Private jet to Annecy

Annecy stands at the northern end of a 14 km Alpine lake, with canals running through the old town and the Bornes and Aravis mountains rising to the east. In summer private guests come for the lake, the villas and hotels along the water and the old town; in winter for La Clusaz, Le Grand-Bornand and Megève; in June for the international animation film festival. The airport at Meythet lies only about 3.5 km north-west of the centre and has no scheduled flights, so the car reaches the lakeside 10-15 minutes after landing.

The price of that convenience is a short runway and daytime hours. The strip is 1,630 m long, with just over 1,300 m declared for landing, so it suits turboprops, light jets and some midsize jets after the operator's performance check. Heavier aircraft, late arrivals and full winter weekends go to Geneva, about 45 km away by road. As a broker we choose the airport and the aircraft together, from the number of passengers, the luggage and the landing time.

Send the date, the landing time, the number of passengers and the luggage through the form, and we will tell you whether Annecy or Geneva fits better.

Why land beside the lake

Flight times to the lake

Times for a Citation CJ3 light jet, including taxi, climb and descent; the hub table shows the slower turboprop time in its first column:

A Pilatus PC-12 turboprop is 10-30 minutes slower on these sectors but cheaper and at home on a short runway: Zurich, Milan and Nice take about an hour, Paris 1:23 h. From Turin a Citation M2 needs only 0:43 h. Copenhagen is about 2:04 h away in a Phenom 300, Lisbon 2:33 h and Athens 2:53 h in a Citation CJ3. Remember the tower hours when you plan the return: the aircraft must land and leave while the airport is open.

Annecy charter prices

Prices cover the whole aircraft one way, with handling and passenger taxes on top, and assume an aircraft based near the departure point. Each row's time belongs to its first priced aircraft; in the midsize column, the operator confirms the landing performance for each flight.

From the European hubs

The PC-12 from Zurich, Milan Linate or Nice is the cheapest option at EUR 7,000. From London the turboprop costs EUR 9,000 and the Citation CJ3 costs EUR 10,500. Larnaca is beyond the PC-12's range without a stop, so that row starts with the jets. Geneva is not listed: it is 34 km away, and the trip is made by car.

From the summer markets

In summer many guests fly in from Italy, Spain, the islands and Scandinavia. Very light and light jets fit the runway best:

Longer flights straight to Annecy

A light jet reaches the lake non-stop from Greece, Turkey, Portugal and Morocco. Long-haul jets from the Gulf or the United States land at Geneva instead:

Prices depend on the aircraft class more than on the distance: short sectors from northern Italy, Switzerland and the Riviera sit near the one-hour minimum. Winter weekends and August cost more, as aircraft and landing permits are in demand. France taxes only departures, so the flight home from Annecy pays, and so does a domestic flight in from Paris or Nice: about EUR 420 per passenger on a jet within Europe and about half on a turboprop. Italy charges EUR 100 per passenger up to 1,500 km on flights to and from its airports, and Germany a departure tax. From Britain, Air Passenger Duty is not due on aircraft under 5.7 t such as the PC-12; other jets pay the standard rate of their distance band, and the higher rate starts at 20 t with fewer than 19 seats. The quote lists every item.

Business jet price per flight hour

Heavy Jets from EUR 8,300 / hour

Light Jets from EUR 3,200 / hour

Ultra Long Range Jets from EUR 12,000 / hour

Super Midsize Jets from EUR 6,300 / hour

Very Light Jets from EUR 2,500 / hour

Long Range Jets from EUR 9,800 / hour

Midsize Jets from EUR 4,500 / hour

Turboprops from EUR 2,000 / hour

Sample budgets

Split by passengers

Shared between passengers, the whole-aircraft price looks like this; the French departure tax is charged on top for each traveller on the way back:

Estimate the trip yourself

Enter the route, the date, the landing time and the number of passengers. The estimate arrives by e-mail, and a consultant checks the runway and the hours for your aircraft.

Annecy Mont Blanc airport

The airport (NCY, LFLP), also called Annecy-Meythet or Annecy Haute-Savoie Mont Blanc, lies at Épagny Metz-Tessy on the north-western edge of the town, at about 464 m. It has one paved runway, 04/22, 1,630 m long and 30 m wide, with a grass strip beside it for light aircraft. Depending on the direction, between about 1,314 and 1,332 m are declared for landing. That is enough for very light and light jets and for some midsize jets, but the decision depends on the weight, the air temperature and the state of the runway on the day, and the operator makes it before the contract.

There is no instrument landing system, and instrument approaches are allowed only while the tower is open, typically until about 19:00 local time. Handling is compulsory for aircraft of 3 t and above and is booked through the airport. Fuel, de-icing on request and hangars run by local companies are available. For flights from outside Schengen, and from Switzerland, border police and customs are called with 24 hours' notice.

On permit days in winter, Annecy cannot be filed as an alternate airport, so the operator plans Geneva or Chambéry as the reserve.

Airports around the lake

Straight-line distances from the lake airfield:

Which aircraft fits the runway

On a short runway the weight matters: a full cabin with skis and summer luggage can limit the fuel or the aircraft type. Tell us the number of passengers and bags, including skis, golf bags and pushchairs, and the operator checks the performance before the quote. With more luggage than the aircraft takes, it can travel separately by car from Geneva.

Want to discuss the aircraft, the hours or the landing permit? Give us a phone number and a consultant calls you back.

