Private jets at Gstaad Saanen Airport
Saanen is a private, uncontrolled airfield 2.8 km north-west of Gstaad, at 3,307 ft in a mountain valley. Its asphalt runway is 1,400 m long, but only 1,050 to 1,110 m is declared for landing and take-off, flights are visual only, and every arrival and departure needs an online PPR, with customs details at least 3 hours before landing.
- Longest runway
- 1,400 m
- Codes
- LSGK
- Business aviation handling
- 2 handlers
Did you knowSaanen was built as a military airfield under Switzerland's Second World War National Redoubt strategy, and its first hard runway, 900 by 40 metres, came into use at the end of 1942. Civil flights were first allowed in 1946. Gstaad Airport: history
One of 9 airports in our Alps guide.
Charter a private jet to Gstaad Saanen Airport
Gstaad Saanen is a private airfield 2.8 km north-west of Gstaad (skyguide figure), at 3,307 ft in a mountain valley. Its runway is 1,400 m long, but only 1,050 to 1,110 m is declared for landing and take-off, there is no air traffic control and flights are visual only, so both the aircraft and the crew have to suit it. It opens at 08:00 and closes by 20:00 at the latest, earlier in winter.
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Independent UK charter broker since 2015 · Volairis Ltd, Companies House 09488748 · Member of The Air Charter Association
What the private terminal is like at Gstaad Saanen
No separate private terminal is described. Gstaad Airport AG runs the airfield's FBO services, including handling, customs and passport control.
Gstaad Airport AG
The airport company at Oeystrasse 29, Saanen. It handles PPR requests and provides ground handling, Jet A-1 and AVGAS (overwing only, no pressure refuelling), hangar and apron parking, fire cover, ground power, customs and passport controls, and bookings of taxis, hire cars and hotels. Phone +41 33 748 33 22.
Air Sarina
Based at Saanen; offers aircraft management, international flight operations and charter bookings, and trains pilots for operations at Saanen. Not described as a ground handler.
Customs at Gstaad Saanen, step by step
What happens on an international flight, in the order you meet it. We handle the paperwork with the operator.
- When you book, we ask for each passenger's passport details for the operator.
- Every arrival and departure needs an online PPR from the airport. The form includes the customs declaration and confirms the crew has read the airport briefing, and the operator files it.
- For an international flight the customs details must be complete and reach the airport at least 3 hours before landing, or 2 hours before take-off. Incomplete filings are refused.
- On arrival, Gstaad Airport handles customs and passport control at the airfield, for Schengen and non-Schengen flights. Goods cannot be cleared through customs there.
- The PPR office works 08:00-17:00 local, with later requests only by arrangement, so timings are best fixed early.
Which private jets can use Gstaad Saanen?
On runway length, every turboprop, very light jet, light jet and super light jet type is within it; some midsize jet and super midsize types fit, others only with less fuel or fewer passengers. The check below uses each type's published take-off distance at maximum weight, at sea level on a 15°C day. Heat, altitude, a wet runway and the operator's own rules can need more, so we confirm it for your aircraft and date.
Saanen is an uncontrolled, visual-only airfield with no PAPI, and the declared landing length is 1,070 m on runway 08 and 1,050 m on runway 26 (take-off 1,070 m and 1,110 m) at 3,307 ft. Aircraft taxi on the runway itself, taxiway S is limited to 11 m wingspan, and parts of the north apron to 15 m and 22 m. Crews must have read the airport briefing before filing the PPR, and an instrument departure needs a phone call to Geneva before start-up.
| Aircraft class | On this runway |
|---|---|
| Turboprop 5–8 seats · take-off 730–1,000 m · Pilatus PC-12 NGX | Yes |
| Very light jet 4–5 seats · take-off 630–1,100 m | Yes |
| Light jet 6–7 seats · take-off 960–1,200 m · Embraer Phenom 300E | Yes |
| Super light jet 7–8 seats · take-off 820–1,350 m | Yes, though the longest-legged types need a performance check |
| Midsize jet 8–9 seats · take-off 1,100–1,660 m · Cessna Citation XLS+ | Some types (3 of 7); others with less fuel or fewer passengers |
| Super midsize 9–10 seats · take-off 1,400–1,600 m · Bombardier Challenger 350 | Some types (2 of 7); others with less fuel or fewer passengers |
| Heavy jet 12–14 seats · take-off 1,430–1,780 m · Dassault Falcon 7X | Not at full weight |
| Ultra long range 13–19 seats · take-off 1,700–1,970 m · Bombardier Global 7500 | Not at full weight |
| VIP airliner 18–50+ seats · take-off 1,500–2,100 m | Not at full weight |
Worth knowing before you fly
- Saanen is a visual-only airfield with no air traffic control, set among mountains, and the runway is not always visible on approach. Low cloud can stop an arrival, so we always plan a weather alternative.
