Private jet Los Angeles to Las Vegas
Van Nuys to Harry Reid in about 45 minutes, a light jet's flight.
Van Nuys Airport for private jets
Los Angeles's private jet airport, in the San Fernando Valley and closed to airline flights, about fifteen miles from Beverly Hills by road. The FBOs, the noise rules, the customs hours and the routes flown from it, checked against the FAA and Los Angeles World Airports.
Van Nuys hours and rulesChecked against FAA, LAWA and CBP data on 13 November 2026.
Photograph: N748MN, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Codes
- VNY · KVNY
- Jet runway
- 8,001 ft
- Private terminals
- 5, from three companies
- Customs
- At Signature West, set hours
- Airline flights
- None
- To Beverly Hills
- 15 miles by road
Reviewed by The 0.1% Group private aviation team · Last checked
Where Van Nuys Airport is
Van Nuys Airport is in the San Fernando Valley, three miles north-west of central Van Nuys by the FAA's description, with its office at 16461 Sherman Way. It is about ten miles from Beverly Hills in a straight line and fifteen by road, over the Santa Monica Mountains on the 405, which makes it the usual airport for Beverly Hills, Bel Air, the Westside, Malibu and Calabasas.
It opened in 1928 as the privately owned Metropolitan Airport and now covers 730 acres, owned by the City of Los Angeles and run by Los Angeles World Airports, the operator of LAX. How it compares with LAX, Burbank, Long Beach and Santa Monica is in our guide to the private jet airports in Los Angeles.
Getting to Van Nuys Airport
The 405 through the Sepulveda Pass links Van Nuys with Bel Air, Beverly Hills and the Westside, and the traffic on it decides the drive more than the distance does. Calabasas, Hidden Hills and Encino are closer, on the Valley side of the hills.
Drivers drop passengers at the private terminal, and the FBO arranges parking for a car left behind; we book it with the flight. The airport's public car park is only for FlyAway bus passengers.
| From Van Nuys to | By road | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Bel Air | 12 miles | 20 to 35 minutes |
| Beverly Hills (Rodeo Drive) | 15 miles | 25 to 45 minutes |
| Santa Monica | 18 miles | 25 to 50 minutes |
| Malibu (Civic Center) | 25 miles | 40 to 60 minutes |
| Calabasas | 12 miles | 20 to 30 minutes |
| Hollywood | 14 miles | 20 to 40 minutes |
| Downtown Los Angeles | 20 miles | 30 to 50 minutes |
| LAX | 21 miles | 30 to 60 minutes |
Van Nuys is about 11 miles from Beverly Hills in a straight line.
Road miles by the usual route, from OpenStreetMap routing. Times are our estimates: the lower figure outside the rush hours, the higher on a weekday afternoon.
Van Nuys and the other Los Angeles airports
Van Nuys sits in the San Fernando Valley, north of the Santa Monica Mountains, with Burbank at the east end of the Valley. Santa Monica and LAX are on the coastal side of the hills and Long Beach is to the south. The line is the straight-line distance to Beverly Hills.
VNY · KVNY · Van Nuys, Los Angeles World Airports
Van Nuys hours, noise rules and customs
- from Beverly Hills
- 11 miles
- busiest US private jet airport, 2025
- 9th
- private terminals
- 5
Photograph: Downtowngal, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Van Nuys is attended around the clock, with the control tower open from 6 am to 10.45 pm, and the FAA lists no prior-permission rule for private flights. What limits it is noise: nothing certified at 77 dBA or more on take-off may use the airport, and aircraft at 74 dBA or more may not take off between 10 pm and 7 am, or from 11 pm for Stage 3 aircraft.
Van Nuys in detail: curfew, noise, customs and fees
Most current business jets are certified well below 74 dBA, and Los Angeles World Airports says they may fly into and out of Van Nuys at any time. The figure that counts is the aircraft's certified take-off noise level, so we check it for the exact aircraft before we quote a late departure. Under a voluntary programme, jets are also asked to avoid arriving or leaving between 11 pm and 7 am, and every jet uses the full length of runway 16R-34L to take off.
The City of Los Angeles adopted the noise and curfew rules in 1981 and has tightened them since; aircraft certified at 77 dBA or more were phased out by 2016. Fines run from $750 to $3,500, and a violator can be barred from the airport for up to three years. Engine run-ups for maintenance are banned from 7 pm to 7 am.
