Private jet to Chambéry

From December to April, Chambéry Savoie Mont Blanc is one of the busiest airports in the French Alps for private ski traffic. It lies at the southern end of Lac du Bourget, 8-10 km north of the old capital of Savoy, and it is the closest jet-capable runway to the Tarentaise valley: Méribel, Courchevel, Val Thorens, La Plagne, Les Arcs, Tignes and Val d'Isère are all reached from here by road or helicopter. Outside the ski season the same apron serves guests of Aix-les-Bains and the villas around the lake.

It is also a true mountain airport. Every captain flying here commercially needs training in the local procedures, arrivals on peak winter days need an allocated slot, and the airport accepts no more than five arrivals an hour in the season. That narrows the choice of operators, so we first check which crews are cleared for Chambéry and whether a slot is free, and only then compare prices. The flight from London takes about 1:36 h; from Paris, Zurich or Milan less than an hour and a quarter.

Tell us the day of arrival, the resort and the number of skiers, and we will check crews, slots and aircraft for you.

Why fly to Chambéry for the Tarentaise

How long the flight takes

Times from the price tables, including taxi, climb and descent:

• Nice 0:50 h, Milan Linate 0:52 h and Zurich 0:54 h in a Citation CJ3.
• Paris Le Bourget 1:08 h, Frankfurt 1:14 h, Munich 1:15 h and Brussels 1:20 h.
• Rome 1:27 h, Amsterdam 1:32 h, London Farnborough 1:36 h and Vienna 1:41 h.
• Biggin Hill 1:31 h, Luton 1:36 h and Bristol 1:42 h in a Phenom 300.
• Copenhagen 2:07 h, Dublin 2:08 h, Edinburgh 2:15 h and Stockholm 2:48 h in a Phenom 300.
• Tel Aviv about 3:55 h and Dubai 6:10-6:18 h in a long-range jet.

Plan the return around the 21:00 winter closure: from Chambéry a departure at about 19:30 local time is the last comfortable slot for London, landing before 20:30 UK time. On these distances a larger cabin barely changes the time: from London the Gulfstream G280 needs 1:28 h against 1:36 h in the Citation CJ3.

Prices for private flights to Chambéry

Each price is for the whole aircraft, one way, plus handling, de-icing when needed and passenger taxes, with an aircraft available near the departure airport. The flight time refers to the first aircraft in the row.

From the European hubs

Zurich, Milan Linate and Nice are the cheapest at EUR 8,000 in a Citation CJ3, the one-hour minimum of most operators. From London the CJ3 costs EUR 10,500 and a Praetor 500 for up to nine passengers EUR 14,000. Geneva and Lyon are missing on purpose: both are about 60-70 km away, and a car or helicopter is the sensible link.

From the UK, Ireland and Scandinavia

British and Irish skiers make up a large part of the winter traffic, and several London airports feed the route:

Long-haul flights

The runway takes heavy and long-range jets, but winter parking for a large aircraft is scarce. The jet often drops its passengers and continues to Geneva or Lyon:

The weekday moves the price as much as the distance: on a Saturday between Christmas and March, five arrivals an hour are shared by every private and charter flight, and stands are allocated case by case. France taxes passengers only when they leave a French airport: about EUR 420 each in a jet within Europe and about half in a turboprop, so a domestic flight from Paris or Nice pays it on the way in and every flight home pays it on the way out. Flights to or from Italy cost EUR 100 per passenger up to 1,500 km, and Germany charges a departure tax. British Air Passenger Duty does not apply below 5.7 t, takes the standard rate of its distance band on most business jets and the higher rate only from 20 t with fewer than 19 seats. The quote lists every tax separately.

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

What a trip really costs

Price per person

Split across the group, a jet often costs less per head than the skiers expect. The French tax on the return is added per person:

Online calculator

Enter the route, the arrival day and the number of passengers; the calculator sends an estimate by e-mail, and a consultant then checks slots and crews for the date.

Chambéry Savoie Mont Blanc airport

The airport (CMF, LFLB) sits at Viviers-du-Lac on the floor of a north-south valley, between the Bauges and Chartreuse massifs. It belongs to the Savoie department and is run by Vinci Airports. The single runway, 18/36, is 2,020 m long and 45 m wide, with a grass strip alongside for light aircraft. Because high ground rises south of the city, every published instrument arrival comes in from the north along the lake. This single approach path is one of the reasons for the winter limit of five arrivals an hour.

French rules treat Chambéry as an airport that requires knowledge of the terrain. The captain of every commercial flight must have completed training on the local approach, go-around and departure procedures, and the operator must hold its own guidelines for the airport. Flights at night, or with a cloud base below 3,500 ft or visibility below 5,000 m, need additional simulator training or a familiarisation flight. Many operators meet these conditions, but not all, so offers from crews without the training are dropped before you see them.

Two more rules shape winter bookings. A request without a free slot is not simply turned down: it is offered at Grenoble or Lyon. Capacity that neighbouring airports in the same airspace have not used comes back about ten days before the date, and a waitlisted flight can then still be confirmed. De-icing cannot be done with the engines running, so on cold mornings the return needs extra time on the ground.

Alternatives in the region

Distances are straight-line from Chambéry:

Snow, fog over the lake or strong mountain winds sometimes close the approach. We watch the forecast from 48 hours before departure and keep a road transfer from Lyon or Geneva ready, so a diversion costs about an hour rather than a day.