- The usable runway is short (1,050 to 1,110 m declared) at 3,307 ft, and summer heat raises the density altitude further. The airport strongly advises a take-off and climb performance calculation, and on warm days the answer can be a lower take-off weight or a cooler departure time.
- Customs details must reach the airport at least 3 hours before landing and 2 hours before take-off, and the PPR office works 08:00-17:00. Late changes of plan may not be possible, so we fix timings early.
- Parking and hangar space is limited, no aircraft de-icing service is published, and in winter the airfield closes earlier. In winter we watch the weather closely and book a hangar where we can.
Events Gstaad Saanen serves
From our events calendar: what the airport is used for, and the transfer to the venue on an ordinary day.
Christmas and New Year in the Alps
About 10 minutes by road to Gstaad.
Private jets to the Alps for Christmas and New YearFebruary half term in the Alps
About 10 minutes by road to Gstaad.
Private jets to the Alps for February half termEaster in the Alps
About 10 minutes by road to Gstaad.
Private jets to the Alps for EasterOperating information
For business and private flights. Details change, so we check them again for your date.
Airport
| Opening hours | skyguide VFR Manual page LSGK 2 (edition of 23 January 2025, as reproduced in the airport's pilots briefing): aircraft April-September 08:00-20:00 local, October-March 08:00-HRH (the VFR Manual's daylight-related limit); helicopters 08:00-20:00; office hours 08:00-17:00. The airport's website gives winter (December-March) 08:00-HRH, and summer (June-September) and low season 08:00-HRH, latest 20:00. PPR requests are handled 08:00-17:00 local, outside those hours by arrangement. Swiss federal law (OSIA art. 39, consolidated text of 1 July 2026) bans take-offs and landings of non-commercial flights 22:00-06:00 local at all Swiss aerodromes. |
|---|---|
| Prior permission | Saanen is a PPR airfield. PPR is filed exclusively through the airport's website, before every arrival and every departure. The form includes the customs declaration and the airport briefing, and by filing a PPR the pilot confirms having read and understood the briefing. |
| Customs and immigration | Customs and immigration need a PPR at least 3 hours before arrival and 2 hours before departure; there is no customs clearance for goods (VFR Manual and airport website). Applications for international flights must be complete or they are not accepted. Gstaad Airport says it provides customs and passport controls for Schengen and non-Schengen flights, and its 2026 price list includes Schengen and non-Schengen customs services. |
| Slots | No slot system is published. Every movement needs a PPR filed online. |
| Noise and night restrictions | The airport asks for direct approaches to runways 26 and 08 where possible, avoiding villages, farmhouses and especially Schönried, and asks departures from runway 26 to avoid Rougemont and fly south of the railway. Highly noise-sensitive areas are marked on the visual approach chart. During funerals in Saanen, landings on runway 26 and all take-offs are not allowed. Swiss federal law bans non-commercial take-offs and landings 22:00-06:00 local. |
| Aircraft parking | Gstaad Airport's terms say parking and hangar space is limited and aircraft are in principle parked outside and close to each other. The VFR Manual chart shows the north parking area with maximum wingspans of 15 m and 22 m in its sections, and the south taxiway (for local use) limited to 11 m wingspan. Hangar parking is offered; the price list notes a 4.55 m door height limit for the OCC Art Hangar. |
| De-icing | No aircraft de-icing service is published. The 2026 price list offers TKS de-icing fluid by the 10 litres. In winter crews must consult current SNOWTAM and NOTAM publications, and runway condition reports are published only by SNOWTAM. |
| Other restrictions | Private airfield, uncontrolled VFR, with no ATS: pilots make blind calls on 119.430 MHz, and airport staff may only give the runway in use. IFR joinings departing from Saanen must phone Geneva Delta before start-up. Aircraft taxi only on the runway; taxiway S is for local use with a maximum wingspan of 11 m. Circuit basic training is prohibited. The airfield is in mountainous terrain with difficult landing conditions, obstacles around and along the runway axes, no PAPI or VASIS, a non-standard circuit, high density altitude in summer and intense glider activity in July and August. For jets the airport asks crews to be fully configured at 4,500 ft abeam the Palace hotel for runway 26. Fire cover category 1 is provided in office hours; categories 2-5 need 5 hours' notice. |
Runways
| 08/26 | 1,400 m, asphalt (declared landing length 1,070 m on 08 and 1,050 m on 26; take-off 1,070 m on 08 and 1,110 m on 26) |
|---|
By road
| Gstaad | Airfield 2.8 km (1.5 NM) north-west of Gstaad (skyguide VFR Manual location figure) |
|---|
Flying times
Airports near Gstaad Saanen
Sankt Stephan
Les Eplatures
More airport guides nearby: Geneva Airport, EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg, Lugano Airport, Chambéry Savoie Mont Blanc Airport.
