Private jet to Bordeaux

Few private flights to Bordeaux end in the city itself. Most passengers head on to a château in the Médoc or Pessac-Léognan on the left bank of the Garonne, to Saint-Émilion and Pomerol on the right bank, or in summer to the Arcachon Basin on the Atlantic. Bordeaux-Mérignac airport lies about 11 km west of the centre, and the quays and the Grand Théâtre are around 20 minutes away by car.

Business aviation is at home here: Dassault Aviation assembles its Falcon jets on the same airfield, and a separate terminal for private flights opens straight onto the apron. The airport itself works around the clock, with border police and customs on duty 24 hours. Clients are wine buyers and collectors, owners of estates, families on the way to Cap Ferret and companies from the aerospace and wine trade. The busy weeks follow the wine calendar rather than the weather.

Tell us the route, the date and the estates you plan to visit, and we will send aircraft options and prices.

Why fly privately to the wine capital of France

Flight times to Mérignac

Times for a Phenom 300 light jet, from the price tables, including taxi, climb and descent:

From Paris, Madrid and Geneva the city is a little over an hour away, from London, Brussels, Zurich and Milan about an hour and a half. Amsterdam and Frankfurt take 1:42-1:44 h, Hamburg and Vienna 2:10-2:20 h. A turboprop from Lyon or Barcelona needs 1:26 h, about 20 minutes more than a jet. From Dubai allow about 6:45 h in a Falcon 7X, from New York 7:09 h, both non-stop.

Private jet prices to Bordeaux

Prices are for the whole aircraft, one way, with an aircraft available near the departure airport. Handling, parking and passenger taxes are added in the quote. The flight time is for the first aircraft in each row.

From the European hubs

Paris Le Bourget and Madrid are the cheapest hubs, at EUR 10,500 in a Phenom 300. From London the same jet costs EUR 11,500, and a Challenger 350 costs EUR 15,500. Larnaca is beyond the range of a light jet, so the Phenom and the Citation stop once on the way; the Challenger 350 flies it non-stop in 4:23 h.

Short routes from south-west Europe

From Spain, Portugal, the Balearics and the south of France, a turboprop is often the best value for two to six people:

A PC-12 from Biarritz costs EUR 6,500 and takes 0:50 h, which suits a trip that combines the Basque coast with the vineyards. From Barcelona and Lyon the turboprop costs EUR 7,500. On the 968 km from Lisbon the PC-24 saves more than half an hour on the PC-12.

From the UK regions, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the north

Many British buyers and owners of property in the south-west fly from regional airports: Manchester is 1:50 h away in a PC-24, Edinburgh 2:14 h. From Scandinavia the flight takes up to 3:20 h, where a Praetor 500 or a G280 gives a roomier cabin and a larger hold for cases of wine.

Long-haul flights

The 3,100 m runway takes every long-range jet. All three types below fly these routes non-stop:

The price depends on the flight time, the position of the nearest free aircraft and how long the aircraft stays: parking on the commercial apron is normally limited to 24 hours, so on a longer stay the jet often flies back and returns. Flights into France pay no French tax; every departure from a French airport, the flight home from Mérignac included, pays the solidarity tax of about EUR 420 per passenger on a jet within Europe, about half on a turboprop and more on long-haul routes. Departures from the UK carry Air Passenger Duty: none on aircraft under 5.7 t such as the PC-12, the higher private-jet rate on aircraft of 20 t or more with fewer than 19 seats, the standard rate on other jets. Flights to and from Italy pay EUR 100 per passenger up to 1,500 km, departures from Germany a departure tax. All of it is listed in the quote.

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

Three trips, costed

Cost per passenger

The aircraft is booked as a whole, so the more seats you fill, the lower the share for each person. The French tax on departure is per head and comes on top:

Price estimate online

Fill in the route, the date and the number of passengers, and the calculator sends an estimate to your e-mail.

Bordeaux-Mérignac airport and its business terminal

Bordeaux-Mérignac (BOD, LFBD) is the main airport of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region and shares its site with an air force base and the Dassault Aviation plant where Falcon jets are assembled. The main runway, 05/23, is about 3,100 m long and has an ILS Category III approach, which allows landings in dense fog when the aircraft and crew are certified for it. The second runway, 11/29, is about 2,415 m.

Private passengers use the business aviation terminal run by AviaVIP, open from 07:00 to 21:00 and outside those hours by prior arrangement. It has a lounge for passengers and one for crews, direct access to the apron and no mandatory security screening; border police come to the terminal when needed, which on flights from Schengen countries is rarely the case. Signature and Aviapartner also handle business aircraft, and Dassault Falcon Service maintains Falcons on the field. The terminal hangar takes aircraft with a wingspan of up to 17 m, enough for a light jet on a frosty night.

Alternate airports in the south-west

Mérignac has no real rival for the city and the vineyards. The airports below serve other parts of the region or act as alternates. Distances are straight-line from the centre of Bordeaux:

Cognac is about 130 km from Mérignac by road; most clients who visit the cognac houses stay in the city and drive both ways. For the Dordogne valley and Sarlat, Bergerac saves an hour on the road. When fog closes Mérignac to aircraft without Category III clearance, the crew diverts to Bergerac or Toulouse.

