The FBOs at Miami. Three airports wearing one city's name.
Miami does not have a private jet airport. It has several, spread across forty miles of South Florida, and the one your aircraft uses decides whether the drive to the house is twenty minutes or an hour.
The choice
Which Miami field, and why
- Opa-locka Executive (OPF / KOPF)The default for Miami BeachAbout eleven miles north of downtown, open around the clock, with the longest general aviation runway of the three and most of the city's private terminals.
- Miami Executive (TMB / KTMB)The southern optionAbout thirteen miles south west of the city, suited to Coral Gables, Pinecrest and anything heading for the Keys. Handling hours and customs hours are shorter here.
- Miami International (MIA / KMIA)For the largest aircraftA private terminal on a full international airport, working around the clock with customs on site. Where a VIP airliner or a long haul arrival usually ends up.
- CustomsThe thing that decides the planAll three clear internationals, but not all three clear them at the same hours. The handler files the notice, and the answer should be in writing before the flight plan is fixed.
Cars in Florida are arranged through operators we know and brief. Odyssey Connections owns its cars and employs its chauffeurs in London and Manchester, with a trusted global network everywhere else.
The terminals
Who handles what at Opa-locka
| Terminal | Worth knowing |
|---|---|
| Signature OPF | One of the long established terminals on the field. Signature Aviation is one of the aviation partners Odyssey Connections works with, although that relationship is a UK one and nothing is claimed for Florida. |
| Fontainebleau Aviation | A large independent operation on the field, working around the clock. |
| Jet Aviation | The newest arrival. Its Opa-locka terminal opened fully in July 2026 on a twenty seven acre site, with customs and border protection on site planned to follow. |
| Atlantic Aviation | A further terminal on the field, part of the national network. |
| Embassair | A private terminal and hangar complex used by a number of based aircraft. |
Miami Executive and Miami International each have their own handling arrangements, with Signature named at both. Terminal concessions in South Florida change regularly, so we confirm the building and the gate for every movement rather than working from a saved note. Except where a partner is named, Odyssey Connections claims no relationship with any of these companies.
Planning it
Pick the airport for the address, not the brochure
The honest advice in Miami is to choose the field by where you are going, because the difference is measured in traffic rather than in miles. Opa-locka is the one for Miami Beach, Bal Harbour, Surfside, Aventura and the stadium at Miami Gardens. Miami Executive suits Coral Gables, Coconut Grove and the south. Miami International is the right answer for a VIP airliner or for a long haul arrival that needs full facilities at three in the morning. Fort Lauderdale is close enough to be a sensible alternative when Miami is full, which it is in the busiest weeks.
Those busiest weeks are worth naming. The Miami Grand Prix at Hard Rock Stadium, Art Basel Miami Beach in December and the spring boat show each fill every parking stand in South Florida. In those weeks aircraft routinely drop their passengers and reposition, sometimes as far as Orlando, and the departure is flown back in. None of that is yours to solve, but it changes the shape of the day and it is better known in advance.
The roads do the rest. I-95 and the Palmetto Expressway are the two arteries and both behave badly at the wrong hour. From Opa-locka to Miami Beach is twenty minutes on a Sunday morning and an hour on a Friday afternoon, and the causeways across Biscayne Bay have no alternative when they stop. We plan the crossing on the day.
What we do about it
How a Miami arrival is set up
Detail that decides whether the car is at the right building at the right hour.
- Airport, terminal and gate by name, with the tail number, confirmed with the handler on the day rather than taken from the trip sheet
- Customs hours confirmed in writing for the date, particularly at Miami Executive, where the published window is shorter than people expect
- Ramp side collection where the terminal permits it and the arrangement is made in advance. Otherwise the car waits at the terminal door
- In event weeks we plan for the aircraft repositioning after drop off, so the departure car is booked against the passengers, not the aeroplane
- Luggage and golf bags counted before the day. A second vehicle arranged in advance beats one summoned from the ramp
- If the yacht is the reason for the trip, the marina gate and the tender time drive the schedule. See Fort Lauderdale marinas and yacht charter
Onward
Typical drive times from Opa-locka
| To | Quiet roads | Busy roads |
|---|---|---|
| Bal Harbour and Surfside | 20 to 30 minutes | 30 to 45 minutes |
| Miami Beach and South Beach | 25 to 35 minutes | 40 to 60 minutes |
| Downtown Miami and Brickell | 25 to 35 minutes | 40 to 60 minutes |
| Coral Gables and Coconut Grove | 30 to 40 minutes | 45 to 70 minutes |
| Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens | 10 to 20 minutes | 30 minutes to far longer on a race day |
| Fort Lauderdale | 30 to 45 minutes | 45 to 75 minutes |
| Palm Beach | 1 hour 5 to 1 hour 30 | 1 hour 30 to 2 hours 15 |
Realistic ranges, not promises. From Miami Executive, add roughly twenty to thirty minutes to anything on Miami Beach and subtract it from anything south of Coral Gables.
Request a quote
Tell us the airport
Date, tail number or operator, which Miami field and terminal if you know them, passengers, luggage and the address. Nothing is booked or charged online.
Prefer to talk? +44 2030 048300 or WhatsApp, at any hour.
Questions people ask
About the Miami terminals
Which airport should we use?
Where you are going decides it. Opa-locka for the beach and the north, Miami Executive for the south and the Keys, Miami International for the largest aircraft. Tell us the address and we will say which field we would want you on.
Is Opa-locka open at night?
The airport operates around the clock and has no curfew, which is why it absorbs late arrivals in event weeks. Customs is a separate question and keeps its own hours.
Can the car meet the aircraft?
Where the terminal permits it and it has been arranged in advance. Several Opa-locka terminals do allow vehicle access to the aircraft. We confirm it before you land rather than promising it.
What happens in Grand Prix week?
Stands fill, aircraft drop and reposition, and the roads around Miami Gardens close in stages. We plan the car around the road closures and the passengers rather than the aeroplane.
Are these your own cars?
Odyssey Connections owns its cars and employs its chauffeurs in London and Manchester, with a trusted global network everywhere else. In Florida the car comes from an operator we know and brief, and we stay responsible for the arrangement.
