Land on Key West and you are almost at your hotel
Key West International Airport (EYW / KEYW) sits on the south side of the island and is the natural airport for a stay in Key West itself. Private flights are handled by Signature Flight Support. The FBO publishes regular hours from 07:00 to 21:00, with call-out service available on request. Once the aircraft has been handled, a pre-arranged car can meet you close by and Old Town is only a short drive away.
EYW has US customs facilities for international private aircraft. The current CBP airport fact sheet publishes processing Monday to Friday between 08:00 and 20:00 local time. The operator must obtain permission to land before leaving the foreign airport and contact CBP at least two hours before the expected arrival. The day and time of travel therefore matter to the itinerary.
We would not assume that a direct international arrival from Europe on a Saturday or Sunday can simply be operated as planned. If the published customs service is unavailable, the first US landing needs to be at another suitable airport before continuing to Key West as a domestic flight. On a weekday, a direct arrival at EYW can be particularly convenient: customs, baggage and the waiting car are all brought together at one compact airport.
If the final destination is farther north in the Florida Keys, the journey after landing can become more important than the airport name. Little Palm Island, for example, is near Little Torch Key and can only be reached by boat or seaplane. For a trip like that we plan the full connection rather than automatically treating Key West as the best final airport.
The 5,075-ft runway matters most for the flight home
Key West has a single 5,075-ft runway. It is usable by many business jets, but runway length, temperature and aircraft weight need more attention here than at a major intercontinental airport. A Heavy Jet can be an excellent choice for Key West when the specific type has comfortable margins for the conditions on the day.
The arrival from Europe is often the easier side of the calculation. After many hours in the air, much of the fuel has been burned and the aircraft is lighter. The return to the Netherlands is different because the aircraft would ideally depart with a substantial fuel load. On a hot afternoon, take-off weight can become more important than the headline range quoted for the aircraft.
We therefore assess the outbound and return journeys separately. A suitable Heavy Jet may be able to operate nonstop in favourable conditions. On another day it can be more sensible to leave Key West with less fuel and make a short refuelling stop on the US mainland. That adds some time, but it can provide a more robust departure plan than loading the aircraft heavily for a maximum-range departure from a short runway.
Old Town, the harbour or a journey farther into the Keys
Key West is compact. If you stay around Mallory Square, Duval Street and the historic harbour, much of the island can be explored on foot once the driver has dropped you at the hotel. Ocean Key Resort sits on the waterfront at the western end of Duval Street and is well placed for the sunset, harbour and Old Town. Its Hot Tin Roof restaurant overlooks the water.
Pier House is also on Duval Street and combines a waterfront position with its own beach; One Duval is the resort's waterside restaurant. Travellers looking for a quieter, more intimate Old Town stay can consider The Marquesa. Café Marquesa serves breakfast and dinner daily, making it an easy choice for an evening when there is no reason to cross the island again by car.
Beach time, boating and watersports are simple to build into a Key West stay because distances are short. A private boat to the sandbars, fishing, diving or an afternoon around the harbour can sit naturally around a few nights in Old Town. A trip into the Lower Keys needs more planning. Little Palm Island, for example, adds a drive and then a boat or seaplane connection to the journey.
Winter is a popular season because of the warm, comparatively dry weather. Summer and early autumn bring more heat, thunderstorms and tropical-weather risk, which can affect both the flight and plans on the water. Major events and holiday periods can also fill the island quickly. On those dates we prefer to coordinate the aircraft, car and hotel early as one itinerary.
Plan the return flight before you arrive on the island
Key West is not a destination where it is ideal to decide on departure day how the flight back to Europe will work. The short runway, expected temperature and required fuel load are matters we consider when preparing the quotation. You then know in advance whether the proposed aircraft is expected to depart nonstop or whether a brief fuel stop is the more realistic plan.
The price indication on this page follows the Heavy Jet category. That is a logical starting point for the distance, but not every Heavy Jet is equally well suited to EYW. We combine range, cabin, baggage and performance on the 5,075-ft runway so that the journey is not only comfortable in the air but also practical to operate on the island.