Private Jets to the Alps
Ski flights to Geneva, Sion, Chambéry, Grenoble, Gstaad, St. Moritz, Zurich, Innsbruck and Salzburg: the airport nearest your resort, the winter rules at each and flying times from the UK.
Independent UK charter broker since 2015 · Volairis Ltd, Companies House 09488748 · Member of The Air Charter Association
Private jet airports in the Alps
Nine airports with guides of their own. The mountain airfields save hours on the road but have short hours and strict rules, so the right one depends on the resort, the aircraft and the day.
Geneva
The main gateway to the French and Swiss Alps, with a 3,900 m runway. Jet Aviation and Signature run private terminals with customs on site. Every business flight needs prior permission, booked through the handler from 5 days ahead.
Geneva airport guideSion
In the Rhône valley, presented by the airport as the gateway to Crans-Montana, Verbier and Zermatt. A 2,000 m runway and Signature's private terminal with customs, but daytime hours, and pilots need a special Sion qualification for its instrument approaches.
Sion airport guideChambéry Savoie Mont Blanc
A business aviation terminal run by the airport, with customs on 24 hours' notice. From 1 December to 30 April every flight needs prior permission through the airport's MyHandling system, winter weekends are slot-facilitated, and crews must know its mountain procedures.
Chambéry Savoie Mont Blanc airport guideGrenoble Alpes Isère
A 3,050 m runway and a dedicated business terminal run by the airport operator, Edeis. Customs and police are on hand during airport hours from 1 December to 30 April, and Saturdays from 19 December to 27 March have slot guidance from COHOR.
Grenoble Alpes Isère airport guideGstaad Saanen
2.8 km from Gstaad. A private, visual-only mountain airfield: 1,400 m of asphalt but only about 1,050 to 1,110 m declared, so only some smaller aircraft can use it. Every movement needs an online prior permission, and customs needs 3 hours' notice.
Gstaad Saanen airport guideEngadin
Engadin Airport at Samedan, north-east of St. Moritz, at 5,600 ft. Daylight only, with customs while it is open and the airport itself as handler for aircraft over 4 tonnes. Every pilot must pass its own briefing and test, and jet arrivals need good visibility.
Engadin airport guideZurich
Open 06:00 to 23:30 with three long runways and Jet Aviation's executive terminal at the General Aviation Center, with customs on site. Every flight needs an airport slot, and charter departures can be planned only until 22:00.
Zurich airport guideInnsbruck
A 2,000 m runway in the Inn valley and the airport's own General Aviation Center, open 06:30 to 20:00. Crews must be familiar with its mountain procedures, and winter weekends (plus 2 and 9 January) need a slot from Schedule Coordination Austria.
Innsbruck airport guideSalzburg Airport W. A. Mozart
Open 06:00 to 23:00 with a 2,850 m runway and a General Aviation Terminal; the airport's own handling is mandatory from 3.5 tonnes. On winter Saturdays from 12 December 2026 to 27 March 2027 general aviation flights need prior permission.
Salzburg Airport W. A. Mozart airport guideWhich airport for your resort
The airports we usually look at for each resort, with straight-line distance. Mountain roads make some transfers much longer than the distance suggests; we plan the transfer to match.
| Area | Usual airports |
|---|---|
| Verbier | Sion (SIR) 16 kmGeneva (GVA) 88 km |
| Zermatt | Sion (SIR) 39 kmGeneva (GVA) 129 km |
| Crans-Montana | Sion (SIR) 16 kmGeneva (GVA) 106 km |
| Gstaad | Gstaad Saanen (LSGK) 3 kmSion (SIR) 29 kmGeneva (GVA) 94 km |
| Chamonix | Geneva (GVA) 68 kmSion (SIR) 48 km |
| Megève | Geneva (GVA) 58 kmChambéry Savoie Mont Blanc (CMF) 62 km |
| Courchevel and Méribel | Chambéry Savoie Mont Blanc (CMF) 64 kmGeneva (GVA) 100 kmGrenoble Alpes Isère (GNB) 102 km |
| Val d'Isère | Chambéry Savoie Mont Blanc (CMF) 88 kmGeneva (GVA) 111 kmGrenoble Alpes Isère (GNB) 129 km |
| St. Moritz | Engadin (SMV) 6 kmZurich (ZRH) 145 km |
| Davos and Klosters | Zurich (ZRH) 122 kmEngadin (SMV) 30 km |
| St. Anton and Lech | Innsbruck (INN) 83 kmZurich (ZRH) 135 km |
| Kitzbühel | Salzburg Airport W. A. Mozart (SZG) 60 kmInnsbruck (INN) 82 km |
Flying times from the UK
Approximate times in a light or midsize jet. Actual times depend on the aircraft, winds and routing.
| From | To Geneva | To Chambéry Savoie Mont Blanc | To Innsbruck |
|---|---|---|---|
| London (Farnborough) | About 1h 30m | About 1h 40m | About 1h 50m |
| Manchester | About 1h 50m | About 2h 05m | About 2h 10m |
| Birmingham | About 1h 45m | About 1h 55m | About 2h 00m |
| Edinburgh | About 2h 15m | About 2h 30m | About 2h 30m |
Plan your trip
Destination guides
Operations people, not just a booking desk
We come from aircraft management and flight operations. In the Alps that means knowing which airports need prior permission on a Saturday, where crews need special training, and when a longer drive from a bigger airport is the safer plan.
Talk to us
Call any time on 020 8088 9102 or send your trip above. We reply personally.
Questions
Which airport is closest to my ski resort?
It depends on the resort. The table on this page lists the nearest airports to the best-known ones by straight-line distance. The closest is not always the best: Sion, Gstaad-Saanen and Samedan keep short daytime hours and have strict rules for crews, so we check your aircraft and timings before suggesting one, and plan the car transfer to match.
Why are Saturdays harder in ski season?
Chalet weeks usually change over on a Saturday, so the ski airports are busiest then. Chambéry needs prior permission all winter and is slot-facilitated at winter weekends, Grenoble has slot guidance on Saturdays from 19 December to 27 March, Innsbruck needs a slot at winter weekends, and Salzburg needs prior permission on winter Saturdays. Booking early, or flying on a Friday or Sunday, gives more choice of times.
Can I fly straight to Gstaad or St. Moritz?
Yes, in the right aircraft and weather. Saanen, 2.8 km from Gstaad, is a visual-only private airfield with about 1,050 to 1,110 m of declared runway, so only some smaller aircraft can use it. Samedan, near St. Moritz, takes jets by day once the pilots have passed its briefing, and needs good visibility. If either doesn't suit, we plan a larger airport and the drive.
Will our skis fit on a private jet?
Skis and boot bags travel in the baggage hold. Tell us how many sets you are bringing when you ask for a quote, so we choose an aircraft with room for them; on smaller jets, hold space is the limit before seats are.
Is private jet hire the same as charter?
Yes. Hiring a private jet and chartering one mean the same thing: you book the whole aircraft and its crew for your trip, on your schedule. We arrange it with a vetted operator; Volairis does not own or operate aircraft.
