Courchevel airport, the altiport and the real alternatives
What the mountain runway above Courchevel 1850 can and cannot take, which airport to fly into instead, and how a helicopter or a car gets you from the aircraft to the chalet.
The only Courchevel airport is the altiport: a single 537 metre runway at about 2,007 metres, built into the slope above Courchevel 1850 and steep enough that aircraft land uphill and take off downhill. It takes helicopters, small propeller aircraft flown by specially qualified pilots and certain charter flights, but no airliners and no business jets. Most visitors therefore fly into Chambéry, Geneva or Lyon and finish the journey by road, or by helicopter to the altiport.
That distinction matters when you plan. If you are flying privately, the jet lands at a conventional airport and the last stretch is a short helicopter hop or a drive up from the valley. If you are flying a scheduled route from the UK, Geneva and Lyon have the widest choice, and Chambéry is the closest to the resort. The altiport itself is run by the town hall of Courchevel, sits right by the pistes and is open all year, with traffic heavily concentrated in the winter season.
This guide covers the airfield and the airports around it. For the road journey from Geneva in detail (chauffeur, train to Moûtiers, Saturday traffic), see our Geneva to Courchevel transfer guide, and for flying privately to the Alps more widely, our page on private jets to the ski resorts.
The Courchevel altiport in six verified facts
Checked against official sources, so you can plan with confidence.
The altiport sits at 2,007 metres, which the town hall that runs it describes as the highest in Europe. The town council approved the runway in 1961 and the first landing took place on 31 January 1962.
Source: Altiport de Courchevel (Mairie de Courchevel)The runway is 537 metres long and 40 metres wide. It was originally 375 metres and was lengthened for the 1992 Winter Olympics.
Source: Altiport de Courchevel (Mairie de Courchevel)The runway has a concave profile with a gradient of 12.5% to 18.66%. Aircraft land on runway 22 and take off on runway 04.
Source: BEA (French air accident investigation office)The altiport is restricted-use: it is open only to mountain-qualified pilots and to pilots holding the site authorisation.
Source: BEA (French air accident investigation office)The runway has been kept clear of snow all winter since 1971. It handles around 6,500 movements in winter, 70% of them helicopters.
Source: Altiport de Courchevel (Mairie de Courchevel)Night flights are prohibited, and the airfield is open from 9:00 to 19:00 local time, except for rescue flights or with the operator’s authorisation.
Source: Altiport de Courchevel, regulationsCourchevel altiport: what it can and cannot take
The question we are asked most often is whether a private jet can fly straight into Courchevel. It cannot. A jet needs a long, flat, conventional runway; the altiport offers just over half a kilometre of tarmac that climbs steeply towards the mountain, landed uphill and left downhill. What does use it is a mix of helicopters (the large majority of winter traffic), single-engine and light twin propeller aircraft flown by pilots trained for the site, and a few charter flights.
Once you are on the ground, you are in the resort. The tourist office notes that the pistes start a few metres from the runway, and that shuttles and taxis reach the hotels and the centre of 1850 in a couple of minutes.
| How you travel | Can it land at the altiport? | What happens in practice |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled flight from the UK | No | Fly into Geneva, Lyon or Chambéry, then continue by car, train to Moûtiers or helicopter |
| Private jet | No | The jet lands at Chambéry, Geneva or Lyon; a helicopter or a chauffeur covers the last leg |
| Helicopter transfer | Yes, it is most of the traffic | A short flight from a nearby airport to the altiport’s helicopter pad, in daylight hours |
| Small charter aircraft | Yes, on certain flights | Propeller aircraft with a crew trained for mountain landings; seats and luggage are limited |
| Your own light aircraft | Only with the right qualification | Mountain qualification or site authorisation required; the on-site flying school trains pilots for it |
Times, slots and weather minima are set by the operator and the crew on the day; we always plan a road alternative.
Courchevel nearest airport: Chambéry, Geneva or Lyon
For most guests the real choice is between three airports, and the right one depends less on distance than on how you fly and when. The road distances and times below are the tourist office’s own figures; all three routes finish with the same 30 minute climb from Moûtiers, which the tourist office describes as a wide, clear road.