Choosing the aircraft

With its packaging, a bottle of wine weighs about 1.5 kg, so twelve cases add more than 200 kg. On a light jet with six passengers and summer luggage that can exceed what the hold and the weight limit allow; a midsize jet or shipping from the estate is the safer plan. Give us the number of cases before the flight.

Questions about the aircraft, the terminal hours or the wine on board? Leave your number and a consultant will call you.

When to go: the wine year and the coast

The busiest weeks at Mérignac follow the vineyards and the summer holidays:

For a private visit, May, June and the weeks after the harvest are the easiest. For the April tasting week, book the aircraft and the hotel as soon as the invitation arrives.

From the aircraft to the city, the estates and the coast

With several visits in one day, the driver starts at the estate furthest from the airport and works back towards it, keeping to one bank of the river. If an estate has its own landing pad, a helicopter from Mérignac turns an hour's drive into a short flight; it is booked with a local operator and listed separately in the quote. Leave a margin on the ring road when the flight home is the same evening.

Empty Legs to and from Bordeaux

Aircraft that bring clients to the vineyards or the coast often have to leave without passengers. These one-way flights are offered well below the normal price. Typical directions:

An Empty Leg follows the timing of the original booking and is cancelled if that booking moves, so it works best with flexible dates. Write to empty-legs@jets.flights with the direction and your dates, and we will send matching flights.

Travelling with a dog or cat

Pets fly in the cabin next to their owners, never in a hold, and the operator must agree before the booking. France follows the EU rules:

• Microchip, implanted before the rabies vaccination.
• Rabies vaccination at least 21 days before travel if it is the first one, given at 12 weeks of age or older.
• EU pet passport; animals from Great Britain need an animal health certificate from a government-authorised vet.
• Up to five dogs, cats or ferrets per person, travelling with the owner.
• France does not require tapeworm treatment on arrival.

Before flying on to the UK, Ireland, Malta, Finland or Norway, a dog needs tapeworm treatment from a vet 1-5 days before arrival. A dog from Britain on a trip of up to five days can be treated before leaving home, at least 24 hours before the return, and the UK accepts pets only through approved routes and handlers. Not every château lets dogs into its cellars and tasting rooms, so we ask in advance and can arrange care at the hotel.

Documents, wine and taxes

Before you fly

• Passport or ID card for every passenger.
• Names and document numbers sent the day before the flight.
• Times of the tastings confirmed with the estates, so we can set the landing time.
• Return time agreed with the 07:00-21:00 hours of the business terminal.
• Number of suitcases and cases of wine for the return flight.
• Pet documents and the château's policy on dogs.
• Address of the hotel, villa or estate for the driver.
• Company details if the invoice goes to a business.

How the booking works

1. Agree the tasting times with the estates first, then send us the route, dates, passengers and luggage, including the cases of wine for the way home.
2. We check the terminal hours, the 24-hour parking limit and the event calendar, and decide whether the aircraft waits or flies back.
3. You receive 2-4 options with operator, model, cabin photos and the price for the whole aircraft, with the French tax on the return shown separately.
4. You sign the contract with the operator and pay; we book the handling, the car or helicopter and catering from local suppliers.
5. At Mérignac the car waits a few steps from the aircraft, and the driver has the day's programme.

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 Bordeaux

• • What does a private jet to Bordeaux cost?

  • A Phenom 300 costs EUR 10,500 one way from Paris Le Bourget or Madrid and EUR 11,500 from London Farnborough, for the whole aircraft. A turboprop from Biarritz starts at EUR 6,500. Handling, parking and the French tax on departure are added.

• • How far is the airport from the city and the vineyards?

  • Mérignac is about 11 km west of the centre, around 20 minutes by car. Pessac-Léognan is 10-20 minutes away, the Médoc 40-60 minutes and Saint-Émilion about 50 minutes.

• • Is there a private terminal?

  • Yes. AviaVIP runs the business aviation terminal from 07:00 to 21:00, with direct access to the apron, and opens outside those hours by prior arrangement.

• • Can we fly home late in the evening?

  • Yes, the airport is open 24 hours, but a departure after 21:00 has to be arranged with the terminal when the flight is booked, not on the day.

• • Can the aircraft stay for several days?

  • Parking on the apron is normally limited to 24 hours. For a longer stay we request parking or the aircraft flies home and returns, and we show both prices.

• • How long is the flight from London?

  • About 1:27 h from Farnborough in a Phenom 300 and 1:24 h in a Challenger 350, non-stop.

• • How much wine can we take home?

  • Within the EU there is no duty on wine for your own use, with guide levels of 90 litres per person. The real limit is the aircraft's hold and weight, so tell us the number of cases in advance.

• • Does fog cause problems?

  • Morning fog is possible from late autumn to winter. The main runway has an ILS Category III approach for certified aircraft and crews; otherwise we plan a midday arrival.

• • Can my dog come along?

  • Yes, in the cabin, with a microchip, a rabies vaccination and an EU pet passport. France bans pit bull, boerboel and tosa type dogs without a pedigree.

• • Are there Empty Legs to Bordeaux?

  • Yes, mainly from Paris, Madrid, Barcelona and London, and after the April tasting week. Send your direction and dates to empty-legs@jets.flights.

• • When is the best time for a château visit?

  • May, June and the weeks after the harvest, when estates have more time for guests. In the April tasting week many estates receive only registered professionals.