Private Jet to Nice and Cannes: Airports

Aéroports de la Côte d'Azur, the operator of both airports, describes itself as Europe's number two for business aviation traffic, and two airfields carry most of it. They are not alternatives to each other. A private jet to Nice can be almost anything you care to charter. Cannes Mandelieu has a hard weight limit and a runway shorter than most published figures suggest. JETAURA works as a charter broker, so which of the two fits is one of the first things we check.

Depending on the aircraft type, private flights can use a wide range of airports, including smaller airfields that scheduled aircraft do not serve regularly. On this coast that advantage comes with conditions attached, and they are worth knowing before they affect your plans.

Tell us your destination, travel date and number of passengers, and our aviation team will check which airport and which aircraft fit. Your enquiry is not binding.

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The two airports at a glance

	Nice Côte d'Azur (NCE)	Cannes Mandelieu (CEQ)
Runway	2,963 m × 45 m	1,540 m × 45 m
Landing distance available	full length	1,420 m (rwy 17) · 1,260 m (rwy 35)
Weight limit	none	35 t MTOW jets · 22 t turboprops
Noise requirement	13 EPNdB margin for night operations	13 EPNdB cumulative margin
Hours	ATS and customs H24	daytime only, closed at night
Slots	Level 3 coordinated, year-round	Level 3 in summer and for major events
Distance	5.9 km southwest of Nice	5 km west of Cannes

All figures come from the AIP France published by the SIA on behalf of the DGAC, AIRAC cycle 3 September 2026. The weight and noise limits rest on French ministerial orders, listed at the end of this page.

NCE · LFMN

Nice Côte d'Azur: the one without restrictions

Nice is open to public air traffic with air traffic services and customs available around the clock. Runway 04R/22L measures 2,963 metres, with a second runway at 2,628 metres. There is no maximum take-off weight and no aircraft type restriction. For a private jet to Nice, the question is availability, not capability.

Business aviation has its own terminal here. The 1,510 square metre building opened in March 2010 and has its own customs post, so passengers do not pass through the scheduled terminal at all. An FBO, or fixed base operator, is exactly that: the terminal handling private flights away from the scheduled queues, with its own entrance and screening. The operator limits the site to three: AviaVIP, which trades as Aviapartner Executive, Signature Aviation, and DC Aviation G-OPS.

Two conditions apply. Nice requires prior permission, and it is slot coordinated at Level 3 all year for every category of traffic. An ad-hoc flight therefore needs an allocated slot, which is one of the points our aviation team clears before an offer goes out.

The night restriction is worth reading carefully, because it is not a curfew. It depends on how quiet the aircraft is. Under the ministerial order of 2 March 2010, aircraft below a cumulative margin of 13 EPNdB may not land between 23:30 and 06:15, and may not take off between 23:15 and 06:00. A quieter aircraft is not caught by it. Whether a specific one qualifies depends on its noise certification.

CEQ · LFMD

Cannes Mandelieu: where the published runway length is wrong

Cannes is the closer airport to the bay, and the more constrained one. It is also the airport where most of what you will read is out of date.

Search for the runway length and you will find 1,610 metres, including on the FBO's own page. The current AIP France gives 1,540 by 45 metres. The number that actually governs your flight is smaller again: the landing distance available is 1,420 metres on runway 17 and 1,260 metres on runway 35. The AIP names runway 17 as the preferred direction and says why, in the French original: “QFU 170° préférentiel cause LDA et environnement”, meaning it is preferred because of the landing distance available and for environmental reasons.

For a private jet to Cannes, the gap between the 1,540 metres of runway and the 1,260 metres you may actually have to land on is not a detail. It is the difference between an aircraft that works and one that does not.

The weight limit, and what it does not forbid

Cannes caps jets at 35 tonnes maximum take-off weight and turboprops at 22 tonnes, under the ministerial order of 6 December 1995 as amended on 8 September 2015. Chapter 2 aircraft and Chapter 3 jets below a cumulative margin of 13 EPNdB are excluded. The limit is defined by weight and noise, not by a list of approved types, so whether a particular aircraft qualifies is checked against its own figures.

One line in the AIP is regularly misread. Cannes is closed to aircraft operating “transports commerciaux réguliers”, which means scheduled commercial transport. The same publication describes the airfield as “réservé aux besoins de l'aviation générale”, reserved for the needs of general aviation. Charter flights are not what that prohibition covers. The airport is closed to airlines, not to private aviation.

Three further conditions shape a departure from Cannes. The airport operates by day only and closes at night, with the exact hours shifting by season. It is slot coordinated in the summer season and around major events, when an IFR jet or turboprop needs a slot from the French coordinator COHOR. And handling is compulsory for any non-based aircraft with a wingspan of 12 metres or more, which covers most business jets. Thrust reverser use is prohibited except in an emergency.

