Buying the aircraft is the first half; getting it from Wichita, Geneva or Florida to Singapore, Hong Kong or Jakarta is the second, and it is rarely explained before closing. A delivery flight is a small project: a ferry crew rated on the type, a routing that respects the aircraft’s real range with reserves, overflight and landing permits for every country crossed, fuel and handling at each stop, and insurance that covers an aircraft not yet on its final registration.
Routing by aircraft class
A light jet such as a Citation CJ3 or Phenom 300 crossing from the US West Coast to Southeast Asia typically routes through Alaska, Russia’s Far East or Japan and the Philippines with five to seven fuel stops, or via Europe, the Middle East and India in six to eight. Super-midsize aircraft (Challenger 350, Citation Longitude) need three to five stops; large-cabin and ultra-long-range jets (Global, Gulfstream G500 and above) cross in one or two legs. Routing decisions are driven by where permits are fast, where fuel is reliable and where a crew can rest legally.
Permits and paperwork
Every country overflown or landed in issues its own permit, some in hours (Singapore, Japan, UAE), some in days (India, China, Myanmar). The aircraft flies on either the seller’s registration with a temporary insurance endorsement, or on a ferry permit issued by the new state of registry. Export certificate of airworthiness, deregistration confirmation and the bill of sale travel with the crew; customs at the destination expects them in original.
Crew and insurance
Ferry crews are contracted through specialist companies or the type’s training provider and cost roughly USD 1,500–3,000 per pilot per day plus travel. Insurance for the delivery is written as a short-term hull and liability policy or an endorsement on the buyer’s new policy; the premium depends on hull value and routing.
What a delivery costs in 2026
- Light jet, US to Southeast Asia: USD 40,000–70,000 all-in.
- Super-midsize, Europe to Singapore or Hong Kong: USD 45,000–80,000.
- Large-cabin, US or Europe to Asia in one or two legs: USD 60,000–120,000, driven by fuel and handling at large airports.
Budget the delivery alongside import duty, registration and the first maintenance visit — see our buyer’s guide and the registration guide. We plan and manage delivery flights for aircraft bought through this site.