Van Nuys. A short walk to the car, and a chauffeur who picks the best road over the hill.
Van Nuys is the private aviation airport for Los Angeles, with terminals run by several companies. We confirm yours with the handler for every movement, so the car is at the right gate whatever name is on the trip sheet.
The field
Van Nuys private terminals, at a glance
- AirportVan Nuys (VNY / KVNY)In the San Fernando Valley, inside the city of Los Angeles, run by Los Angeles World Airports. The hill between the Valley and the west side is the whole story of the drive.
- The terminalsSeveral, and newly rearrangedSignature Aviation now holds three of them after buying Castle and Cooke Aviation in September 2026. Clay Lacy Aviation and Jet Aviation run their own.
- CustomsA port of entry with published hoursInternational arrivals clear on the field, but the office works set hours that differ by day. It is the most common planning mistake made here.
- Night rulesA restriction, not a closureA mandatory departure restriction applies to noisier aircraft from 10pm to 7am, and a separate voluntary scheme asks jet operators to avoid the field from 11pm to 7am altogether.
Cars in Los Angeles 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 buildings
Who runs what at Van Nuys now
| Terminal | Worth knowing |
|---|---|
| Signature VNY East | One of Signature's two long standing Van Nuys terminals. Signature Aviation is one of the aviation partners Odyssey Connections works with, although that relationship is a UK one. |
| Signature VNY West | The second of the pair, on the other side of the field. |
| Signature VNY North | Formerly Castle and Cooke Aviation. The sale completed on 15 September 2026 and the building was renamed within Signature's network. Expect the old name on paperwork for a season or more. |
| Clay Lacy Aviation | A Van Nuys institution and the largest independent presence on the field, with its own terminal, hangars and maintenance. |
| Jet Aviation | A further terminal on the field, used by a number of managed fleets. |
Your operator chooses the building. The Van Nuys concession map has just moved, so we confirm the terminal and the gate with the handler 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
The airport is easy. The hill is not.
Van Nuys is one of the busiest general aviation airports in the world, and it sits inside a residential city, which explains almost every rule written about it. The terminals themselves are quick: short walks, small buildings, cars close to the door. What decides the day is the Sepulveda Pass, the stretch of the 405 between the Valley and Bel Air, Beverly Hills and the west side. It can double any journey time on this page without warning, and it does so most reliably between four and seven in the evening.
That is why a chauffeur who knows Los Angeles will sometimes leave the freeway entirely and take Laurel Canyon or Coldwater Canyon over the hill instead. Those roads are slower on paper and faster on the wrong afternoon. It is a judgement made on the day with live traffic, not a route decided in advance, and it is one of the few places we work where the choice of road is worth more than the choice of car.
The second planning item is customs. Van Nuys is a designated port of entry, but the clearance facility keeps published hours that vary by day rather than opening around the clock. An international arrival outside those hours is not a small inconvenience: it changes the airport. We ask your handler to confirm the hours in writing against your date, and if the answer is awkward we plan for Los Angeles International or a different arrival time rather than discovering it on the ramp.
What we do about it
How a Van Nuys run is prepared
The things worth settling before anyone gets on an aeroplane.
- Terminal by name and tail number in writing, checked with the handler on the day. The September 2026 change means old terminal names are still circulating
- Customs hours confirmed by the handler for the actual date of an international arrival, before the flight plan is fixed
- Ramp side collection where the terminal permits it and the arrangement has been made in advance. Otherwise the car waits at the terminal door
- A departure time chosen around the Sepulveda Pass rather than around the slot, wherever the schedule allows it
- Luggage counted honestly. Los Angeles arrivals bring more of it than anywhere else we work, and a second vehicle booked in advance is cheaper in time than one called from the ramp
- If your trip continues by air, one enquiry covers the aircraft and the cars. See private jet charter
Onward
Typical drive 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 |
| Los Angeles International | 35 to 50 minutes | 1 hour to 1 hour 45 |
Realistic ranges, not promises. Awards season, and any evening with a premiere or a stadium event on the west side, sits outside these figures altogether.
Request a quote
Tell us the terminal
Date, tail number or operator, the Van Nuys terminal if you know it, 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 Van Nuys terminals
Is Castle and Cooke still at Van Nuys?
The building is, the name is going. Signature Aviation completed the purchase on 15 September 2026 and the terminal is now Signature VNY North. Trip sheets will carry the old name for a while, so we check which building is meant.
Which terminal will my aircraft use?
Your operator decides, usually on the basis of where the aircraft is handled or hangared. Give us the tail number and we confirm it with the handler.
Can the car meet the aircraft?
Where the terminal permits it and it has been arranged in advance. Otherwise the car is at the terminal door, which at Van Nuys is a very short walk.
Will customs be open?
Only within its published hours, which change by day of the week. Have the handler confirm them against your date. This is the one thing we would not leave to the morning.
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 California the car comes from an operator we know and brief, and we stay responsible for the arrangement.
We deal with problems before you know they exist