How do you fly to the Alps by private jet for a ski trip?

By the Charter-A operations team · Last reviewed 6 November 2026

Key facts

• Thirteen Alpine airports are described on this site, in Switzerland, France and Austria.
• Geneva has a 3,900 metre runway and Swiss and French customs on site; its private terminals open 06:00 to 22:00.
• Samedan, for St. Moritz, sits at 1,707 metres elevation and needs a special pilot briefing.
• Several airports close at the end of daylight, so a late departure can mean a different airport.
• Skis and boots usually travel in the hold: give the dimensions and weight when you enquire.

Which airport serves which ski resort?

Thirteen airports serve the Alps for private jets, and the right one is the one that gets you to your resort, within the limits of the airport and the aircraft. The table matches the airports to the places they serve, using the details on each airport's page.

Bern, St. Gallen-Altenrhein and Zurich also appear on the ski resorts page for the places near them. Runways are as published by each airport; the airport pages give hours in full.

The ski resorts page lists all thirteen airports with their facts, and the summaries below pick out what changes how you plan.

Which Alpine airports take every business jet?

Geneva is the main airport for Verbier, the Valais and the French Alps: a 3,900 metre runway, Swiss and French customs at the private terminals, and handling for aircraft of every size. The private terminals open daily from 06:00 to 22:00, with earlier or later arrivals only by special request and with the airport's permission. Zurich has a 3,700 metre runway and customs at the General Aviation Center; flights run from 06:00 to 23:30, and the private terminals close between 22:00 and 22:30. Grenoble has a 3,050 metre runway for all business jets, and Salzburg a 2,750 metre runway that takes aircraft up to Boeing 747 size, though private take-offs there start from 07:00 and a noise limit applies to departing jets.

What makes a mountain airport different?

Mountain airports have shorter runways, terrain around them and, in several cases, rules that exist only for the Alps. The records on this site describe these specific conditions, and they are why the airport and the aircraft are picked together.

• Sion. The airport serves the Rhône valley resorts, and the crew must hold the airport's approach qualification. It opens at 07:00 from April to September or 08:00 from October to March and closes at the end of daylight, never later than 20:00. The town centre is about 5 minutes away.
• Samedan (Engadin). The airport for St. Moritz is at 1,707 metres elevation, with a visual alpine approach and a special pilot briefing. It is open 365 days a year; in winter it opens at 08:00 and closes at the end of evening twilight, which is early in midwinter.
• Saanen (Gstaad). A 1,400 metre runway with obstacles nearby. No weight limit is published, so each jet type is cleared with the airport, and aircraft may operate from 08:00 until the end of evening twilight, never later than 20:00.
• Annecy. A 1,630 metre runway in a mountain setting, with mandatory crew training for private aeroplanes whose reference field length is above 1,200 metres. In winter it is open daily from 08:00 to 19:00.
• Chambéry. A 2,020 metre runway; in winter it opens daily from 07:30 to 21:00, and ski-season slot rules apply.
• Innsbruck. A 2,000 metre runway with mountain-approach restrictions and crew familiarisation required; open daily from 06:30 to 20:00, with later landings for quiet commercial aircraft but no departures after 20:00.

None of this stops a ski flight; it shapes it. A larger jet that suits Geneva may not be cleared for Saanen, and the aircraft that suits a mountain strip may be smaller than your party would like. Where that happens, the answer is usually a different airport and a road or helicopter transfer, which we can set out as options.

How long does the flight from London take?

Short, because the Alps are close. These are approximate airborne times from central London in a midsize or heavy jet, worked out the way described in private jet flight times from London to Europe: about 1 hr 10 min to Geneva, 1 hr 15 min to Zurich, Chambéry, Grenoble, Annecy and Sion, 1 hr 25 min to Samedan and 1 hr 30 min to Innsbruck. A light jet adds roughly a quarter of an hour on each. Every one of these is within the non-stop range of every class, which is why small jets and turboprops are common on ski routes.

What are the hours and customs rules to plan around?

Two things catch ski parties out. The first is the clock: Sion, Saanen, Samedan and Annecy all close in the evening or at the end of daylight, so the last flight of the day may have to land earlier than you would like, or at another airport. The second is customs for a flight from the UK. Geneva, Sion, Samedan, Innsbruck and Zurich have customs on site during their hours. Chambéry and Annecy need 24 hours' notice, Grenoble has customs on site from 1 December to 30 April, and at Buochs and Saanen the declaration goes in with the permission request. Charter-A makes the permission request and the customs notification, so you only need to give passport details on time.

