Ibiza. A small island airport with a very large July.
For nine months of the year Ibiza is an easy arrival. For the other three it is one of the hardest private movements in Europe to arrange well, because slots, aircraft parking, cars and villas all run short in the same fortnight.
The airport
Ibiza at a glance
- CodesIBZ / LEIBAbout 7 kilometres south west of Ibiza Town, on the flat ground behind the salt pans. Operated by Aena.
- Runway and hoursOne runway of 2,800 metres, open 24 hoursComfortable for light, midsize and super midsize aircraft. Heavier types can operate, subject to payload and to the day.
- General aviation terminalIts own building on the fieldSeparate from the main terminal, with handling by companies including Sky Valet and Aviapartner Executive. Your operator appoints the handler.
- Slots and parkingCoordinated, and genuinely tight in summerFor larger general aviation aircraft staying more than about three hours between 1 May and 15 October, stand approval has to be obtained before the airport slot can even be requested.
The general aviation apron is small and access to it is limited by aircraft size, so bigger jets are positioned elsewhere on the field. None of this is yours to solve: the operator and the handler do it. It matters to you only because it decides whether your aircraft can wait on the island or has to leave and come back.
Journey times
From the airport across the island
| To | Quiet roads | July and August |
|---|---|---|
| Ibiza Town, Dalt Vila and Marina Botafoch | 10 to 20 minutes | 25 to 40 minutes |
| Talamanca and Playa d'en Bossa | 10 to 20 minutes | 20 to 35 minutes |
| Cala Jondal and Es Cubells | 20 to 30 minutes | 30 to 45 minutes |
| Sant Josep and the south west villas | 20 to 30 minutes | 30 to 50 minutes |
| Sant Antoni and Cala Conta | 25 to 35 minutes | 40 to 60 minutes |
| Santa Eulalia and Cala Llonga | 25 to 35 minutes | 40 to 60 minutes |
| Sant Joan, Benirras and the north | 45 to 60 minutes | 1 hour to 1 hour 30 |
| Formentera, by fast ferry from Ibiza port | Allow 1 hour 15 door to door | Allow 2 hours, and book the crossing |
Realistic ranges, not promises. The island has two real roads and they both funnel through the Ibiza Town ring. Friday and Sunday afternoons in high summer, and the hours around sunset, are the worst. Cars on Ibiza are arranged through operators we know; our own fleet and chauffeurs are in London and Manchester.
The season in practice
Why August here is a different sport
In July and August Ibiza takes tens of private movements a day into an airport built around a single runway and a modest general aviation apron. The consequence is simple and it catches people out every year: in peak weeks aircraft parking is often unavailable, so your aircraft drops the party, repositions to Palma, Valencia or Barcelona, and comes back for the return leg. That is normal practice and not a sign of a bad operator, but it changes the cost and it removes the option of a last minute departure time.
The same pressure reaches the ground. Good cars on the island are finite and the drivers who know the villa tracks are booked out by June. A request for a Saturday in the first half of August, made in the second half of July, is a hard request, and we would rather say so than take it and hope.
The counterweight is that the shoulder season is excellent. May, June and the second half of September have the same water and a fraction of the friction, and slots, parking and cars are all available at short notice. If the dates are movable, that conversation is worth having before anything else.
Planning it well
What we ask about first
Tell us these at the enquiry stage and the whole trip gets easier.
- The villa, not the nearest town. Ibiza addresses are often a name and a kilometre marker on a road, and the last half mile can be a rough track. We check it before the day rather than at midnight
- Whether the aircraft is staying on the island. In peak weeks it usually cannot, which affects the shape of the charter. See on demand charter
- How many cases. Light jets to Ibiza are usually full of people and empty of luggage space. This is the single most common cause of a second car being needed
- Whether a boat is involved. Tender pick ups from Marina Botafoch, Talamanca and Cala Jondal are straightforward if the berth and the time are known early. See yacht charter
- Formentera. There is no airport for jets. It is a fast ferry from Ibiza port or a tender, and in August the crossings fill
- Late departures. The airport is open around the clock, but a 3am departure still needs a slot and a crew who are legal to fly it. Ask early
Onward
Around an Ibiza trip
Request a quote
Tell us the arrival
Date and time, tail number or operator, the handler, passengers and luggage, and the villa or the marina. If a boat is involved, give us the berth. We come back with a clear price and an honest drive time for that day. Nothing is booked or charged online.
Prefer to talk? +44 2030 048300 or WhatsApp, at any hour.
Questions people ask
About Ibiza arrivals
Are these your own cars?
No. Our own fleet and our own chauffeurs are in London and Manchester. On Ibiza cars are arranged through operators we know, and one person at Odyssey holds the movement together.
Why must the aircraft leave the island?
In peak season there is often no parking stand available for the length of your stay. The aircraft drops you and repositions to a mainland airport or to Palma, then returns for your departure. Your operator will price it that way.
How far ahead should we ask?
For the first three weeks of August, as far ahead as you can. For June and September a few weeks is usually enough. We will always tell you honestly what we can and cannot hold.
Can the car come to the aircraft?
Where the terminal permits it for your movement. Otherwise the car waits at the general aviation terminal door. We confirm before you land.
Is Palma a better arrival?
Sometimes. Palma has a 24 hour general aviation terminal and more room, and for a yacht joining in the Balearics it is often the better field. For a villa on Ibiza it rarely is.
Can you arrange the aircraft as well?
Yes. See private jet charter and London to Ibiza.