There are several benefits to using an armored vehicle when traveling through any part of Mexico, particularly for affluent individuals and groups who may be at higher risk of being targeted due to their public persona or the nature of their work.

One of the main benefits of an armored vehicle in Mexico is increased safety and protection against potential threats. Through many states of Mexico the USA travel advisory along with other governments’ travel advisories warns travelers of the risk of crime and kidnapping.

Armored vehicles are designed to withstand bullets and explosives, and they can provide a secure and safe environment for their occupants in the event of an attack or other emergency. This is particularly important in a country like Mexico, where crime and violence are often of particular concern to affluent travelers. Armored vehicles are equipped with reinforced bodies and bullet-resistant glass, which can help protect against potential threats and provide a sense of security for their occupants.

In addition to increased safety and protection, armored vehicles can also provide a level of privacy and exclusivity for their occupants. Most clients opt to use discreet but comfortable armored vehicles, this can help the occupants avoid the attention of the media or other unwanted attention.

At Farringdon Jets we always opt to use local drivers who possess the skillset, qualifications, and current local knowledge to handle the vehicle and its occupants with care and precision through a range of security situations that may arise. Our drivers tend to be ex-military or police and have undergone a thorough background check to ensure our clients are in safe hands with the utmost discretion always being observed.

Overall, using an armored vehicle in Mexico can offer a number of advantages, such as improved safety and protection, the ability to go across difficult or dangerous terrain with more confidence and security, and a feeling of privacy and exclusivity.

If you would like to book an armored vehicle with a highly skilled chauffeur who doubles as a close protection officer to provide bodyguard services, Farringdon Jets and our specialized partners are at hand, you can contact us for a quote here.

From iconic clothing brands like Gucci and Versace to high-end cars from the likes of Ferrari and Lamborghini, as well as an impressive 363 Michelin-starred restaurants, Italy is synonymous with luxury.

For the discerning traveller, Italy has a plethora of world-renowned destinations stretching from global fashion capital Milan, the unmistakable waterways of Venice, history-packed Rome, and island getaways like Sardinia and Sicily.

However, those traveling to or from Italy via private charter jet should be aware of the country’s ‘Luxury Tax’ (also known as the ‘Aero Taxi Tax’ and ‘Salva Italia’ [‘Save Italy’]). Dating back to 2012, the Tax was conceived as one of a host of measures rolled out by former Prime Minister Romano Prodi to reduce the country’s budget deficit.

The Basics

Applying to all charter flights to and from Italy via Italian-registered business jets and helicopters, the Italian Luxury Tax is calculated for each passenger on each leg of a flight. On flights of less than 100km the fee is 10 euros per passenger, on journeys between 100 and 1500km it jumps to 100 euros, and for those over 1500km the tax stands at 200 euros.

This means that, for example, a six-passenger return flight from Rome to New York could expect to add an extra 2,400 euros to its total cost. However, a two-person one-way flight covering the 115km from Rome to Naples would only incur an extra 200 euros in Luxury Tax.

Exemptions

Non-Italian registered private aircraft are exempt from the Tax unless they spent more than six months in Italy over the previous 12 months. These six months can be non-continuous, and any time spent at an Italian maintenance facility does not count towards the total.

While the private aircraft industry has pushed back against the imposition of the Luxury Tax since 2012, it has remained in place. Aside from non-Italian registered private aircraft that have spent less than six of the past 12 months in Italy, the only aircraft exempt from the regulation are Italian state aircraft, rescue aircraft and helicopters, historic aircraft, and planes dedicated to commercial flights.

When and how to pay

The rules on when and how to pay the Luxury Tax vary depending on where an aircraft is registered. For those registered in Italy or indeed any other country in the European Union or European Economic Area, Luxury Tax has to be paid by the end of each month following the month when the flight took place.

However, for aircrafts registered in non-European countries, Luxury Tax is paid upon arrival on Italian soil.

Foreign operators without an Italian tax code generally pay the fee in euros via bank transfer, while Italian-registered operators use a F24 form.

Summary

The Italian Luxury Tax is unlikely to break the bank for travellers with the means to fly by private jet to, from, or within Italy. However, those looking to soak up the cities, countryside, culture, and cuisine of this remarkable nation should bear these hidden costs in mind when booking their trips.

While the rarefied world of private jet charters resonates with luxury, comfort, and flying high above everyday concerns, it benefits passengers to be aware of the hidden costs that come with chartering a jet. Of particular interest to clients flying within or from the United States should be the country’s most widely applied domestic tax on charter jets, the Federal Excise Tax (FET).

This charge is levied on almost all aircraft operations within the US at a rate of 7.5 percent for passenger flights and 6.25 percent for cargo flights, a level that has remained constant for several years without being adjusted for inflation. With average charter jet costs running into the tens of thousands of dollars, these percentages represent not insignificant totals. While the US Consolidated Appropriations Act 2021 ensured continuing waivers and reductions of the FET for the renewable energy, beer, wine and other industries, air travel was not included and the levy remains in place.

The three other (relatively minor) taxes that can be levied on domestic and international flights are the Domestic Segment Tax (USD 4.30 per passenger), International Head Tax (USD 19.10 per passenger), and a special Alaska & Hawaii Head Tax (USD 9.60 per passenger).

In addition, the FET’s remit extends to jet charters for flights with a US originating airport and a destination in Canada or Mexico within 225 miles of the US border. Therefore, while a charter flight from Los Angeles to Tijuana on the Mexican border would be subject to an FET charge, Los Angeles to Mexico City in the centre of the country would not.

Passengers should also bear in mind that the FET covers everything paid for air transportation, regardless of that paid for property or passengers. Based on total charter cost, it includes items like repositioning time, landing fees, local taxes, and crew expenses. However, passenger convenience services such as catering costs and ground transportation are exempt.

FET Exclusions

While there is no escaping paying FET on most jet charters in the US, there are certain situations in which clients are exempt from paying. The first is the small aircraft exemption, for non-turbo-jet aircraft with a certificated take-off weight of 6,000 pounds or below.

The second is the Uninterrupted International Transportation Exemption, which applies to flights originating in the USA that make a temporary stop before continuing to an international destination. However, this only applies if there is no change in the passenger list at the refuelling stop.

A third exemption is for Flights Over International Waters & Land. For example, flights originating in the mainland US that travel to Hawaii or Alaska need to cross over international territory; a portion of the journey that is not subject to FET. Technically speaking, the exemption starts when the international border is crossed or from three nautical miles from the low tide point on the coastline.

Finally, so-called ‘Open Jaw Flights’ where a passenger flies from one city to another but returns to the original city from a different place are exempt from FET. Depending on the distances between the three airports involved, the flight may either be deemed to be a single domestic flight, to which FET applies, or two international flights, to which it does not.

Summary

Post-pandemic, with more and more travellers seeking once-in-a-lifetime trips with privacy and personalization as top concerns, private jet chartering looks set for a boom. However, savvy travellers would do well to be aware of the full costs of this form of travel – especially the FET – to avoid a nasty surprise when the bill arrives!