Private jets at Lyon Saint-Exupéry Airport
Lyon Saint-Exupéry is open around the clock, with customs and police at all hours and two parallel runways of 4,000 m and 2,670 m. The French AIP says it has no general aviation terminal and no particular facilities for business aviation, and strongly recommends that business aviation operators use Lyon-Bron instead. Private flights are still handled here by AviaVIP (Aviapartner), the airport's own Lyon Executive Handling FBO and Space Executive Handling, and it is a schedule-facilitated airport, so slot requests go to COHOR through the handler.
- Longest runway
- 4,000 m
- Codes
- LYS · LFLL
- Business aviation handling
- 2 handlers
Did you knowLyon-Saint Exupéry was inaugurated on 12 April 1975, and the airport's own TGV railway station opened in 1994. Aéroports de Lyon, who we are
Charter a private jet to Lyon Saint-Exupéry Airport
Lyon Saint-Exupéry is 25 km from the city centre (airport figure), open 24 hours with customs at all hours and a 4,000 m runway. The French AIP says it has no general aviation terminal and recommends Lyon-Bron for business aviation, though AviaVIP and the airport's own FBO handle private flights here. In winter the airport puts Courchevel and Méribel about two hours away by transfer.
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What the private terminal is like at Lyon Saint-Exupéry
No. The AIP says the airport has no general aviation terminal and no particular facilities for business aviation, and strongly recommends that business aviation operators use Lyon-Bron (LFLY), whose infrastructure, services and security it calls fully adapted.
AviaVIP (Aviapartner)
AviaVIP's FBO Lyon St. Exupéry is open 06:30-23:30 local with 24/7 availability and offers a private conference room. The AIP lists Aviapartner's general aviation contact among the airport's handlers.
FBO Lyon Executive Handling (Vinci Airports)
Listed in the AIP as a handler, with a lyonaeroports.com address, so it is run by the airport group. No web page of its own was found.
Customs at Lyon Saint-Exupéry, 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.
- Lyon is a schedule-facilitated airport. The operator's handler requests the slot from COHOR before the flight.
- Customs and police are listed as available 24 hours a day.
- There is no general aviation terminal, so how you pass through passport control depends on the handler, and we confirm it before you fly.
Which private jets can use Lyon Saint-Exupéry?
On runway length, every turboprop, very light jet, light jet, super light jet, midsize jet, super midsize, heavy jet, ultra long range and VIP airliner type is within it. 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.
Chapter 2 aircraft may not use Lyon, and the noisiest Chapter 3 jets (cumulative margin under 13 EPNdB) may not land or leave the stand between 22:00 and 06:00 local. Visual approaches are prohibited except for safety reasons, and ground power must be used where provided, with the APU limited to 10 minutes before off-block and 5 minutes after arrival on those stands.
| 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 |
| Midsize jet 8–9 seats · take-off 1,100–1,660 m · Cessna Citation XLS+ | Yes |
| Super midsize 9–10 seats · take-off 1,400–1,600 m · Bombardier Challenger 350 | Yes |
| Heavy jet 12–14 seats · take-off 1,430–1,780 m · Dassault Falcon 7X | Yes |
| Ultra long range 13–19 seats · take-off 1,700–1,970 m · Bombardier Global 7500 | Yes |
| VIP airliner 18–50+ seats · take-off 1,500–2,100 m | Yes |
Worth knowing before you fly
- The French AIP says Saint-Exupéry has no general aviation terminal and strongly recommends Lyon-Bron for business aviation. Bron is about 10 km east of central Lyon (airport group figure), so we compare both airports for each trip before choosing.
- Lyon is a schedule-facilitated airport. For private flights the handler requests the slot from COHOR, so a change of time goes back through the handler.
- For the Alps, the airport gives Courchevel about 2 hours, Méribel 2 hours 5 minutes and Val Thorens 2 hours 20 minutes away by transfer. De-icing is done on stand by the handlers, with about 12 de-icing vehicles on site (AIP).
- The noisiest Chapter 3 jets (cumulative margin under 13 EPNdB) may not land or leave the stand between 22:00 and 06:00 local, so we check the aircraft's noise certification before a late arrival or early departure.
Operating information
For business and private flights. Details change, so we check them again for your date.
