Paris Le Bourget FBOs: which one to choose, and how a private jet arrival works

An FBO, for Fixed Base Operator, is the private terminal of business aviation: the building where passengers and crews arrive and depart, with lounges, customs, luggage handling and aircraft services. At Le Bourget there is no common terminal for private flights: your FBO is your terminal.

Paris Le Bourget has been dedicated to business aviation since the early 1980s and is today the busiest business aviation airport in Europe. Its advantage over Charles de Gaulle or Orly is simple: no crowded terminal, no long walk, and formalities handled in a few minutes inside the FBO itself.

Eight FBOs operate at Paris Le Bourget. In alphabetical order: Advanced Air Support, Astonsky, Dassault Falcon Service, ExecuJet (Luxaviation group), Jetex, Signature Aviation, Skyvalet and Universal Aviation.

They range from large international networks, with several lounges, conference rooms and hangars able to take long-range jets, to smaller, more personal terminals. All of them handle passengers, crews and aircraft; the differences lie in the size of the facilities, the hangar capacity and the style of welcome.

In practice, the FBO is usually chosen by the aircraft operator or the flight department, often according to their existing contracts, rather than by the passenger. If you are chartering, it is still worth asking which FBO is planned, and saying so if you have a preference.

There is no single “best” FBO at Le Bourget: there is the one that fits the flight. A few questions make the choice clear.

The aircraft. Large long-range jets need hangar space and handling that not every FBO offers. Your operator will know which ones can take the aircraft.

Privacy. If discretion matters, ask about private lounges and how passengers move between the aircraft and the car. Some terminals offer separate lounges for each party.

Car access. Ask whether your chauffeur can meet you at the terminal entrance only, or, with prior authorisation, closer to the aircraft. The rules vary with each FBO and with security conditions, so it must be arranged in advance.

Timing. Arrivals are possible around the clock, but jet departures are not allowed between 22:15 and 06:00. A late dinner in Paris followed by a same-night departure needs to be planned against that window.

After landing, the aircraft taxis to its FBO’s apron. The FBO team meets the aircraft and takes care of the luggage while you walk, or are driven, the few metres to the terminal.

Customs and immigration take place inside the FBO, 24 hours a day, usually in five to ten minutes, with no queue and no fee for clearance. This is the single biggest difference with a commercial arrival, where passengers clear customs in the main terminal with everyone else.

A few minutes later, you are at the terminal exit, where your car should already be waiting, luggage loaded.

Le Bourget is about 13 km north-east of central Paris, reached by the A1 and A3 motorways. Depending on the time of day, the drive takes 20 minutes to 1 hour 30: early morning and late evening are quick, the weekday morning and evening rush are not.

Every second year, in June, the airport also hosts the Paris Air Show: the next edition is in June 2027. Expect heavy traffic and restricted access around the airfield during the show.

We meet private flights at all the Le Bourget FBOs as part of our airport transfers. Send us the FBO, the aircraft registration or flight details and the estimated arrival time: we coordinate with the FBO, follow the flight, and the car is at the terminal before you clear customs.

For guests who want more, our VIP Meet & Greet accompanies you through every step, and a car held by the hour stays with you for the rest of the day. For a group or a large amount of luggage, a V-Class or several coordinated vehicles are the right choice.