Teterboro. Twelve miles from Midtown, with customs on the field and the car at the door.
New York's business aviation airport is close, quick to clear and easy to like. It also has a hard weight limit, strict noise rules and a Hudson crossing between it and the city, and all three of those change how a trip should be planned.
The airport
Teterboro at a glance
- CodesTEB / KTEBIn Bergen County, New Jersey, about 12 miles north west of Midtown Manhattan. Owned and run by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
- Runways7,000 feet and about 6,000 feetRunway 1/19 is the longer of the two. Runway 19 is the preferred runway for noise abatement.
- Weight limit100,000 poundsTeterboro does not take aircraft above it. Several ultra long range types sit above that figure at their maximum weight, so the aircraft decides the airport, not the other way round.
- Night restrictionsVoluntary restraint 11pm to 6amThe airport stays open, but operators are asked to avoid non-essential movements in that window, and there are mandatory noise limits on Runway 24 departures.
The noise rules have teeth. An operator that breaks a departure noise limit three times in two years can be banned from the field. It is one reason a good operator will sometimes tell you that your preferred departure time is not sensible, and it is worth listening when they do.
Journey times
From Teterboro into New York
| To | Quiet roads | Rush hour |
|---|---|---|
| Midtown, via the Lincoln Tunnel | 25 to 40 minutes | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Upper East and Upper West Side, via the George Washington Bridge | 30 to 45 minutes | 50 to 85 minutes |
| Downtown, Tribeca and Wall Street | 35 to 50 minutes | 60 to 95 minutes |
| Brooklyn | 45 to 60 minutes | 1 hour 15 to 1 hour 45 |
| Greenwich and the Connecticut shore | 45 to 65 minutes | 1 hour 15 to 1 hour 45 |
| Newark Liberty | 25 to 35 minutes | 40 to 60 minutes |
| JFK | 45 to 60 minutes | 1 hour 15 to 1 hour 45 |
| The Hamptons, by road | 2 hours 15 to 3 hours | 3 to 4 hours and worse on a Friday |
Realistic ranges. Everything depends on the Hudson crossings: the Lincoln Tunnel for Midtown, the George Washington Bridge for uptown and for Connecticut. Both can stall without warning. Cars in New York are arranged through operators we know; our own fleet and our own chauffeurs are in London and Manchester, and a trusted global network covers everywhere else.
Arriving from Europe
Customs, and then the bridge
Teterboro is a US port of entry with Customs and Border Protection on the field, so a flight from London clears here rather than detouring through a commercial airport. Clearance is arranged in advance by the handler and is generally staffed across a long day rather than around the clock, with out of hours arrivals handled on request. Practically, an arrival that clears quickly can be in the car within minutes of shutdown.
The private terminals are the usual New York names. Signature Aviation, who we work with in the United Kingdom, runs more than one terminal on the field, and Atlantic Aviation and Jet Aviation are here too. We do not claim a relationship with any of them in New York. What we do is make sure the chauffeur is at the right building, because the terminals are on different sides of the airport and an arrival that goes to the wrong one loses twenty minutes at the worst possible moment.
Then comes the honest part. Twelve miles sounds like nothing and on a Sunday morning it is nothing. On a Thursday at half past five, the approach to the Lincoln Tunnel can add the better part of an hour. We quote the range, we watch the crossings on the day, and where the timing is critical we will say plainly that leaving forty minutes earlier is worth more than any car we could send.
Planning it well
Things worth knowing
The Teterboro details that change a New York trip.
- Check the aircraft against the weight limit before anything else. If the type your operator proposes is above it, the trip moves to another field and the ground plan changes with it
- White Plains, in Westchester, is the usual alternative and much the better field for Greenwich, Connecticut and northern Westchester. It asks operators to avoid movements between midnight and half past six in the morning
- Morristown in New Jersey is quieter than Teterboro and suits north Jersey and a Wall Street run down the interstate. Republic, on Long Island, is the sensible field for the East End and the Hamptons
- For the largest aircraft, Newark and JFK are the practical options, with a longer ground process at both
- Give us the terminal name, not just the airport. Teterboro has several and they are not close to each other
- For helicopter connections into the Manhattan heliports, ask early. See helicopter charter
Onward
Around a New York trip
Request a quote
Tell us the arrival
Date and time, tail number or operator, which terminal, passengers and luggage, and the address in the city. Tell us if the timing is critical and we will build the crossing into the plan. We come back with a clear price and an honest drive time. Nothing is booked or charged online.
Prefer to talk? +44 2030 048300 or WhatsApp, at any hour.
Questions people ask
About Teterboro
Are these your own cars?
Our own fleet and our own chauffeurs are in London and Manchester, and a trusted global network covers everywhere else. In New York cars are arranged through operators we know, and one person at Odyssey holds both ends of the journey.
Why can some aircraft not use Teterboro?
Because of the 100,000 pound limit. Some of the largest ultra long range jets sit above it, and the Port Authority runs a certification procedure for aircraft near the line. Your operator will tell you where you stand.
Is there a curfew?
Not an absolute one. The airport stays open, but operators are asked to hold back non-essential movements between 11pm and 6am, and departure noise limits apply with real consequences for breaking them.
Do we clear customs at Teterboro?
Yes. Customs and Border Protection operate on the field and the handler arranges the clearance in advance. Out of hours arrivals are handled on request rather than automatically.
Which is better for Greenwich, Teterboro or White Plains?
White Plains, almost always. It avoids the Hudson crossings entirely and the drive is a fraction of the length.
Can you arrange the aircraft as well?
Yes. See private jet charter and London to New York.