Airport Handling,
Parking and Fees
How a ground handling invoice is built, where parking is scarce and when, weight limits and reduced-weight placards, APU and GPU rules, potable water, hangarage, AOG recovery and the airports where the ramp decides the trip.
Reviewed by Kevin Singh, Founder · Fact-checked against Icarus Jet fleet and airport operations data · Last updated 10 September 2026
The working reference
How handling and parking work for a private flight
Every private flight buys ground handling at every stop, and the invoice is built the same way almost everywhere: a handling fee banded by aircraft weight, the airport's landing and navigation charges by MTOW, parking by the hour and then by the day, out-of-hours surcharges, a GPU by the hour if the airport limits APU use, and the extras, potable water, lavatory service, catering and crew transport. On a typical London stop handling is about 43 percent of the ground cost. Parking is the constraint that decides trips: Sint Maarten at Christmas, Mykonos and Ibiza in August, Nice during the film festival and the Grand Prix, Beijing Daxing since its self-taxi stands closed, Bora Bora all year, Davos in January, Teterboro most weeks. Weight restrictions typically start at about 50 tonnes, which catches the G650 and the Global, and some fields accept a reduced-weight placard; Luton and Dijon have both done so. Nice allows 30 minutes of APU before departure and sells GPU by the quarter hour. Light jets carry no potable water system, super-midsize and above do, and in freezing conditions the system is drained on arrival. When an aircraft goes AOG the desk runs two tracks at once, the repair and the recovery aircraft, and a full recovery with slots, handling, eAPIS and a new flight plan takes a few hours. The desk confirms the stand before the aircraft moves, pre-books the hangar, checks the weight limit against the actual landing weight and itemises the fees before the trip.
What the invoice contains
Handling banded by weight, landing and navigation charges by MTOW, parking by the hour to about a day and by the day beyond, out-of-hours and holiday surcharges, an airport levy where the state applies one, GPU by the hour, potable water, lavatory service, catering, crew transport and the handler's disbursement fee on anything it paid for you. The desk itemises it before the trip.
Where parking runs out
The resort fields in season: Mykonos, Ibiza, Palma, Nice, Sint Maarten, the Bahamas out islands, Bora Bora, Aspen and Davos in the winter peak. The government fields: Beijing Capital during state events, Beijing Daxing with six general aviation stands since the self-taxi closure, Shanghai during the Import Expo. And Teterboro, where the ramp is the constraint most weeks. The fix is a confirmed stand before the aircraft moves, or a nearby field with a reposition.
Weight limits
Restrictions typically start at about 50 tonnes, which catches the G650, the Global and the large-cabin Falcons. Some fields accept a placard showing the reduced landing weight, as Dijon did for an Icarus G650 and Luton does for large jets. Greek airports charge landing per tonne of MTOW above 10 tonnes rather than a flat fee. The desk checks the limit against the actual weight on the day.
APU, GPU and the ramp rules
Nice allows a maximum of 30 minutes of APU before departure and sells GPU by the quarter hour; other airports restrict APU at the stand for noise or emissions. Italian airports carry parking restrictions by field and season. The handler's rules on crew access, ramp vehicles and towing are read before arrival.
Water, cabin and cold weather
Light jets carry no potable water system; super-midsize and above do, and crews treat the onboard water as non-drinking and stock bottled water. In freezing conditions, Aspen among them, the system is drained on arrival and refilled before departure. Potable water uplift appears as a line on the handling invoice.
AOG
When an aircraft goes AOG the desk runs the repair and the recovery aircraft in parallel: a replacement aircraft with its own slots, ground handling at the destination, eAPIS in and out for a US arrival, revised flight plans and a new operational flight plan package. A full recovery can be arranged in a few hours.
Where it applies
How the rule changes by region
United Kingdom
Handling banded by weight with out-of-hours surcharges and an airport levy, Biggin Hill the cheapest London field, London City and Northolt the dearest, Liverpool and Manchester far cheaper for a long stay. Luton fees on their own page.
Europe
Nice APU limits and GPU by the quarter hour, Italian parking restrictions by field, Naples and Mykonos with parking alternatives, Davos overnight parking managed for the Forum, Rome's two airports compared.
Middle East
Business aviation terminals with customs at the aircraft, Al Maktoum for the long stay, Marka for the short taxi in Jordan, Riyadh and Jeddah stands held through the event weeks.
