Recently we made it to Nicaragua. This has been my first time and I absolutely loved it. Below find the cost as a guideline. I have added this to the Central America International Flight Cost page.
Return Flight: La Aurora, Guatemala (MGGT) – Costa Esmeralda, Nicaragua (MNCE)
| Location | Description | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Guatemala | Handling Fee | $60 |
| Guatemala | Approach Fee | $20 |
| Guatemala | Communication and FBO Coordination | $15 |
| Guatemala | Passenger Departure Tax | $33 per passenger * |
| Guatemala | Agriculture Desinfection Fee | $10 |
| Guatemala | Agriculture Inspection Fee | $11 |
| Guatemala | Overflight Permit Nicaragua | $30 |
| Nicaragua | Technical Dispatch | $7 |
| Nicaragua | Approach and Landing Fee | $7 |
| Nicaragua | Parking Fee (2 days plus 4 hours) | $28 |
| Nicaragua | Passenger Departure Tax | $35 * |
| Nicaragua | Handling | $100 |
| Nicaragua | International Flight Plan and fees | $105 |
| Nicaragua & Guatemala | Fuel for your airplane. | AvGas not available in Costa Esmeralda airport |
| TOTAL | Fees | $439 with 1 passenger |
Credit cards were accepted for all payments.
A fuel stop in Ilopango, El Salvador (MSSS) added another $5 in fees to the above. Depending on your aircraft, you might be able to complete the return flight without the additional stop.
Thank you so much for posting these. I am truly disappointed in all the surcharges and fees. It was my understanding that non-commercial aircraft were exempt from many of these fees, especially the overflight and handling fees. It seems that you pay more in fees than fuel.
This is really making me rethink my retirement plans. My goal was to live out of Atitlan with a Glasiar Sportsman and travel with my wife.
Are there ways to eliminate or reduce these fees? What about IFR vs VFR?
Hello Anthony,
these charges apply to cross-boarder travel. If you stay within country bounderies, you don’t have to landing or other fees for the most part. A North America registered aircraft pays 1,000 GTQ every three months and then only landing fees are in MGMM and MGPB as far as I know. Other ways to save some money might be registering the plane in Guatemala.
Happy to discuss options in more details.
All the best!
Alex