St Moritz: 10 minutes from Samedan, but your Global 7500 does not fit
St Moritz has Europe's highest airport ten minutes away by car. It looks like the easiest case in the Alps. It is not: Samedan sits at 1,707 metres, has no ILS, has no runway lighting, closes at sunset and does not accept jets in the higher fire categories. The Global 7500 and the Gulfstream G650 stay out. Before you talk price, you talk about which aircraft actually gets there.
By car
By car
By car
By car
Transfer times and distances as published by the airports, the operators and the tourist boards. Where a figure is missing, no public source publishes it.
What constrains the flight Operating notes written in Italian
- Nessuna operazione notturna: Samedan non ha luci di pista né di avvicinamento e chiude al tramonto. A dicembre significa metà pomeriggio.
- Nessun ILS. Gli avvicinamenti sono RNAV, con MDA di 11.400 piedi sulla pista 03: molto sopra la quota del campo.
- Ogni equipaggio deve completare il briefing di familiarizzazione online e superare l'esame; la validità è di 24 mesi.
- I jet che richiedono categoria antincendio elevata non sono ammessi: Global 7500 e Gulfstream G650 restano fuori.
- La disponibilità IFR dipende anche dall'attività militare nelle aree temporaneamente riservate.
- Il parcheggio si esaurisce a Natale, a Capodanno e nei weekend del White Turf.
- Le prime due ore di sosta sono gratuite; oltre, si paga a giornata.
Season and peaks Operating notes written in Italian
- Opens
- 22 novembre 2026 (apertura impianti stagione 2026-27)
- Closes
- non ancora pubblicata
- Peaks
- White Turf, domeniche 7, 14 e 21 febbraio 2027, sul lago ghiacciato
- Natale-Capodanno
- settimana del World Economic Forum di Davos, 18-22 gennaio 2027
The last leg, and what it costs
| From | Means | Pax | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Samedan | car with driver | 4 | No public source publishes this figure. |
Ten minutes by car, and an airport unlike the others
Samedan is ten minutes from St Moritz. It is the shortest transfer in the Alps: no other resort of this level has a jet airport that close. The catch is that Samedan sits at 1,707 metres, and it is the highest airport in Europe. The runway is 1,840 metres by 40, with runway 03 sloping down 0.4% and runway 21 up 0.4%. At that altitude 1,840 metres are not 1,840 metres: the airport's own familiarisation manual asks crews to add a 30-50% margin to the aircraft's performance figures, because the air is thin and on warm days density altitude climbs higher still.
It closes at sunset, and it has no ILS
Samedan has no runway lighting and no approach lighting. The official document puts it in capitals: no night operation. In December in the Engadine the light goes early, and this is the constraint that wrecks more trips than any other. There is no ILS either: instrument approaches are RNAV, and on runway 03 the minimum descent altitude is 11,400 feet, far above the field. Which means that under low cloud you do not get down. On top of that, IFR availability depends on military activity in the temporary reserved areas. Anyone flying to Samedan always plans an alternate: normally Zurich, or Milan.
Which aircraft actually gets there
Before the runway, the filter is the fire category: jets requiring the higher categories are not accepted, which in practice rules out the large long-range twins, Global 7500 and Gulfstream G650 included. Then the qualification: every crew must complete the airport's online familiarisation briefing and pass the exam, valid for 24 months. That is not a rubber stamp: it narrows the list of operators available on a given date. If you are looking at St Moritz in high season, the right question is which aircraft with qualified crews are free that day, not what a midsize costs.
White Turf and Christmas: the parking runs out before the slots
White Turf 2027 runs on Sundays 7, 14 and 21 February on the frozen lake of St Moritz, 10:30 to 16:30. It is the 120th edition. Those three weekends, along with Christmas and New Year, are when there is no stand at Samedan. The first two hours of parking are free, and that tells you everything about the airport's model: it is built to drop passengers and go. If you want to leave the aircraft in the Engadine for a February week, it has to be agreed in advance or parked elsewhere, with the crew repositioning empty. That is a cost, and it belongs in the quote from the start.
