A white and blue business jet climbing away with the landing gear still extended against a clear blue sky

YMML to KVNY 6,893 nm ENE 065 degrees true

Private JetCharter Melbourneto Los Angeles

6,893 nautical miles direct. About 14h 45m nonstop in a ultra long range jet. Operators bid on this leg without knowing who is flying it.

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Great circle

6,893nm

12,766 km, 7,933 statute miles

Initial track

065°T ENE

Departing YMML toward KVNY

Nonstop block time

14h 45m

In a ultra long range jet, the smallest reference class that flies it nonstop

Clock change

-17h

Summer offset. Winter runs -19h.

The leg

Melbourne to Los Angeles

The great circle track from Melbourne to Los Angeles runs 6,893 nautical miles on an initial heading of 065 degrees true. A ultra long range jet covers it nonstop in roughly 14h 45m, before winds.

Very few aircraft connect these two cities without stopping. The ones that do are the top of the market, and even then the answer moves with payload and the winds on the day. The clock change is 19 hours behind in winter and 17 hours behind in summer, because the two cities shift their daylight saving rules on different dates.

No aircraft in the comparison set covers 6,893 nautical miles nonstop with comfortable margin. This leg is planned as a two sector trip with a fuel stop, and the choice of stop is worth having an opinion about, because it decides whether you clear customs on the way through and how long the ground time runs.

Orthographic projection, great circle track Static plot

Aircraft

What flies this leg, and how fast

Block time and nonstop capability across the classes for 6,893 nautical miles. Times are planning estimates in still air.

Aircraft comparison for Melbourne to Los Angeles
Aircraft	Class	Seats	Block time	Book range	This leg
Cessna Citation M2 Gen2	Very Light Jet	6	17h 45m	1,550 nm	Fuel stop
Embraer Phenom 300E	Light Jet	8	15h 30m	2,010 nm	Fuel stop
Cessna Citation XLS+	Midsize Jet	9	16h 18m	2,100 nm	Fuel stop
Bombardier Challenger 350	Super Midsize Jet	9	15h 19m	3,200 nm	Fuel stop
Gulfstream G450	Heavy Jet	13	15h 07m	4,350 nm	Fuel stop
Gulfstream G650ER	Ultra Long Range Jet	14	14h 45m	7,500 nm	Nonstop, conditions apply

Airports

Which runway you actually use

Departing Melbourne. Most charter traffic uses Melbourne Tullamarine (YMML / MEL). The credible alternates are Essendon Fields (MEB). Which one you leave from is worth deciding on ground time rather than on the map, because twenty minutes of extra driving often buys a cheaper ramp and a faster departure.

Arriving Los Angeles. Most charter traffic uses Van Nuys (KVNY / VNY). The credible alternates are Hollywood Burbank (BUR), Los Angeles International (LAX), John Wayne Orange County (SNA) and Long Beach (LGB). Pick the one closest to where you are actually going. The airport with the famous name is frequently the wrong answer.

John Wayne enforces a noise abatement departure procedure and a night curfew.

Confirm slot availability, customs hours and overnight parking at both ends before you commit to a departure time. Those three items cause more schedule changes than weather does.

Airport	ICAO	IATA	Metro	End	Role
Melbourne Tullamarine	YMML	MEL	Melbourne	Departure	Preferred
Essendon Fields	YMEN	MEB	Melbourne	Departure	Alternate
Van Nuys	KVNY	VNY	Los Angeles	Arrival	Preferred
Hollywood Burbank	KBUR	BUR	Los Angeles	Arrival	Alternate
Los Angeles International	KLAX	LAX	Los Angeles	Arrival	Customs
John Wayne Orange County	KSNA	SNA	Los Angeles	Arrival	Alternate
Long Beach	KLGB	LGB	Los Angeles	Arrival	Alternate

Cost

What moves the number

The honest answer to what this costs is that it depends, so here is precisely what it depends on.

Positioning. Where the aircraft sits when you call. If it is already on your departure ramp you pay for your legs only. If it has to fly in empty and fly home afterwards, someone pays for that, and it is you.
Daily minimum. Most operators bill a minimum number of flight hours per day the aircraft is away. A short leg with a three night stay can price higher than a long leg that returns the same day.
Crew duty. A crew has a legal duty limit. Cross enough time zones or depart late enough and the trip needs a second crew or an overnight, and both cost money.
Ramp and handling. Landing fees, ramp fees, overnight parking and the FBO handling charge vary enormously between fields in the same metro.
Peak days. Operators apply surcharges around the predictable weekends. Thanksgiving Sunday, the Super Bowl, Art Basel, the Fourth of July and the ski season change of week all price differently.
Fuel and stops. A technical stop costs fuel to climb back to altitude, a landing fee, handling, and forty five minutes to an hour of ground time.
International handling. Customs, immigration, overflight permits, landing permits and a local handling agent. On some routings the permits need days of lead time.

Our fee sits on top of the operator price as its own line, visible, so you can see both halves. Send the trip and the operators bid against each other on all of the above at once.

Timing

Season, weather and the clock

These two cities sit in opposite hemispheres, so you are trading seasons on the way. Peak demand runs in opposite directions across the year, and so does aircraft availability.

A twin engine business jet parked nose out in a lit hangar at dusk with the air stair lowered and the taxiway beyond — MEL to VNY

Questions

MEL to VNY

A large cabin business jet with oval windows parked on the ramp in clear weather, photographed from ahead of the wing — Representative cabin and ramp

How long is a private jet flight from Melbourne to Los Angeles?

The great circle distance is 6,893 nautical miles, which is about 12,766 km. A ultra long range jet covers it nonstop in roughly 14h 45m block to block. A heavy jet flies the distance in about 15h 07m, and a light jet in about 15h 30m if it can make it without stopping. These are planning estimates in still air and exclude winds and air traffic routing.

Can a light jet fly Melbourne to Los Angeles nonstop?

No. This leg needs about 350 percent of a light jet's published range, so plan on a fuel stop or move up to a class with the legs for it.

Which airport should I use in Los Angeles?

Van Nuys (KVNY) handles most charter traffic. The alternates are Hollywood Burbank (BUR), Los Angeles International (LAX), John Wayne Orange County (SNA) and Long Beach (LGB). Choose on ground time to your final address rather than on the name you recognise. John Wayne enforces a noise abatement departure procedure and a night curfew.

Do I clear customs on a private flight from Melbourne to Los Angeles?

Yes. Crossing a border on a private aircraft still means customs and immigration at both ends, but it happens at the private terminal rather than in a terminal queue, and it is usually a matter of minutes. The operator files the passenger manifest in advance, so passport details are needed before departure rather than at the airport. Some routings also need landing or overflight permits with days of lead time, which is worth raising early.

What does a private jet from Melbourne to Los Angeles cost?

We do not publish a figure, because a fixed number for this route would be invented. The dominant variable is where the aircraft is parked when you call, not the aircraft type. Positioning legs, daily minimums, crew duty, ramp fees, peak day surcharges and taxes all move the total. Send the trip through the quote form and certificated operators bid against each other on it, sealed, without knowing who you are.

Are empty legs available on this route?

Sometimes. An empty leg exists when an operator has to reposition an aircraft along this track anyway, so the timing is theirs and not yours. They appear and vanish with little notice and get cancelled when the paying trip behind them changes. Flag empty legs on the quote form and we will include any that fit your window, but do not build a fixed commitment around one.

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