Americas
Teterboro's ramp and reservation pressure, the executive airports and what pilots need before departure, Mexico's FBO paperwork, Cabo and Cancun in the winter peak.
Asia and Australia
Beijing Daxing's six general aviation stands, Beijing Capital for the longer stay, Shanghai closed for the Import Expo, Sydney the dearest parking in Australia, Melbourne by the six-hour block.
Caribbean and Pacific
Sint Maarten at Christmas, the Bahamas out islands, Bora Bora with parking requested a month ahead and Tahiti as the alternative, Cairo's remote area repositioning beyond a day.
Guides and updates
Handling and Parking 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.
Potable water on private jets: a closer look from the ground
Explains how potable water is delivered to and stored on private jets, why crews do not drink it, which aircraft carry it, its cost, and cold-weather draining.
Read the guide2024Trip support service explainerUnderstanding AOG scenarios and immediate response in private aviation
Defines AOG and walks through how a trip support and charter team recover a grounded trip with a replacement aircraft, slots, handling and eAPIS filings.
Read the guide2023Airport handling, parking and feesThe Crucial Role of Ground Handling in Ensuring a Smooth Private Flight
Explains what ground handling covers, why it matters for safety, compliance and punctuality, and lists sample GPU and APU costs at several airports.
Read the guideCountry guides
Where the rule differs by country
The regional pages that carry the detail for this discipline, each with the permit, entry, slot, handling and fuel facts for that country.
Questions
Handling and Parking trip support questions
What is included in a ground handling fee?
Marshalling, the stand, passenger and crew handling, coordination with customs and the airport, and the handler's own administration, banded by aircraft weight. Landing and navigation charges, parking, GPU, water, lavatory, catering and transport are itemised on top.
Why is parking hard to get at some airports?
Because the ramp is small and the demand is seasonal: Mykonos in August, Nice during the festival and the Grand Prix, Sint Maarten at Christmas, Aspen and Davos in the winter, Teterboro most weeks, Beijing Daxing since its self-taxi stands closed. The desk confirms the stand before the aircraft moves.
Can a Gulfstream G650 land at a weight-restricted airport?
Sometimes. Restrictions usually start at about 50 tonnes, which catches the G650, but some fields accept a reduced-weight placard, as Dijon did for an Icarus G650 and Luton does for large jets. The desk checks the limit against the actual landing weight.
How long is a fuel stop?
About an hour for a midsize jet and 30 to 45 minutes for a light jet with the fuel ordered ahead and the handler waiting, with four to six ground staff on the aircraft. Fuel on arrival avoids the truck queue at congested fields.
What are the APU rules at Nice?
A maximum of 30 minutes of APU before departure, with GPU sold by the quarter hour. Other airports restrict APU at the stand for noise or emissions, and the desk reads the handler's ramp rules before arrival.
Is the water on a private jet safe to drink?
Crews treat it as non-drinking and stock bottled water. Light jets carry no potable water system; super-midsize and above do, filled from the handler's uplift and drained on arrival in freezing conditions.
What happens when an aircraft goes AOG?
The desk runs two tracks in parallel: the repair, and a recovery aircraft with its own slots, handling, eAPIS filings and flight plans. A full recovery can be arranged in a few hours so the passengers keep moving.
Which London airport is cheapest to park at?
Biggin Hill among the London fields; London City and Northolt are among the dearest. For a stay of several days the aircraft often repositions to Liverpool or Manchester and comes back for the departure.
Do I need a hangar?
For an overnight in freezing or storm conditions, for a long stay, and wherever the aircraft would otherwise be exposed to hail or sand. Hangars are pre-booked and are scarce in the same places parking is.
What does the desk need to arrange handling?
The aircraft and its weight, the airports, the times, the length of stay, the services needed on the ground and whether the crew wants fuel on arrival or departure. It comes back with the handler confirmed, the stand held, the fees itemised and the extras booked.
Get it filed
Handling confirmed before the aircraft moves
Send the schedule and the aircraft, and the desk confirms the handler and the stand at every stop, checks the weight limit and the ramp rules, itemises the fees and holds the hangar where the weather needs one.
Contact UsPrefer to talk? Call +1 888 277 7203 or email tripsupport@icarusjet.com. The desk is staffed 24/7.