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 our first check is not the price: it is whether the proposed aircraft is admissible, whether the crew's familiarisation is current, whether there is daylight at the planned hour, and whether there is a stand. Then comes the quote, with the intermediation fee written inside. Quote in 1 minute.
Questions we get
How far is the airport from St Moritz?
Engadin Airport at Samedan is about ten minutes by car from the centre of St Moritz. It is the shortest transfer among the major alpine resorts.
Can every jet land at Samedan?
No. Jets requiring the higher fire categories are not accepted, which rules out large long-range twins such as the Global 7500 and the Gulfstream G650. The runway is 1,840 metres, but at 1,707 metres of altitude performance needs a 30-50% margin on the manual figures.
Can you land at Samedan in the evening?
No. The airport has no runway or approach lighting and permits no night operations. In winter that means closing in the early afternoon.
Is there an ILS at Samedan?
No. Instrument approaches are RNAV and on runway 03 the minimum descent altitude is 11,400 feet. Under low cloud landing is not possible and an alternate is required, usually Zurich or Milan.
Will I find parking during White Turf?
Rarely at short notice. On Sundays 7, 14 and 21 February 2027, as at Christmas and New Year, parking at Samedan is full. The first two hours are free: the airport is designed for rapid drop-off, not long stays.
Does the crew need a special qualification?
Yes. Every crew must complete the airport's familiarisation briefing and pass the exam, valid for 24 months. On peak dates this narrows the list of genuinely available aircraft.
Where people fly in from
Flight time and quote, route by route:
- London → St. Moritz
- Paris → St. Moritz
- Milan → St. Moritz
- Geneva → St. Moritz
- Zurich → St. Moritz
- Frankfurt → St. Moritz
Events here
Nearby resorts
On Sardinia Private Jet: Olbia → St. Moritz — flight time and quote
Tell us the date. We tell you where you land.
Give us the day and how many of you are travelling: we come back with the airport that holds up on that date, the aircraft that fits your luggage and what the last leg costs.
Sources
- engadin-airport.ch — Samedan LSZS: pista 1.840 x 40 m, quota 5.600 ft, nessuna luce di pista o avvicinamento, nessuna operazione notturna, briefing e esame obbligatori validi 24 mesi, MDA 11.400 ft in RNAV pista 03, margine 30-50% sulle prestazioni, dipendenza dalle aree militari
- ops.group — Samedan: 10 minuti da St Moritz, parcheggio limitato a Natale, Capodanno e nei weekend del White Turf, restrizione per i jet di categoria antincendio elevata
- airfield.directory — Samedan: prime due ore di sosta gratuite, tariffe di atterraggio e sosta
- engadin.ch — White Turf 2027: domeniche 7, 14 e 21 febbraio, 10:30-16:30, sul lago ghiacciato
- stmoritz.com — Tempi di viaggio da Zurigo, Milano e Monaco a St Moritz
- davos.ch — Date del World Economic Forum 2027 a Davos
What is not confirmed
This page carries 5 figures that come from our own operating data or from a brief, and that we have not been able to confirm against a public document. They are listed here rather than left where they look like facts.
Open the Italian notes
- Esclusione esplicita di Global 7500 e Gulfstream G650 da Samedan: coerente con la restrizione pubblicata sulle categorie antincendio, ma i due modelli non sono nominati in una fonte ufficiale consultabile online. Da confermare con il gestore.
- Orari di apertura stagionali esatti di Samedan: la pagina ufficiale 'operating times' non è risultata consultabile; l'unico dato trovato (0600-1700 locali in estate) proviene da una fonte non ufficiale.
- Distanze in chilometri da Zurigo, Milano e Monaco: l'ente turistico pubblica solo i tempi di percorrenza.
- Tempi di trasferimento da e per Innsbruck: non pubblicati da fonte affidabile.
- Data di chiusura impianti fine stagione 2026-27: non ancora pubblicata.