Private jets at St Tropez La Mole (LFTZ): which aircraft can land?

The rule in one paragraph

La Môle doesn't publish a list of approved aircraft models. Instead it sorts every aeroplane into one of two groups, and the group decides what the operator and crew have to do before they can land. According to the airport's published AIP summary, Group 1 is every jet, single- or multi-engine, plus any turboprop or piston aircraft with more than nine passenger seats or a maximum take-off weight above 5,700 kg. Group 2 is everything else. Group 2 pilots need a reconnaissance flight with an approved instructor. Group 1 operators need far more: a dossier filed with the regional civil aviation authority (DSAC Sud-Est) at least a month in advance, its acknowledgement, crew training and an instructor-accompanied reconnaissance flight within six months of the first landing.

So the honest answer to "which private jets can land at St-Tropez La Môle?" is: any jet whose operator has completed that process and whose performance fits a 1,071 m runway on the day. In practice that narrows the field to turboprops and the lighter end of the jet market.

Which private jets can land at St Tropez La Mole, by aircraft type

The table sets out how each class of aircraft sits against the La Môle rules. "Group" is the airport's own classification. The verdict is our plain-English reading of the published rules and manufacturers' performance figures, not an approval; only the operator and the authority can confirm a specific aircraft and crew.

Sources: group definitions from the French AIP entry for LFTZ; PC-12 figures from Pilatus; G800 take-off distance from Gulfstream. A verdict here is a guide, not a clearance.

What the 60% rule means in practice

The airport's Group 1 operator dossier asks commercial operators to show the aircraft can land within 60% of the available landing distance for jets, or 70% for turboprops. On a landing distance available of 1,071 m, that is roughly 643 m for a jet and 750 m for a turboprop.

Set that against manufacturers' figures and the picture becomes clear. Pilatus publishes a PC-12 NGX landing distance of 661 m at maximum landing weight at sea level, inside the turboprop figure. Embraer publishes a Phenom 300E landing distance of 674 m at its reference conditions, already a touch above the jet figure. That doesn't mean a Phenom can never use La Môle; operators work with actual weights and their own approved performance data. It does show how little margin there is for even the most popular light jet, and why anything larger usually goes elsewhere.

LFTZ runway and approach: why it is restrictive

A few basics, from the French AIP entry for LFTZ: the airfield is run by S.A. Aéroport du Golfe de Saint-Tropez, sits about 15 km south-west of Saint-Tropez at an elevation of 63 ft, and carries the IATA code LTT as well as the ICAO code LFTZ. Taxiing is only allowed on the runway itself, and the AIP warns crews that the surrounding high ground can hide the runway on the downwind leg. That is the setting in which the rest of the rules make sense.

The physical airfield explains the paperwork. The airport's own technical data gives a single runway, 06/24, of 1,071 m by 30 m, Jet A1 and 100LL fuel, and a permanent level 4 fire service. The AIP adds the detail that matters to crews:

• One way in, one way out. Landings are on runway 24 and take-offs on runway 06, whatever the wind direction within limits.
• A steep, offset final approach. The PAPI is mandatory for every landing, set at 4° (a 7% slope) and offset 9° to the north, with the final segment flown visually from the coast.
• Wind limits. 15 kt mean wind from 040° to 070°; otherwise 13 kt mean or 16 kt maximum, whichever comes first. These don't apply to helicopters.
• No runway lights, no night flying. The airfield is a daylight operation, and the dossier restricts Group 1 approaches and take-offs to daytime in good visibility.
• No contaminated runway operations. If the runway is wet with standing water or otherwise contaminated, the airfield closes to aeroplanes.
• Modest pavement strength. The runway's published bearing strength is PCN 23, a figure operators of heavier jets have to check against their aircraft.

None of this makes La Môle unsafe. It makes it specialised. Crews who fly it regularly know it well; crews who don't simply aren't allowed to try.

