Samedan LSZS: 1,707 metres up, no ILS, closes at sunset

1,840 metres that are not 1,840 metres

Samedan's runway measures 1,840 metres by 40. On paper that is generous for a midsize. In reality those metres sit at 1,707 metres of altitude, where the air is thin and performance collapses. The airport's familiarisation document is explicit: a normally aspirated engine loses about 3% of power per 1,000 feet, and a 30-50% margin must be added to the aircraft manual's figures. On warm days density altitude climbs well above field elevation. The result is that the right aircraft for Samedan is often a category below the one you would use for the same trip into Geneva.

No ILS, no lighting, no night

Samedan has no runway lighting and no approach lighting, and permits no night operations. This is the constraint that wrecks more trips than any other: in the Engadine in December the light goes early, and a ninety-minute departure delay in London can mean landing in Zurich. There is no ILS either: instrument approaches are RNAV, RONAG for runway 03 and PELAD for 21, and on 03 the minimum descent altitude is 11,400 feet. Under low cloud you do not get down. On top of that, availability of the IFR procedures depends on military activity in the temporary reserved areas. The alternate is not a formality: it is part of the plan.

Who can land, and who cannot

Two filters, in order. First the fire category: jets requiring the higher categories are not accepted, which excludes the large long-range twins. Second the crew: every operator must complete the airport's online familiarisation briefing and pass the exam, valid 24 months. For category A aircraft and helicopters the requirements are stricter still, with minimum hours and recent mountain currency. In high season this means the real question is not which aircraft you want, but which aircraft with qualified crews are free that day.

Parking is the scarce resource

The first two hours of parking are free. That is the airport's model: land, disembark, go. At Christmas, at New Year and on White Turf weekends, which in 2027 fall on Sunday 7, Sunday 14 and Sunday 21 February, there is no stand. Anyone wanting to keep the aircraft in the Engadine for a February week must agree it far in advance or accept flying it out empty. That repositioning and the crew's return are a real cost, and they belong in the quote from the beginning, not afterwards.

How we work

Alpine Private Jet works with Air-Dynamic, a Swiss company that arranges charter flights and operates helicopter and air ambulance directly. At Samedan we make four checks before quoting: the aircraft is admissible, the crew's familiarisation is current, there is daylight at the planned hour, there is a stand. Then we give you the price, with the intermediation fee written inside and the alternate already costed. Quote in 1 minute.