- Travelling by train: Moûtiers is the nearest station, about 30 minutes below Courchevel by road; a driver can meet you on the platform.
- Flying privately: Chambéry’s runway is 2,020 metres long, with jet fuel available and winter opening hours from 7:30 to 21:00, which makes it the natural partner airport for a helicopter hop to the altiport.
| Airport | By road to Courchevel | Best for | The trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chambéry | 95 km, about 1h15 | Private jets and the shortest drive; the airport’s business aviation service lists Courchevel at about 15 minutes by helicopter | Fewer scheduled routes than Geneva or Lyon |
| Geneva | 179 km, about 2h00 | The widest choice of flights from the UK, private or scheduled | The longest exposure to Saturday traffic in the valleys; detailed in our Geneva transfer guide |
| Lyon Saint-Exupéry | 176 km, about 2h00 | Good flight choice and an easy motorway run, a useful alternative when Geneva is busy | Similar journey time to Geneva, with the same last climb |
| Grenoble | 125 km, about 1h35 | A fourth option listed by the tourist office, worth checking for your dates | Fewer flight options than Geneva or Lyon |
Source for distances and times: Courchevel Tourisme. Allow extra time on Saturdays and in heavy snow.
Flying to Courchevel by helicopter, step by step
A helicopter transfer turns the last part of the journey into minutes rather than hours. It is the most common way to fly to Courchevel, and it works from all three airports, though the flight from Chambéry is the shortest. Here is how an arrival is usually organised when we handle it.
- We match the flight to the daylight
The altiport closes at 19:00 and night flights are not allowed, so a late evening landing at Geneva or Lyon will mean the road. We check your arrival time against the window before anything is booked.
- Luggage is planned in advance
Helicopters have limited hold space. We ask for the number of bags and ski cases, and if the group travels heavy, the larger pieces follow by road and arrive at the chalet shortly after you.
- You are met at the aircraft or the terminal
The transfer from your arrival point to the helicopter is arranged so that you do not wait in the main concourse, particularly with children.
- A car waits at the altiport
The flight lands at the top of Courchevel 1850. A driver is there for the couple of minutes down to the chalet, where the house team is expecting you.
- The road plan stays ready
If cloud or snow closes the mountain, the same driver team takes you up by car instead. You lose time, not the arrival.
Weather, timing and luggage: what can go wrong
The altiport is a mountain airfield, and mountain weather has the final word. These are the situations we plan for, and what we do about each one.
- Low cloud or snowfall at the resort: helicopter and aeroplane flights are held or cancelled. The car transfer we keep on standby takes over, usually from the same airport.
- A delayed inbound flight: if the delay pushes your landing past the altiport’s opening hours, we switch you to a chauffeur straight from the terminal rather than leaving you to wait.
- Too much luggage for the aircraft: we split it. Passengers fly, bags and ski cases travel by road.
- A departure on the last day: the same rules apply in reverse. We plan the return flight with a margin, because missing a jet slot or a scheduled flight at Geneva costs more than an early start.
- Saturday changeover: the valley road is busiest on Saturdays. A helicopter avoids it entirely, which is often the strongest reason to fly that day.
Landing at the Courchevel altiport in your own aircraft
Some of our guests fly themselves. The rules are strict and worth knowing before you plan a trip around them. Access is reserved for mountain-qualified pilots and for pilots holding the site authorisation, and the flying school based at the altiport all year trains pilots who want to land at Courchevel in their own aircraft, as well as for the mountain flying qualification.
France’s civil aviation authority has also looked at pilots who obtained their altiport access on one class of aircraft and then landed in a quite different one, after a 2019 accident at Courchevel; extra training or experience criteria for such cases were in preparation. If you are changing aircraft, check your status with the school before you go.
- Landings are on runway 22 (uphill), take-offs on runway 04 (downhill).
- Non-based aircraft are limited to two circuits a day, and no circuits are allowed between 12:30 and 14:30 local time.
- Avgas (100LL) is available only while the information service is open; there is no jet fuel listed.
