Caribbean and Pacific
Trip Support
Airports of entry, permits and eAPIS, parking on islands with one ramp, hurricane season planning, the US Virgin Islands, Cuba, the Bahamas, Barbados, Sint Maarten and Bora Bora, from the desk that flies the islands from Florida and Dallas.
Reviewed by Kevin Singh, Founder · Fact-checked against Icarus Jet fleet and airport operations data · Last updated 10 September 2026
The working reference
How the islands work for a private flight
Island operations are decided by three things: whether the field is an airport of entry, how many aircraft its ramp holds, and the season. The US Virgin Islands are domestic from the mainland, so eAPIS is not needed inbound but is required on every departure, and US citizens need proof of citizenship rather than a passport. The Bahamas needs no permit for a private flight and one in 24 to 48 hours for charter, with limited customs hours. Barbados wants a permit 72 hours ahead. The Dominican Republic wants PPR above 30,000 pounds and slots above 70,000. Cuba takes charter under US licensing but bars N-registered private flights, and its permits follow document approval and payment. Bora Bora's Motu Mute field opens a ten-and-a-half-hour window, parks very few aircraft, and wants parking requested about a month ahead, so Tahiti's Faa'a is often the smarter landing. Hurricane season runs 1 June to 30 November and peaks from mid-August to mid-October, when the desk watches the forecasts, moves the aircraft ahead of the storm and holds alternates outside its path. The desk files the manifests, confirms the ramp before the aircraft moves and plans the fuel where island supply is thin.
US Virgin Islands
Domestic from the mainland: no eAPIS inbound, eAPIS on every departure, US citizens on proof of citizenship, foreign nationals on passports. St Thomas and St Croix run 24 hours with control towers on daytime hours. Pets are generally welcome.
The Bahamas
No permit for a Part 91 flight, a permit in 24 to 48 hours for Part 135, customs in limited morning hours at many fields, VAT on services, and pet import permits. Parking is confirmed before the aircraft moves in the winter peak.
Barbados, Sint Maarten and the Dominican Republic
Barbados: permit 72 hours ahead and a pet import permit. Sint Maarten: the busiest ramp in the eastern Caribbean at Christmas, parking confirmed first. Dominican Republic: PPR above 30,000 pounds, slots above 70,000, paperwork handled at the FBO.
Cuba
N-registered Part 91 flights are barred; Part 135 charters operate under US Commerce and Treasury licensing. Flight plans are filed one to five days ahead with a copy to the ARO office, permits are issued about 48 hours after the documents and paid before issuance, and parking is charged after the first three hours.
Bora Bora and the Pacific
Motu Mute operates a ten-and-a-half-hour daily window, parks very few aircraft, wants parking requested about a month ahead and customs about fifteen days ahead, with limited fuel. Landing at Tahiti Faa'a, 45 minutes away, avoids the island customs charge and the parking squeeze; the last leg is by air taxi.
Hurricane season
1 June to 30 November, peaking mid-August to mid-October. The desk monitors the National Hurricane Center, reroutes, secures alternates outside the storm path and pre-arranges handling and crew accommodation. A major storm can ground thousands of flights across Florida and the islands for days.
Guides and updates
Caribbean and Pacific articles from the desk
The detailed pieces behind this page, newest first, each with the year it was written and the discipline it belongs to.
Cuba Trip Support for Private Jet Flights
Cuba operations guide covering FIR entry points, flight plan filing windows, 2024 parking and customs tariffs, the N-reg Part 91 ban, and the permit document list.
Read the guide2023Weather and performanceNavigating the Storm: Private Jet Trip Support and the Caribbean's Upcoming Hurricane Season
Describes the Caribbean hurricane season calendar and how a trip support team reroutes, secures alternates and arranges ground services when a storm threatens.
Read the guide2022Airport handling, parking and feesBora Bora Flight Support
FAQ explaining that Bora Bora's Motu Mute airport has a short operating window, scarce parking and expensive customs, with Faa'a in Tahiti as the practical alternative.
Read the guide2022Customs, immigration and crew entryUS Virgin Islands Flight Support
Covers entry documents, the two USVI airports and when eAPIS is or is not required for flights to and from St. Thomas and St. Croix.
Read the guideQuestions
Caribbean and Pacific trip support questions
Do I need eAPIS to fly to the US Virgin Islands?
Not inbound from the US mainland, because the flight is domestic. eAPIS is required on every departure from the islands. US citizens carry proof of citizenship; foreign nationals carry passports.
Does the Bahamas need a landing permit?
Not for a Part 91 flight. Part 135 charters need a permit in 24 to 48 hours. Customs hours are limited at many fields, so the desk plans the arrival inside them.
Can a US private jet fly to Cuba?
A Part 135 charter can, under US Commerce and Treasury licensing. N-registered Part 91 private flights are barred. Flight plans are filed one to five days ahead and the Cuban permit follows document approval and payment.
How far ahead does Bora Bora need?
Parking about a month ahead and customs about fifteen days ahead, because Motu Mute parks very few aircraft and opens a ten-and-a-half-hour window. Landing at Tahiti and taking the air taxi is often the better plan.
Which islands need a permit?
Barbados, 72 hours ahead. The Bahamas for charter only. The Dominican Republic wants PPR above 30,000 pounds and slots above 70,000. The US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico are domestic.
When is hurricane season?
1 June to 30 November, peaking from mid-August to mid-October. The desk watches the forecasts, moves the aircraft ahead of a storm and holds alternates outside its path.
Is parking a problem in the islands?
On the small ramps in the winter peak, yes: Sint Maarten at Christmas, the Bahamas out islands, Bora Bora all year. The desk confirms the ramp before the aircraft moves.
Can I bring a pet to the islands?
The US Virgin Islands generally welcome pets. The Bahamas, Barbados and Aruba need import permits; the Dominican Republic processes the paperwork at the FBO. The desk files the permits with the trip.
Is fuel available on every island?
Not reliably on the small ones. Bora Bora has limited fuel and the out islands can run short, so the desk plans the uplift at the last large field.
What does the desk need to file an island trip?
Aircraft documents, passenger and crew passports or proof of citizenship, the islands and the dates, and the length of stay for the parking. It comes back with the manifests filed, permits in hand, the ramp confirmed and the fuel planned.
Get it filed
Flying to the islands? Filed from the desk
Send the dates, the aircraft and the islands. You get the manifests and permits filed, the ramp confirmed before the aircraft moves, the storm watch running in season, and a number you can hold us to.
Contact UsPrefer to talk? Call +1 888 277 7203 or email tripsupport@icarusjet.com. The desk is staffed 24/7.