Customs is a user-fee facility inside Signature West, staffed by US Customs and Border Protection on set hours, Pacific time: 9 am to 8.30 pm on Mondays, Thursdays and Sundays, 3 pm to 8.30 pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and 9 am to 2.30 pm on Fridays and Saturdays. Landing is requested at least 24 hours ahead, and the aircraft must arrive within 30 minutes of the time given. Passengers and crew clear inside the facility and leave from it, and Signature West charges a customs fee on every arrival. An arrival outside those hours lands at LAX, where officers clear private flights every day from 7 am to 11 pm.
Since 1 March 2026 every aircraft not based at Van Nuys pays a landing fee of $6.44 per 1,000 lb of its maximum landing weight. On awards weekends and around the Super Bowl we book parking on the ramp with the flight.
The FBOs at Van Nuys: five private terminals
Three companies run the five private terminals, or FBOs, and we choose between them for each flight: by the hour, the customs need, the hangar and where the aircraft is based.
Signature West
On Hayvenhurst Place, open around the clock. US customs works inside it, so an arrival from abroad taxis here first.
Signature East
On Valjean Avenue, on the east side of the field, open around the clock.
Signature North
The former Castle & Cooke Aviation, part of Signature since 15 September 2026. On Hayvenhurst Place, open from 5 am to 9.30 pm.
Clay Lacy Aviation
On Valjean Avenue, open around the clock. Clay Lacy has worked at Van Nuys for more than 50 years and runs its own repair station, with sustainable aviation fuel on the field.
Jet Aviation
On Roscoe Boulevard, open around the clock, with a 10,000 sq ft terminal built to LEED Silver and hangars for aircraft up to the G700 and the Global 7500.
Van Nuys's runway and the aircraft it suits
The jet runway, 16R-34L, is 8,001 ft long and 150 ft wide, 802 ft above sea level. The published take-off distances of the largest business jets, all under 6,000 ft at maximum weight in standard conditions, fit inside it. Heat lengthens every take-off run, so for the longest flights on a summer afternoon we check the figure for the day with the operator.
The parallel runway, 16L-34R, is 4,013 ft long with a weight limit of 14,000 lb on a single wheel, so it is for light aircraft. Boeing and Airbus business jets use LAX.
Van Nuys compared with the other Los Angeles airports
Against Burbank, Van Nuys has the longer runway, 8,001 ft against 6,886 ft, customs on the field and five private terminals to Burbank's two; Burbank is closer to Hollywood, the studios and Pasadena. Against LAX, Van Nuys has no airline traffic and is closer to Bel Air and the Valley, but LAX clears customs every day until 11 pm and takes the VIP airliners.
Santa Monica is closer to the Westside but has a 3,500 ft runway and closes at the end of 2028. Long Beach, with a 10,000 ft runway, serves the South Bay.
| Airport | From Beverly Hills | Aircraft | Customs | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Van Nuys Airport VNY | About 11 miles; 15 by road, over the Sepulveda Pass | Every business jet, on an 8,001 ft runway; nothing certified at 77 dBA or louder | At Signature West, on set hours by the day; requested 24 hours ahead | Beverly Hills, Bel Air, the Westside, Malibu, Calabasas |
| Los Angeles International Airport LAX | About 9 miles; private terminals on the south side | Every size, including VIP airliners, on runways up to 12,923 ft | Own building, every day 7 am to 11 pm | VIP airliners, arrivals from abroad, Downtown at full weight |
| Hollywood Burbank Airport BUR | About 9 miles; the closest jet runway to Hollywood and the studios | Light to large-cabin jets, on a 6,886 ft runway; no Stage 2 jets | None for private flights | Hollywood, the studios, Pasadena, Downtown |
| Long Beach Airport LGB | About 23 miles; the airport for Long Beach and the South Bay | Every business jet, on a 10,000 ft runway, within hourly noise limits | None for private flights | Long Beach, Palos Verdes, the South Bay |
| Santa Monica Airport SMO | About 4 miles; the closest to the Westside, until the end of 2028 | Turboprops and some light jets, on a 3,500 ft runway | None | Santa Monica and Brentwood, in a light aircraft |
Distances are straight-line from Beverly Hills; drive times are indicative. The same comparison, with an airport finder, is in our guide to the private jet airports in Los Angeles.
Flying from Van Nuys?
Send us your route, date and time. We will check the noise rules and customs hours for your aircraft, book the terminal and propose the aircraft and price.