Questions
Is there a private terminal at Gstaad Saanen Airport?
No separate private terminal is described. Gstaad Airport AG runs the airfield's FBO services, including handling, customs and passport control.
What are Gstaad Saanen Airport's opening hours for private flights?
skyguide VFR Manual page LSGK 2 (edition of 23 January 2025, as reproduced in the airport's pilots briefing): aircraft April-September 08:00-20:00 local, October-March 08:00-HRH (the VFR Manual's daylight-related limit); helicopters 08:00-20:00; office hours 08:00-17:00. The airport's website gives winter (December-March) 08:00-HRH, and summer (June-September) and low season 08:00-HRH, latest 20:00. PPR requests are handled 08:00-17:00 local, outside those hours by arrangement. Swiss federal law (OSIA art. 39, consolidated text of 1 July 2026) bans take-offs and landings of non-commercial flights 22:00-06:00 local at all Swiss aerodromes.
Can I clear customs at Gstaad Saanen Airport on a private flight?
Customs and immigration need a PPR at least 3 hours before arrival and 2 hours before departure; there is no customs clearance for goods (VFR Manual and airport website). Applications for international flights must be complete or they are not accepted. Gstaad Airport says it provides customs and passport controls for Schengen and non-Schengen flights, and its 2026 price list includes Schengen and non-Schengen customs services.
What size of private jet can use Gstaad Saanen?
The longest runway is 1,400 m. Going by each type's published take-off distance at maximum weight: every turboprop, very light jet, light jet and super light jet type is within it; some midsize jet and super midsize types fit, others only with less fuel or fewer passengers. Saanen is an uncontrolled, visual-only airfield with no PAPI, and the declared landing length is 1,070 m on runway 08 and 1,050 m on runway 26 (take-off 1,070 m and 1,110 m) at 3,307 ft. Aircraft taxi on the runway itself, taxiway S is limited to 11 m wingspan, and parts of the north apron to 15 m and 22 m. Crews must have read the airport briefing before filing the PPR, and an instrument departure needs a phone call to Geneva before start-up. The operator confirms performance for your aircraft, load and date.
Which events do people fly to Gstaad Saanen for?
On our events calendar: Christmas and New Year in the Alps (about 10 minutes by road to Gstaad); February half term in the Alps (about 10 minutes by road to Gstaad); Easter in the Alps (about 10 minutes by road to Gstaad). Slots and parking fill early on event dates, so book as soon as your plans are firm.
What are the fees for a private jet at Gstaad Saanen?
Our quotes include landing and handling fees, along with fuel, crew and taxes. What the airport and handler charge depends mainly on the aircraft's size and the time of day. Out-of-hours, de-icing and special event fees can be extra, and we tell you which could apply before you book.
Can we have catering on a private flight to Gstaad Saanen?
Yes. Tell us what you would like when you book and the operator orders it for the flight. Depending on the operator and region it is either included or charged separately, and we tell you which before you book.
Checked 13 November 2026 from published airport, government and handler information (gstaad-airport.ch, fedlex.data.admin.ch). Not for operational use; we confirm everything for your flight.
