Van Nuys. Los Angeles, on the other side of the hill.
Almost every private arrival in Los Angeles lands in the San Fernando Valley rather than at LAX. The flying part is easy. What decides the day is the night noise rules, the customs hours and a canyon road between you and the west side.
The airport
Van Nuys at a glance
- CodesVNY / KVNYIn the San Fernando Valley, within the city of Los Angeles. Owned by the city and run by Los Angeles World Airports, the same body that runs LAX.
- Runways8,001 feet and 4,013 feetRunway 16R/34L is the long one and takes the jets. The parallel 16L/34R is short and used by light aircraft.
- Night rulesA mandatory departure restriction, 10pm to 7amIt applies to aircraft above a set noise level rather than to everything, and a separate Quieter Nights programme asks jet operators to avoid the field between 11pm and 7am altogether.
- CustomsA port of entry with set hoursInternational arrivals clear on the field, but the customs office works published hours that vary by day rather than being open around the clock. This is the single most common planning mistake here.
Van Nuys is one of the busiest general aviation airports in the United States and it sits inside a residential city, which explains almost every restriction on it. None of this is difficult once it is known in advance; all of it is expensive to discover at eleven o'clock at night with an aircraft on the ramp.
Journey times
From Van Nuys
| To | Quiet roads | Los Angeles traffic |
|---|---|---|
| Beverly Hills | 25 to 35 minutes | 45 to 75 minutes |
| Bel Air and Holmby Hills | 20 to 35 minutes | 40 to 70 minutes |
| West Hollywood and the Sunset Strip | 25 to 40 minutes | 45 to 80 minutes |
| Santa Monica | 30 to 45 minutes | 50 to 90 minutes |
| Malibu | 40 to 55 minutes | 1 hour to 1 hour 40 |
| Downtown Los Angeles | 30 to 45 minutes | 50 to 90 minutes |
| Pasadena | 30 to 40 minutes | 45 to 80 minutes |
| Los Angeles International | 35 to 50 minutes | 1 hour to 1 hour 45 |
Realistic ranges. The Sepulveda Pass on the 405 is the bottleneck between the Valley and the west side and it can double any of these. Cars in Los Angeles are arranged through operators we know. Our own fleet and our own chauffeurs are in London and Manchester.
Why here and not LAX
Three airports, one city
Van Nuys is the default for private arrivals because it has the ramp space, the handlers and the hangars, and because it is genuinely closer to Beverly Hills, Bel Air and the studios than LAX is. Burbank is the alternative for Pasadena, the east side and the Valley studios, and it is a short field with its own night restriction. LAX takes the largest aircraft and the transatlantic scheduled traffic, and it costs an hour of ground time that most private arrivals were trying to avoid.
The runway at Van Nuys is a little over 8,000 feet at low elevation, which is comfortable for heavy jets and for most ultra long range types on a transatlantic arrival. A direct flight from London is a long leg and the aircraft matters more than the airport: see ultra long range jets, heavy jets and private jet charter. Departing westbound the same aircraft has no difficulty; it is the return that shapes the choice.
Whichever field is chosen, the ground plan should be built backwards from the meeting or the house rather than forwards from the aeroplane. Los Angeles is the one city where the drive is routinely longer than people expect and where an extra half hour in hand is worth more than anything else we could offer.
On the field
Terminals, and the customs clock
Private arrivals use one of the private terminals rather than a passenger building. Signature Aviation, Clay Lacy Aviation, Castle and Cooke Aviation and Jet Aviation all operate at Van Nuys, alongside smaller hangar operations. They sit on different sides of a large field and the drive between two of them is not trivial, so we ask for the terminal by name and we position the car there, not at the airport in general. Signature is a partner of ours in the United Kingdom and we claim no relationship with any handler in California.
The customs point is worth spelling out. Van Nuys is a designated port of entry and an international arrival can clear here rather than diverting to LAX, which is a real advantage. But the customs office works set hours across the week, those hours differ from day to day, and they do not run through the night. A flight that arrives outside them either waits, clears elsewhere or is handled by arrangement made well in advance. Anyone planning a long haul arrival into Los Angeles should have the handler confirm the clearance slot at the same time as the charter, not afterwards.
The night restriction works in the same way. It is the departure end that bites: an aircraft above the noise threshold cannot simply leave at midnight because the schedule slipped. Build the departure time into the day and the problem never appears.
Planning it well
The Los Angeles details that matter
What we ask for before a Van Nuys arrival, and why.
- The private terminal by name. Van Nuys is a large field with several of them and they are not near each other
- Whether the arrival is international, so the customs hours are checked before the charter is confirmed rather than after
- The planned departure time at the end of the trip, because the 10pm to 7am restriction can move it
- The real first destination. Anything over the hill on the west side should be quoted with the Sepulveda Pass in mind
- Passengers, luggage and whether a second vehicle is wanted. A V-Class style people carrier is the usual answer for a film or music party travelling with cases
- Whether the same car is wanted for the days after the arrival. In Los Angeles that is almost always cheaper and calmer than separate transfers. See hourly, as directed
Onward
Around a Los Angeles trip
Request a quote
Tell us the arrival
Date and time, tail number or operator, which private terminal, passengers and luggage, and the first address in the city. Say if the flight is international and where it comes from, so the clearance is in 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 Van Nuys
Are these your own cars?
No. Our own fleet and our own chauffeurs are in London and Manchester. In Los Angeles cars are arranged through operators we know, and one person at Odyssey holds both ends of the journey.
Can we clear customs at Van Nuys?
Yes, it is a port of entry. The customs office keeps published hours that vary by day and does not run overnight, so the clearance has to be timed. Have the handler confirm it when the flight is booked.
Is there a curfew?
There is a mandatory night restriction on departures between 10pm and 7am for aircraft above a set noise level, and a voluntary programme asking jet operators to avoid the airport between 11pm and 7am. Your operator will tell you where your aircraft sits.
Can a large jet use Van Nuys?
The main runway is a little over 8,000 feet at low elevation, which suits heavy jets and most ultra long range types. The largest aircraft and the longest legs are sometimes planned into LAX instead.
How long is the drive to Beverly Hills?
Twenty five to thirty five minutes when the roads are clear, and three quarters of an hour to well over an hour when they are not. The Sepulveda Pass decides it.
Can you arrange the aircraft as well?
Yes. See private jet charter and how charter works.
