- Which flights need a diplomatic clearance?
- Aircraft operated by a state for government, military, customs or police purposes are treated as state aircraft and cleared through diplomatic channels rather than the civil aviation authority, even when the airframe is a business jet.
- How long does a diplomatic clearance take?
- Most states expect between seven and fourteen days for a delegation movement, and some require longer for military-registered aircraft. Short-notice approvals happen but depend entirely on the receiving state.
- Can LFS support the arrival protocol as well as the clearance?
- Yes. We coordinate VIP ramp access, protocol and separate delegation and crew handling at the airport alongside the clearance itself.
- Does a diplomatic clearance replace the landing permit?
- Not always. Several states require the civil landing permit in parallel, and we file both to avoid a movement arriving with only half its approvals in place.
How LFS handles it
Channel identification
We establish which ministry, embassy or defence attaché owns the clearance for each state on the routing, and what form of request that channel accepts. This differs from the civil permit route and is frequently the reason applications stall.
Note verbale package
We prepare the documentation the mission needs to submit — flight details, delegation composition, purpose, weapons and equipment declarations where applicable — in the format the receiving state expects.
Programme tracking
Delegation programmes change. We keep every clearance aligned with the current schedule and re-file rather than assume goodwill at the boundary.
Arrival protocol
On the ground we coordinate VIP ramp access, protocol arrangements, security escorts where the state provides them, and separate crew and delegation handling.
- ·Formal request from the operating government or its mission
- ·Delegation list and purpose of visit
- ·Aircraft registration and crew details
- ·Weapons, equipment or cargo declarations where carried
- ·Requested ramp, parking and protocol arrangements
- ·Diplomatic clearance lead times are longer and less elastic than civil permits — early notice is worth more than escalation later.
- ·Some states require both a diplomatic clearance and a civil landing permit for the same movement; we file both rather than assume one covers the other.
- ·Where a movement is sensitive, we keep the distribution of trip information to the minimum number of parties that can still deliver it.
Frequently asked
Which flights need a diplomatic clearance?
Aircraft operated by a state for government, military, customs or police purposes are treated as state aircraft and cleared through diplomatic channels rather than the civil aviation authority, even when the airframe is a business jet.
How long does a diplomatic clearance take?
Most states expect between seven and fourteen days for a delegation movement, and some require longer for military-registered aircraft. Short-notice approvals happen but depend entirely on the receiving state.
Can LFS support the arrival protocol as well as the clearance?
Yes. We coordinate VIP ramp access, protocol and separate delegation and crew handling at the airport alongside the clearance itself.
Does a diplomatic clearance replace the landing permit?
Not always. Several states require the civil landing permit in parallel, and we file both to avoid a movement arriving with only half its approvals in place.
LFS applies for overflight clearance in every FIR on your route, tracks the approval numbers, and re-files the moment a slip in departure time pushes the aircraft outside the validity window.
OpenLanding clearance is rarely just a form. Authorities ask who is handling the aircraft, where it will park, who the passengers are and why they are coming. LFS files the permit and the supporting arrangements together, so nothing is left half-approved.
OpenAt a coordinated airport a permit alone will not get you in. LFS requests the arrival and departure slots, secures PPR and parking where it is scarce, and monitors both against your actual timings.
Open