How do you get skis and luggage on board?

Most private jets carry skis, and the limit is usually length rather than weight. Give the number of pairs, the boot bags and the dimensions when you enquire, and the aircraft is checked against them. Soft bags pack better than hard cases, and a party with skis may need the next class of aircraft up. The full guide to what fits in each class is how much luggage you can take on a private jet.

What about snow and weather?

Winter weather affects mountain flying more than flying to a sea-level airport, and it is plain sense to plan for it. Low cloud or snow at an airport that depends on a visual approach can delay a departure or make a flight unworkable, and de-icing in winter can be an extra cost; the other things that may be extra are covered in what is included in the price of a private jet charter. Two habits help: choose a flight time with margin before the airport closes, and agree a fallback airport in advance. If the flight is cancelled because of the weather, you pay nothing.

When should you book a ski flight?

Early. The ski season is one of the busiest periods of the year, aircraft sell out and prices rise, and airports such as Chambéry apply slot rules in the ski season. Book weeks or months ahead for the dates you most want, and read how much notice you need to charter a private jet for the general guide. If your dates can move, say so when you enquire: it widens the choice of aircraft.

Which airports suit which size of aircraft?

The airport records describe what each can take, and the range is wide. The table summarises it; the details are on each airport page.

As recorded on each airport page. Individual aircraft types are cleared case by case.

The pattern is clear. Geneva, Zurich, Grenoble and Salzburg are the airports for larger aircraft and bigger parties. The valley and resort airfields are for aircraft that meet their particular conditions, which are often the smaller jets and turboprops. If your party is large and your resort is served only by a limited airport, the usual answer is a larger aircraft into a bigger airport and a transfer on from there.

What are the opening hours at the other Alpine airports?

Local time. Times outside these hours are by request where the airport allows it; each airport page gives the full wording.

Buochs and St. Gallen-Altenrhein show why the clock matters: both close for part of the day, and Altenrhein closes on four public holidays. For a late return from a ski week, plan the flight time around the airport’s closing time and leave margin, because a delay that pushes you past closing can mean landing elsewhere.

How do you get from the airport to the resort?

Often by road, and the transfer time depends on the valley. Sion is about 5 minutes from the town of Sion and is the gateway to Crans-Montana, Verbier, Zermatt, Saas-Fee and Nendaz; the airport itself does not publish resort transfer times, so ask for the timing of your own journey. Geneva is about 5 km from the city centre. If a chauffeur is arranged with your flight, the car is timed to the aircraft so it is there when you are. Where the resort is far from the airport, we can compare a longer flight to a closer airport with a shorter flight and a longer road transfer.

What documents do you need?

A passport for every passenger, adults and children, exactly as on an airline, and any visa you would need on an airline. Before the flight we ask for a copy of each passport and send the passenger list to the border authorities and the handling agents at both ends. Arrangements for a ski party are the same as for any international flight: see how early to arrive, and what security to expect.

Should the aircraft wait, or fly home and return?

On a short ski stay, a return flight where the aircraft waits for you is often better value than two one-way flights. On a week or longer, the choice is between paying for the aircraft to stay and planning an outbound flight and a separate flight home. Ask for both to be quoted, along with the airport options for each direction, because the plan with the lowest price on paper may need an airport that is closed when you want to fly.

What should the fallback airport be?

Agree one before you fly. Geneva, with its 3,900 metre runway and customs for every size of aircraft, is the natural larger alternative for the Valais and French resorts served by smaller airports, and Zurich and Salzburg play the same role further east. The cost of a fallback is a longer road transfer, which is usually small beside the cost of a missed or cancelled flight. We can set the primary and the fallback out together at quote stage, with the timings for each.

What should you tell us when you enquire?

• The resort, and the village or valley you are staying in.
• The dates, and how much either side could move.
• The number of passengers, including children.
• The number of pairs of skis, the boot bags and any other long items, with dimensions.
• The latest time you can leave, since several airports close at the end of daylight.

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Runways, opening hours, customs and slot rules are taken from the airport records on this site and the ski resorts page; flight times are approximate, worked out from great-circle distances from central London. Charter-A Ltd acts as agent for the passenger; details are confirmed for each flight at booking.