- An unheated hangar of about ten spaces can be rented by the day, week or season, subject to availability, with 24 hours’ notice.
- Published flight paths must be followed, and frequencies are recorded around the clock.
How our concierge arranges your arrival
We do not operate aircraft and we do not sell flights. What we do is make the whole journey line up with the chalet: arrival times, the helicopter or the driver, the luggage, the house team ready at the door. Several of our chalets in Courchevel include airport transfers in the stay, and for guests who want a car on hand all week, our selection of Courchevel chalets with chauffeur and transfers lists the houses where a driver is part of the service.
Chalet Oris, Courchevel is a good example: airport transfers and a dedicated concierge come with the stay, and the chalet is a minute’s walk from the centre of 1850.
Chalets where the journey is part of the stay
In each of these Courchevel chalets, airport transfers are included or arranged by the chalet’s concierge, so your arrival is organised before you leave home.
Chalets side by side
Oris, Osco and Morelle include airport transfers; at Erise they are arranged on request.
| Residence | Guests | Bedrooms | Bathrooms | Living area | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chalet OrisCourchevel | 12 | 6 | 7 | 518 m² | Indoor Pool, Cinema Room, Wine Cellar, Hammam, Sauna |
| Chalet OscoCourchevel | 14 | 8 | 9 | 520 m² | Heated Pool, Nordic Bath, Hammam, Sauna, Gym |
| Chalet MorelleCourchevel | 12 | 7 | 8 | 900 m² | Indoor Pool, Cinema Room, Wine Cellar, Hammam, Sauna |
| Chalet EriseCourchevel | 12 | 6 | 7 | 600 m² | Ski-in / Ski-out, Indoor Pool, Cinema Room, Wine Cellar, Sauna |
Rates are on request and depend on dates and services. Your advisor confirms availability and the final details of every residence.
Courchevel airport questions
Anything else? Our team in Paris answers personally, usually within the day.
Ask our teamWhat is the nearest airport to Courchevel?
The altiport, above Courchevel 1850, is the nearest, but it only takes helicopters and small aircraft. The closest conventional airport is Chambéry, about 95 km and 1h15 by road according to the tourist office. Geneva and Lyon are each about two hours away and offer far more flights from the UK, which is why most guests use one of them.
Can you fly into Courchevel?
Yes, but not on a normal airliner. You can fly in by helicopter from Chambéry, Geneva or Lyon, or on certain small charter aircraft that land at the altiport. Flights only operate in daylight, between 9:00 and 19:00 local time, and depend on the weather, so we always keep a car transfer ready as an alternative.
Can private jets land at Courchevel?
No. The altiport’s runway is only 537 metres long and steeply sloped, which suits propeller aircraft and helicopters, not jets. A private jet lands at Chambéry, Geneva or Lyon, and passengers continue by helicopter to the altiport or by chauffeur. Chambéry is the closest of the three, with a 2,020 metre runway and a dedicated business aviation service.
Why is Courchevel airport considered dangerous?
Because it leaves little margin. The runway is short, sits at about 2,007 metres and climbs at a gradient of up to 18.66%, so an aircraft lands uphill and takes off downhill. That is why access is restricted to mountain-qualified pilots and pilots with the site authorisation, and why flights stop at night and in poor weather.
How long is the runway at Courchevel?
The runway is 537 metres long and 40 metres wide, according to the town hall that runs the altiport. It was 375 metres when it opened in the early 1960s and was lengthened for the 1992 Winter Olympics. Its concave profile is the reason pilots need specific training before they land there.
How do you get to Courchevel from London?
Fly from London to Geneva, Lyon or Chambéry, then continue by road (about two hours from Geneva or Lyon, 1h15 from Chambéry) or by helicopter to the altiport. Another option is the train to Moûtiers, about 30 minutes below the resort by road. We can arrange the transfer from any of these arrival points.
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Land, and let us handle the rest
Send Nathalie Nguyen or Adam Haddad your flight details or your preferred airport. They will plan the helicopter or the drive, the luggage and the welcome at the chalet, and reply usually within the day. WhatsApp +33 7 80 98 05 43 or email contact@lutetia-group.com.