Saint-Tropez La Môle: usually the wrong answer

La Môle appears on maps as the Saint-Tropez option, and it is a real airfield. The landing distance available is 931 metres, and operating there requires a separate aerodrome approval: the operator has to file an application a month in advance, and crews need a type or class familiarisation certificate.

For a trip planned weeks ahead with a suitable light aircraft, it can work. For most requests it does not, and Nice or Cannes with ground transfer is the realistic answer. We mention it because leaving it out would look like an oversight, and naming the constraint is more useful than implying an option that rarely exists.

A private jet to Monaco arrives at Nice and continues by helicopter. The principality's heliport is not published in the AIP France, so we describe only the connection, not its operating rules.

Which aircraft classes work where

JETAURA describes four aircraft categories:

Class	Suited to	Nice	Cannes
Light jets	Shorter routes and smaller groups	yes	yes, within the weight and noise limits
Midsize jets	More space and range for longer journeys	yes	depends on MTOW and landing distance
Heavy jets	Considerable space and comfort for larger groups and longer distances	yes	generally above the 35 t limit
Ultra long range jets	Designed for particularly long international connections	yes	above the 35 t limit in practice; the rule is weight and noise based, not a type list

This reflects published runway, weight and noise data. It is not a guarantee for a specific aircraft. Actual performance depends on take-off and landing weight, temperature, runway condition and the operator's own procedures, which is why the aircraft is matched to the airport rather than the other way round.

If you already know your dates, send them over with your destination and passenger numbers. Our aviation team will come back with suitable options and an individual offer.

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What influences the price of a private jet to Nice or Cannes

There is no flat rate for a private jet. The factors that shape a quote include the distance flown, the aircraft type, the number of passengers, the travel date, availability, the positioning of the aircraft, airport charges and any additional services requested.

Two of those carry particular weight on this coast. Positioning matters because the Côte d'Azur is a destination rather than a base for most aircraft, so the jet has to get there. And availability tightens sharply in summer, when both airports are slot coordinated.

You receive no blanket “from” promise from us. You receive an offer tailored to your journey, with the relevant costs set out before you book. Our private jet charter service works the same way for every route.

How a request works

You send us your travel details. We check which aircraft are available, you receive suitable options and an individual offer, and once you confirm, we coordinate the remaining steps with the operator in charge. The flight itself is operated by the relevant air carrier, not by JETAURA.

How long before departure you need to be at the airport depends on the airport, the terminal and the operator. We confirm that with your booking rather than promising a figure here.

Your enquiry is not binding. A booking only comes into being once you have expressly confirmed it. If your dates are flexible, empty leg flights may be worth considering, though they follow an operator's existing schedule and are less flexible on route and departure time.

Frequently asked questions about Nice and Cannes

Can private jets land at Cannes Mandelieu?

Yes. Cannes is closed to scheduled commercial transport, not to charter flights. Private aviation is what the airport primarily handles. Aircraft must stay within 35 tonnes maximum take-off weight for jets, 22 tonnes for turboprops, and meet a cumulative noise margin of 13 EPNdB.

How long is the runway at Cannes Mandelieu?

The AIP France gives 1,540 by 45 metres, although 1,610 metres is widely quoted elsewhere. The usable landing distance is shorter still: 1,420 metres on runway 17 and 1,260 metres on runway 35. Runway 17 is the preferred direction, for landing distance and environmental reasons.

Which airport should I use for Monaco?

Nice Côte d'Azur, with a helicopter transfer to the principality. Monaco's heliport is not published in the French aeronautical information publication, so its operating conditions are not something we describe here. Nice is the practical arrival point for Monaco by private jet.

Is there a night curfew at Nice airport?

Not a blanket one. The restriction depends on the aircraft's noise certification. Under the French order of 2 March 2010, aircraft below a cumulative margin of 13 EPNdB may not land between 23:30 and 06:15, nor take off between 23:15 and 06:00. Quieter aircraft are not affected.

Do I need a slot for Nice or Cannes?

Nice is slot coordinated at Level 3 all year for every category of traffic, so yes. Cannes is coordinated during the summer season and around major events, when IFR jets and turboprops need a slot from the French coordinator COHOR. Outside those periods Cannes is not slot constrained.

More general questions about booking, aircraft and on-board service are answered in our frequently asked questions. Other destinations are listed in our airport guides.

Tell us your route

Whether you are flying a private jet to Nice, to Cannes or onward to Monaco, the airport choice follows from the aircraft and the aircraft follows from your route. Send us your departure point, destination, travel date and number of passengers, and our aviation team will check what works.

Your enquiry is not binding. A booking only comes into being once you have expressly confirmed it. If your dates are flexible, mention that too. It widens the options, particularly in summer when both airports are coordinated.

Ready for your next journey?

Send us your route and our aviation team will come back with suitable options and an individual offer. Or write to charter@flyjetaura.com.

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Private jet to Nice and Cannes: which airport takes your aircraft