Popular private jet routes from Van Nuys
Each route page has the flight time, the airports at both ends, the aircraft that suit it and an indicative price for the whole aircraft.
Private jet Los Angeles to San Francisco
Van Nuys to the Bay Area in about an hour.
Private jet New York to Los Angeles
Teterboro to Van Nuys non-stop, landing before lunch on a morning departure.
Private jet Chicago to Los Angeles
Midway to Van Nuys in about four hours and a quarter.
Private jet Los Angeles to London
Leave Van Nuys after dinner and land at Farnborough the next afternoon.
Private jet London to Los Angeles
Into Van Nuys when the landing fits its customs hours; otherwise LAX.
More destinations from Van Nuys: Aspen, Miami, Houston and Tokyo.
Frequently asked questions
What is the airport code for Van Nuys?
VNY is the IATA and FAA code, and KVNY the ICAO code used in flight plans. The airport is closed to airline flights, so VNY appears on private flight itineraries, never on an airline ticket.
Where is Van Nuys Airport?
In the San Fernando Valley, in the City of Los Angeles, three miles north-west of central Van Nuys by the FAA's description; the airport office is at 16461 Sherman Way. Beverly Hills is about ten miles away in a straight line and fifteen by road, over the Sepulveda Pass.
Which FBOs are at Van Nuys Airport?
Five private terminals from three companies: Signature West, Signature East and Signature North, which was Castle & Cooke until September 2026; Clay Lacy Aviation; and Jet Aviation. All but Signature North are open around the clock.
Does Van Nuys Airport have customs?
Yes, a user-fee customs facility inside Signature West, on set hours that change by the day, from as early as 9 am to as late as 8.30 pm. Landing is requested at least 24 hours ahead. Outside those hours an arrival from abroad lands at LAX, where customs clears private flights every day from 7 am to 11 pm.
Is there a curfew at Van Nuys Airport?
A partial one. Aircraft certified at 74 dBA or more on take-off may not depart between 10 pm and 7 am, or from 11 pm for Stage 3 aircraft, and nothing at 77 dBA or more may use the airport at any hour. Most current business jets are quieter and may fly at any time.
Where is the Van Nuys Airport observation area?
On the east side of the airfield, off Woodley Avenue at the end of Waterman Drive. Los Angeles World Airports runs it, open daily from 8 am to sunset, with exhibits on the airport's history, picnic benches, a children's area and the control tower's radio played live.
Is there parking at Van Nuys Airport?
The airport's public car park is only for passengers taking the FlyAway bus to LAX, at $1 an hour and at most $6 a day. Private passengers are dropped at their FBO, which arranges parking for a car left behind; we book it with the flight.
Is there a restaurant at Van Nuys Airport?
The best-known one, the 94th Aero Squadron beside the airfield, opened in 1973 and closed in 2022. On a private flight, we order the catering with the flight.
Van Nuys or Burbank?
Van Nuys for Beverly Hills, Bel Air, the Westside, Malibu and Calabasas, and for customs on the field; Burbank for Hollywood, the studios and Pasadena. Van Nuys has the longer runway, 8,001 ft against 6,886 ft.
Sources: 18 official pages, checked 13 November 2026
Reviewed by The 0.1% Group private aviation team. Runway, hours, customs, noise rules and FBO operators checked against these pages on 13 November 2026. Operating rules change; we reconfirm them with the airport and the handler for every flight.
- FAA airport data via AirNav: Van Nuys (KVNY), effective 29 October 2026
- FAA NFDC: Van Nuys airport data
- US Customs and Border Protection: Van Nuys general aviation fact sheet, 29 January 2026
- Los Angeles World Airports: Van Nuys noise abatement and curfew regulation
- Van Nuys Airport: noise restrictions
- Van Nuys Airport: airport facts
- Van Nuys Airport: landing fees from 1 March 2026
- Van Nuys Airport: parking rates
- Van Nuys Airport: community relations and the observation area
- Signature Aviation: Van Nuys West
- Signature Aviation: Van Nuys East
- Signature Aviation: Van Nuys North
- Aviation Week: Signature acquires Castle & Cooke FBO at Van Nuys, 1 October 2026
- Clay Lacy Aviation: Van Nuys
- Jet Aviation: Van Nuys
- Private Jet Card Comparisons: busiest US private jet airports in 2025 (Argus data)
- Wikipedia: 94th Aero Squadron restaurant
- OpenStreetMap routing (OSRM) for road miles
A private jet from Van Nuys
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