When to fly: lake and mountain seasons

The airport has two peaks, summer on the lake and winter in the mountains:

Winters by the lake are milder than the mountains suggest: rain is more common than snow in town, while the snow lies higher up in the Aravis. On frosty mornings allow time for de-icing.

Getting from the runway to the water and the slopes

For the lake a car ordered to the aircraft is all you need. For the mountains, especially on a winter Saturday, the helicopter saves the most time, but it needs good visibility, so we keep a car ready; skis and large bags can travel by road while the passengers fly. Boats run on the lake in summer, and a private boat can meet guests at a villa's jetty.

Empty Legs to and from Annecy

Most aircraft that land here are small and return to their bases after dropping passengers, so empty flights appear in summer and in the ski season. Typical directions:

Each such flight runs on the schedule of the paying trip behind it, and the aircraft must still suit the short runway and the tower hours. Tell empty-legs@jets.flights where you want to go and when you could travel, and we will send what matches.

Travelling with a pet to the lake

The animal stays in the cabin beside you, and from the small terminal to the car it is only a few steps. The operator approves the pet in advance, and France checks the usual EU conditions:

• A readable microchip, put in before the rabies shot.
• First rabies vaccination at the age of 12 weeks at the earliest, and travel 21 days later.
• Pets living in the EU travel on their EU passport, those from Great Britain on an animal health certificate.
• Five dogs, cats or ferrets at most for each traveller.
• No worming treatment is needed on entry to France.

The path along the western shore is good for walking a dog after the flight. Lakeside hotels have their own rules for animals, which we check before confirming. Arriving through Geneva, the same chip, vaccination and passport rules apply on the road into France. A dog flying on to the UK, Ireland, Malta, Finland or Norway needs a vet's tapeworm treatment 1-5 days before it lands, and Britain admits pets only via approved routes and handlers.

Border rules and passenger taxes

Checklist for the lake or the slopes

• ID card or passport for each passenger, babies and children too.
• Passenger list with birth dates and document numbers by the eve of the flight, or 24 hours ahead from outside Schengen.
• Landing and take-off times inside the tower hours.
• Exact number of passengers and bags, so the operator can check the runway performance.
• Skis, golf bags or pushchairs, and whether they may go by car.
• Hotel or villa address, and the jetty if a boat meets you.
• The animal's papers and the hotel's policy on pets.
• Billing company and VAT number.

Booking step by step

1. Send the departure airport, date, preferred landing time, passengers, luggage and the address on the lake or in the mountains.
2. We check that the aircraft fits the runway with your load, that the times fall inside the tower hours and, on winter weekends, apply for the landing permit.
3. Our reply lists 2-4 aircraft with operator, model, cabin photos and whole-aircraft price; when Geneva works better, it appears with the drive time.
4. When the operator's contract is signed and paid, we book handling, customs if needed, and the car, boat or helicopter.
5. The car waits beside the aircraft, and the old town is a quarter of an hour away.

Our team

Charlotte McKinney

Commercial Director

charlotte.m@jets.flights

Henry Richter

Head of Aviation Department and Data Protection Officer

henry.r@jets.flights

Emma Miller

Director of Development

emma.m@jets.flights

Liam Bishop

Senior Aviation Consultant

liam.b@jets.flights

Oliver Davis

Aviation Consultant

oliver.d@jets.flights

Anna Laurent

Aviation Consultant

anna.l@jets.flights

Questions about flying privately to Annecy

• • What is the price of a private flight to Annecy?

  • The whole Pilatus PC-12 starts at EUR 7,000 one way from Zurich, Milan Linate or Nice; from London a Citation CJ3 costs EUR 10,500. French departure tax comes on top.

• • Can every private jet land in Annecy?

  • No. The runway is 1,630 m with just over 1,300 m declared for landing, so turboprops, very light and light jets fit, and some midsize jets after a performance check. Heavy and long-range jets land at Geneva.

• • Annecy or Geneva?

  • Annecy is 3.5 km from the old town, Geneva about 45 km by road. For a small group landing in daytime we choose Annecy; for a large aircraft, a late arrival or a full winter weekend, Geneva.

• • Can I arrive in the evening?

  • Only while the tower is open, typically until about 19:00 local time. Instrument approaches are not allowed after it closes, so a later arrival goes to Geneva.

• • Is there a business aviation terminal?

  • The airport has no scheduled flights, so its small terminal serves private and business aviation only. Handling is compulsory from 3 t and is booked with the flight.

• • What changes on winter weekends?

  • From mid-December to mid-April, on Saturdays, Sundays and some Fridays, every arrival needs a permit number in the flight plan, and arrivals per hour are limited. Our team requests the permit the moment you confirm.

• • How long does the flight from London take?

  • About 1:35 h in a Citation CJ3 from Farnborough and about two hours in a PC-12. Annecy runs one hour ahead of UK time.

• • How far are the ski resorts?

  • La Clusaz and Le Grand-Bornand are about 40 minutes by car or 20 minutes by helicopter, Megève about 25 minutes by helicopter.

• • Is there a passenger tax on departure?

  • Yes, France charges about EUR 420 per passenger on a jet within Europe, about half on a turboprop, whenever the flight leaves a French airport. Landing is tax-free, and flying home from Geneva avoids the charge.

• • Can a dog or cat travel with us?

  • Yes: chip, rabies vaccination and EU pet passport, and the animal stays in the cabin with you. Category 1 dogs cannot enter France.

• • Are there Empty Legs to Annecy?

  • Yes, mostly light jets and turboprops returning to Paris, London, Milan and Zurich. Send your route and dates to empty-legs@jets.flights.