Airport
| Opening hours | The AIP lists customs and police, ATS, fuel, handling and security as H24, and de-icing as provided. At night, fuel needs 20 minutes' notice from 23:00 to 02:30 (AIP times, UTC basis). AviaVIP gives its Lyon FBO hours as 06:30-23:30 local, with 24/7 availability. |
|---|---|
| Prior permission | The AIP publishes no PPR. Lyon is a schedule-facilitated airport, and COHOR says that for general and business aviation the operator contacts its handling agent, which makes the slot request to COHOR. Before moving, departing aircraft must call Saint Ex Delivery, and stands are allocated by the airport operator. |
| Customs and immigration | Customs and police are H24 (AIP). The AIP also says the airport has no general aviation terminal and no particular facilitation for business aviation. None of the handler pages found describes customs facilities of its own at Lyon Saint-Exupéry. |
| Slots | Schedule-facilitated airport (French Ministry list, updated 17 July 2026; order of 3 May 2021). COHOR is the facilitator, and for general and business aviation the handling agent makes the slot request to COHOR. |
| Noise and night restrictions | Chapter 2 aircraft may not operate. The noisiest Chapter 3 jets (cumulative margin under 13 EPNdB) may not land 22:00-06:00 local (touchdown time) or leave the stand for take-off 22:00-06:00 local; waivers are exceptional and granted by the minister. Departures fly an NADP2 profile to 4,000 ft, visual approaches are prohibited except for safety or medical emergencies, and reverse thrust above idle 22:00-06:00 local is for operational and safety reasons only. Ground power must be used where provided; APU use is limited to 10 minutes before the target off-block time on stands with ground power (30 minutes without, for aircraft under 140 t) and 5 minutes after arrival (20 minutes without). Breaches can lead to an ACNUSA fine of up to 40,000 euros for a company. |
| Aircraft parking | Stands are allocated by the airport operator and relayed by the tower. The AIP lists no hangar space for visiting aircraft; repairs are possible in a hangar for aircraft up to the size of a B737 or MD80. The detailed stand-use sheets in the AIP charts (MIA_TEXT) were not read. |
| De-icing | Provided (AIP): de-icing on stand by the handler, with about 12 de-icing vehicles on site. |
| Other restrictions | The AIP strongly recommends that business aviation use Lyon-Bron. Training and check flights are possible Monday to Friday only, with authorisation from the Centre-East air navigation service requested 48 hours ahead. U-turns on the runways are prohibited for aircraft with a wingspan over 36 m. Visual approaches are prohibited except for safety reasons or medical emergency. |
Runways
| 17R/35L | 4,000 m, bituminous concrete |
|---|---|
| 17L/35R | 2,670 m, bituminous concrete |
By road
| Lyon city centre | 25 km (airport figure); the AIP gives 20 km east-south-east of Lyon. Rhônexpress tram under 30 minutes (airport figure) |
|---|---|
| Courchevel | About 2 hours (airport ski transfer figure) |
| Méribel | About 2 hours 5 minutes (airport ski transfer figure) |
| Val Thorens | About 2 hours 20 minutes (airport ski transfer figure) |
| Val d'Isère | About 2 hours 45 minutes (airport ski transfer figure) |
Flying times
Airports near Lyon Saint-Exupéry
Bourg-Ceyzériat
More airport guides nearby: Geneva Airport, Sion Airport, Gstaad Saanen Airport, Avignon-Provence Airport.
Questions
Is there a private terminal at Lyon Saint-Exupéry Airport?
No. The AIP says the airport has no general aviation terminal and no particular facilities for business aviation, and strongly recommends that business aviation operators use Lyon-Bron (LFLY), whose infrastructure, services and security it calls fully adapted.
What are Lyon Saint-Exupéry Airport's opening hours for private flights?
The AIP lists customs and police, ATS, fuel, handling and security as H24, and de-icing as provided. At night, fuel needs 20 minutes' notice from 23:00 to 02:30 (AIP times, UTC basis). AviaVIP gives its Lyon FBO hours as 06:30-23:30 local, with 24/7 availability.
Can I clear customs at Lyon Saint-Exupéry Airport on a private flight?
Customs and police are H24 (AIP). The AIP also says the airport has no general aviation terminal and no particular facilitation for business aviation. None of the handler pages found describes customs facilities of its own at Lyon Saint-Exupéry.
What size of private jet can use Lyon Saint-Exupéry?
The longest runway is 4,000 m. Going by each type's published take-off distance at maximum weight: every turboprop, very light jet, light jet, super light jet, midsize jet, super midsize, heavy jet, ultra long range and VIP airliner type is within it. Chapter 2 aircraft may not use Lyon, and the noisiest Chapter 3 jets (cumulative margin under 13 EPNdB) may not land or leave the stand between 22:00 and 06:00 local. Visual approaches are prohibited except for safety reasons, and ground power must be used where provided, with the APU limited to 10 minutes before off-block and 5 minutes after arrival on those stands. The operator confirms performance for your aircraft, load and date.
What are the fees for a private jet at Lyon Saint-Exupéry?
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 Lyon Saint-Exupéry?
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 14 November 2026 from the official AIP and published airport, government and handler information (lyonaeroports.com, aviavip.com, sia.aviation-civile.gouv.fr, corporate.lyonaeroports.com, ecologie.gouv.fr, cohor.org). Not for operational use; we confirm everything for your flight.
