviation |
| Miami International (MIA) | Signature Miami | Signature Aviation |
One count needs a note. The Miami-Dade Aviation Department lists three FBOs at Opa-locka, naming Atlantic, Fontainebleau and Signature. Jet Aviation lists Opa-locka as one of its own locations. We give all four and say where each name comes from.
Opening hours differ more than the names suggest. Signature at Opa-locka operates around the clock; at Fort Lauderdale it gives 06:00 to midnight, and at Miami Executive 06:00 to 21:00, which is the same window in which the FAA records the airport as attended at all. How long before departure you need to arrive is set by the airport, the terminal and the operator, and we confirm it with your booking.
What Opa-locka is used for
The FAA describes Opa-locka as "a medium sized primarily general and business aviation airport located in Miami-Dade County Florida". The county calls it the largest of the general aviation airports it owns. The US Coast Guard's Air Station Miami is based there.
One safety note is on the record. The FAA writes: "A Wrong Airport Landing risk exists between KOPF and KMIA. The airports are six miles apart with similar runway configurations."
The other airports, and where each one stops
Miami International (MIA) is the only Airport of Entry among them, and the only one of the five with a wingspan limit on its general aviation ramp. The FAA record states: "PPR 3 HRS PRIOR TO ALL ARRIVALS ON THE GENERAL AVIATION CENTER (GAC) RAMP … ACFT WITH WINGSPAN GREATER THAN 78 FT ARE PROHIBITED FROM ENTERING THE GAC RAMP." That is a geometry limit rather than a weight limit, and it sits below the wingspan of the large long-range cabins. Prior permission applies to every arrival, not once per aircraft. Its runways reach 13,016 feet, though displaced thresholds reduce that to 11,397 feet of landing distance on runway 09, and runway 30 loses 1,447 feet against its published length.
Miami Executive (TMB) has a 6,000-foot main runway and 87,000 pounds of single-wheel bearing strength. Both jet runways are rated FAIR by the FAA. The airport is attended from 06:00 to 21:00 and the tower staffed from 07:00 to 23:00. Its 5,003-foot and 4,001-foot runways close overnight while the 6,000-foot main runway stays open. A binding noise procedure applies: no turns below 1,000 feet.
Boca Raton (BCT) has a 6,276-foot runway with both thresholds displaced, 66,000 pounds of single-wheel bearing strength and no instrument landing system. The FAA notes that aircraft parking is limited during VIP temporary flight restrictions.
Which aircraft classes a private jet charter to Miami can use
JETAURA describes four aircraft categories. Miami private jet charter operations are settled by four published figures rather than one: bearing strength, runway length, the nightly runway position at Opa-locka, and at Miami International the wingspan limit on the general aviation ramp. All of them are read against the operator's own performance calculation for the day.
| Class | Suited to | Practical note for South Florida |
|---|---|---|
| Light jets | Shorter routes and smaller groups | The shortest main runway of the five is Miami Executive at 6,000 feet; Boca Raton has no instrument landing system |
| Midsize jets | More space and range for longer journeys | Fort Lauderdale's 56,000-pound landing weight threshold is the first figure to check |
| Heavy jets | Considerable space and comfort for larger groups and longer distances | Opa-locka's main runway carries 120,000 pounds single wheel over 8,002 feet; a night arrival without prior permission is on the 6,000-foot landing distance |
| Ultra long range jets | Designed for particularly long international connections | The 78-foot wingspan limit on the Miami International general aviation ramp sits below the large long-range cabins; the runways elsewhere are 6,000 to 8,002 feet |
This reflects published runway data and the operators' regulations. It is not a guarantee for a specific aircraft. Actual performance depends on take-off and landing weight, weather, runway condition and the operator's own procedures.
If you already know your dates, send them over with your destination and passenger numbers. Our aviation team will come back with suitable options and an individual offer.
Request a flightWhat influences the price of Miami private jet charter
There is no flat rate for a private jet. The factors that shape a quote include the distance flown, the aircraft type, the number of passengers, the travel date, availability, the positioning of the aircraft, airport charges and any additional services requested.
Two of those are unusually visible here. The customs status of the airport shapes what an international arrival involves, and the nightly runway position at Opa-locka shapes what a late arrival involves. Whether a different airport serves the trip better is part of what we check.
You receive no blanket "from" promise from us. You receive an offer tailored to your journey, with the relevant costs set out before you book. Our private jet charter service works the same way for every route.
How a request works
A Miami jet charter request starts with four things: departure point, destination, travel date and passenger numbers. We check which aircraft are available, you receive suitable options and an individual offer, and once you confirm, we coordinate the remaining steps with the operator in charge. The flight itself is operated by the relevant air carrier; JETAURA arranges it.
Your enquiry is not binding. A booking only comes into being once you have expressly confirmed it. If your dates are flexible, empty leg flights may be worth considering, though they follow an operator's existing schedule and are less flexible on route and departure time.