Choosing the aircraft

One larger aircraft is often better than two small ones here: it uses one arrival out of the five per hour and one stand instead of two. Give us the number of pairs of skis, snowboards and boot bags, and we size the midsize jet or heavier cabin to the luggage as well as the seats.

Need help with crews, slots or the transfer? Leave your number and a consultant will call you back.

When to fly: the airport calendar

The airport lives by the ski calendar, and a few weeks decide the price and the availability:

If the dates are flexible, a Sunday or midweek arrival avoids the Saturday limit, the busy apron and the queues on the Tarentaise road.

From the airport to the resorts and the lake

Car times are for clear roads. On changeover Saturdays the Tarentaise from Albertville upwards carries the traffic of a dozen resorts and can add an hour or more. The helicopter saves that time but closes before the road does in poor weather, so we keep the car as the fallback. For Les Arcs, the funicular from Bourg-Saint-Maurice avoids the last mountain road altogether. In summer, Hautecombe Abbey on the far shore of the lake can be reached by boat from Aix-les-Bains.

Empty Legs at Chambéry

Because stands are short in winter, most jets leave right after dropping skiers, and many of these flights are sold at a discount. Typical directions:

Dates and times follow the original booking. Send the direction and a range of dates to empty-legs@jets.flights, and we will forward matching flights; on peak days the slot is still needed.

Flying with a dog or cat

Your pet flies in the cabin beside you, and the operator approves the animal in advance. France applies the EU rules:

• Microchip, implanted before the rabies vaccination.
• Rabies vaccination at least 21 days before travel when it is the first one.
• EU pet passport; animals from Great Britain need an animal health certificate.
• Up to five dogs, cats or ferrets per person on a private trip.
• No tapeworm treatment is required to enter France.

On a frosty apron, waiting is unpleasant for an animal, and de-icing can lengthen the stop, so keep the animal in the warm cabin until the car reaches the aircraft. For the road to the resort we book a car with room for the carrier; the helicopter needs the operator's consent and is noisy. Flying home to the UK, Ireland, Malta, Finland or Norway, dogs need tapeworm treatment 1-5 days before arrival, and the UK accepts pets only through approved routes and handlers.

Documents, customs and taxes

Checklist before departure

• Passport or ID card for every passenger, children included.
• Names, dates of birth and document numbers, sent at least the day before.
• Arrival day and time, so we can apply for the winter slot at once.
• Return time that leaves the ground before 21:00 in winter.
• Number of pairs of skis, snowboards and boot bags.
• Resort and chalet address, and your choice of car or helicopter.
• Pet documents and the chalet's pet rules.
• Company name and VAT number for the invoice.

How to book

1. Send the arrival day, the resort, the number of passengers and the ski luggage.
2. We check which operators have crews trained for Chambéry and apply for the winter slot if the date requires one.
3. You receive 2-4 aircraft options with operator, model, cabin photos and the price for the whole aircraft, plus the car or helicopter to the resort.
4. You sign the contract with the operator and pay; we confirm slot, handling, de-icing and the transfer.
5. After landing the driver or helicopter is waiting at the business terminal, and the jet leaves for its base or the next booking.

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 private flights to Chambéry

• • How much does a private jet to Chambéry cost?

  • A Citation CJ3 costs from EUR 8,000 one way from Zurich, Milan Linate or Nice and EUR 10,500 from London, for the whole aircraft. Handling, de-icing and the French tax on departure from France are added in the quote.

• • Why can't every operator fly to Chambéry?

  • It is a mountain airport: the captain needs training in the local procedures, and night or low-cloud flights need extra simulator or familiarisation training. We check this before showing offers.

• • Is it hard to land on a winter Saturday?

  • It can be. From mid-December to mid-April designated days need an allocated slot, with a maximum of five arrivals an hour. We apply as soon as the trip is confirmed.

• • What are the opening hours?

  • In the ski season 07:30-21:00 every day, with no extensions. Outside the season the hours are shorter and are confirmed for the date.

• • Can the aircraft stay for the week?

  • Rarely. There are no hangars, and weekend parking is decided case by case, so most trips are two one-way flights.

• • How far is it to the resorts?

  • About 1:30 h by car to Méribel, 1:40 h to Courchevel and 2 h to Val d'Isère on a clear day. By helicopter Courchevel is about 15 minutes away.

• • Can a large jet land here?

  • Yes, the 2,020 m runway takes heavy and long-range jets after the operator's performance check. In winter parking is scarce, so large aircraft often continue to Geneva or Lyon after dropping passengers.

• • What happens if the weather closes the airport?

  • The flight diverts to Lyon, Geneva or Grenoble, and we move the transfer there. Fog over the lake and snow are the usual causes.

• • Which tax applies on the way home?

  • Every passenger leaving a French airport on a business flight pays about EUR 420 on a jet within Europe and about half on a turboprop. Arrivals are not taxed.

• • Can I bring my dog?

  • Yes, in the cabin, with a microchip, rabies vaccination and EU pet passport. Category 1 dogs are banned from France.

• • Are there Empty Legs from Chambéry?

  • Many in winter, mostly to London, Paris, Lyon, Geneva and northern Europe on Saturdays to Mondays. Write to empty-legs@jets.flights with the direction and dates.