Frequently asked questions about private jet charter in Miami
Which airport do private jets use in Miami?
Opa-locka Executive, ten miles north of the city, is a general aviation and business aviation airport with an 8,002-foot main runway. Miami Executive, Fort Lauderdale Executive, Boca Raton and Miami International also take private flights, across three different customs regimes.
Can a private jet clear customs at Opa-locka?
Yes, but not automatically. The FAA records Opa-locka as a Landing Rights Airport rather than an Airport of Entry, so Customs and Border Protection grants permission for each individual landing, between one and 24 hours ahead. Permission carries a tolerance of plus or minus 30 minutes, after which it lapses and must be sought again. CBP decides each case.
Does Opa-locka have a curfew?
No. There is no night flying ban. What exists is a nightly runway closure: the 8,002-foot main runway is closed from midnight to 08:00 local time in summer, 23:00 to 07:00 in winter, and is usable only with 60 minutes' prior permission by telephone, and the short parallel runway is closed in that window without exception. Runway 12/30 remains available.
Is there a weight limit at Opa-locka airport?
Not one recorded by the FAA. The 40,000-pound figure applies to flight training only, and is expressed as maximum gross take-off weight. The limits that do apply to a charter arrival are the FAA pavement ratings on runways 09L/27R and 12/30: 120,000 pounds single wheel, 249,000 pounds double wheel.
Which FBOs are at Opa-locka airport?
Four are documented: Signature Opa-Locka, Atlantic Aviation, Jet Aviation and Fontainebleau Aviation. The Miami-Dade Aviation Department names only three of them on its own page, omitting Jet Aviation, which lists Opa-locka as one of its own locations. Three more are documented at Fort Lauderdale Executive.
Can a large private jet land at Miami International?
On the runways, yes, they reach 13,016 feet. The constraint is on the ground: the FAA prohibits aircraft with a wingspan greater than 78 feet from entering the general aviation ramp, and that sits below the large long-range cabins. Arrivals on that ramp also need three hours' prior permission.
More general questions about booking, aircraft and on-board service are answered in our frequently asked questions. Other destinations are listed in our airport guides, including New York.
Tell us your route
A private jet to Miami turns on two questions that are settled before an aircraft is chosen: where the flight clears customs, and what time it arrives. Send us your departure point, destination, travel date and number of passengers, and our aviation team will check which aircraft fits and which of the five airports suits the trip.
Your enquiry is not binding. A booking only comes into being once you have expressly confirmed it. If your dates are flexible, mention that too.
Sources
- FAA National Flight Data Center, Opa-locka Executive (KOPF), data current for 3 September to 1 October 2026 — accessed 14 September 2026
- FAA National Flight Data Center, Miami Executive (KTMB), data current for 3 September to 1 October 2026 — accessed 14 September 2026
- FAA National Flight Data Center, Fort Lauderdale Executive (KFXE), data current for 3 September to 1 October 2026 — accessed 14 September 2026
- FAA National Flight Data Center, Miami International (KMIA), data current for 3 September to 1 October 2026 — accessed 14 September 2026
- FAA National Flight Data Center, Boca Raton (KBCT), data current for 3 September to 1 October 2026 — accessed 14 September 2026
- FAA, Know Before You Go: KOPF, last updated 9 June 2026 — accessed 14 September 2026
- FAA, Know Before You Go: KFXE, last updated 9 June 2026 — accessed 14 September 2026
- FAA, Approval of Noise Compatibility Program, Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, Federal Register volume 70 number 21, 2 February 2005, pages 5504 to 5508 — accessed 14 September 2026
- US Customs and Border Protection, General Aviation Airport Fact Sheet for Miami Opa Locka Executive, publication KOPF-0224, 22 February 2024 — accessed 14 September 2026
- US Customs and Border Protection, fact sheet for Fort Lauderdale Executive, 4 December 2025 — accessed 14 September 2026
- Miami-Dade Aviation Department, Opa-locka Executive Airport — accessed 14 September 2026
- Miami-Dade Aviation Department, Miami Executive Airport — accessed 14 September 2026
- Miami-Dade Aviation Department, General Aviation — accessed 14 September 2026
- City of Fort Lauderdale, Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, Airfield Information, archived copy of 12 May 2026, the live site being blocked — accessed 14 September 2026
- City of Fort Lauderdale, Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, Noise Abatement for Pilots, archived copy of 12 May 2026, the live site being blocked — accessed 14 September 2026
- Boca Raton Airport Authority, Noise Abatement Procedures for Pilots — accessed 14 September 2026
- Boca Raton Airport Authority, FBOs — accessed 14 September 2026
- Signature Aviation, South Florida location pages — accessed 14 September 2026
- Atlantic Aviation, South Florida location pages — accessed 14 September 2026
- Jet Aviation, South Florida location pages — accessed 14 September 2026
- Banyan Air Service, South Florida location pages — accessed 14 September 2026