Opening hours, notice and seasonal rules

La Môle is open seven days a week. The airport's published hours are 08:00 to 19:00 local time in summer and 09:00 to 17:00 in winter, with extensions possible up to sunset. Three seasonal rules are worth knowing:

• Non-Schengen flights are only accepted from 1 July to 15 October. A flight from London, which sits outside the Schengen area, can only clear in at La Môle in that window; outside it, land at Nice or another port of entry first.
• Prior notice of 24 hours applies year-round, with requests and the general declaration submitted through the airport's MY Handling portal.
• Circuit training is banned from 14 July to 31 August, except for pilots doing the specific aerodrome qualification, which keeps the high-season circuit clear for arrivals.

La Môle doesn't operate a coordinated slot system in the way Nice or Cannes can. Capacity is managed through the prior-notice request instead, so in high summer the practical advice is the same as for slots elsewhere: file early, and have a Nice plan ready.

Worked example: Geneva or London to Saint-Tropez, direct or via Nice

The rules are easier to weigh with numbers attached. Below, the same trip is planned four ways. The London rows use this site's indicative one-way light-jet price for the Riviera, which already includes positioning. The Geneva rows show flying time only, before positioning, at this site's hourly rates (turboprop £1,400–£2,200, light jet £2,000–£3,200): Geneva to La Môle is about 183 nautical miles in a straight line, roughly an hour's flying. On a one-way trip, positioning or the flight home, plus landing and handling, take the final price well above the flying-time figure. All figures are indicative, and the live figure is confirmed on enquiry.

Geneva figures are this site's indicative hourly rates multiplied by approximate flying time, before positioning; London figures are the site's indicative one-way light-jet prices, positioning included. Helicopter range from a Riviera helicopter operator's published Nice to Saint-Tropez fares; distance to the village from the French AIP entry for LFTZ. The live figure is confirmed on enquiry.

Two things stand out. First, flying direct into La Môle mostly saves the transfer rather than the flight: the sector costs about the same either way, and what you avoid is the helicopter fare or the coast road. For a group of four, the helicopter from Nice works out at roughly €375–€625 each, so a direct La Môle arrival is a real saving only when the aircraft and crew are already approved. Second, the turboprop is the quiet winner from Geneva. A PC-12 sits in Group 2, avoids the Group 1 dossier, fits the runway comfortably and charters at the bottom of the hourly range. If your party and luggage fit a nine-seat cabin, it is the simplest way to land fifteen minutes from the port.

La Mole airport aircraft restrictions: what to ask your operator

You don't need to master the AIP to fly into La Môle, but a few direct questions at the quoting stage will tell you whether a plan is solid or hopeful. These follow the published rules summarised above.

• Is this aircraft and this crew cleared for LFTZ? For a jet, that means the Group 1 dossier has been acknowledged by DSAC Sud-Est and the captain has done the training and reconnaissance. A yes should come with a date, not a "should be fine".
• Does the performance work at our weights? Ask whether the landing fits the 60% rule with your actual passengers, bags and fuel, not the brochure figure.
• Will we land inside the opening hours? The AIP prohibits instrument procedures outside the hours the aerodrome information service is open, and there is no runway lighting, so a late departure from London means Nice.
• Are we inside the customs window? Non-Schengen arrivals are accepted only from 1 July to 15 October, and the AIP limits them to set daytime hours within that period.
• What is the plan if the wind or the runway closes the field? The wind limits and the contaminated-runway rule can close La Môle on a day when Nice is operating normally. A good operator names the diversion and the transfer before you fly.
• Fuel and ground time. Fuel is only available during information-service hours, and the AIP limits auxiliary power unit running to 30 minutes, with a ground power unit available. That matters for a quick turnaround on a hot day with the cabin cooling.

If the answers are clear and specific, La Môle is a lovely way to arrive. If they are vague, book the aircraft into Nice and treat a La Môle landing as a bonus rather than the plan.

LFTZ FBO and handling

There is no separate independent FBO at La Môle in the way there is at Nice or Farnborough. The airport handles visiting aircraft itself: its pilot pages route FBO assistance requests through the MY Handling portal, and its services list includes Sky Valet, the business-aviation brand of the same airport group that runs Nice and Cannes. Expect a small, efficient terminal rather than a lounge complex, a car to the steps, and a short drive to the village. If you are new to the term, our explainer on what an FBO is covers what handling includes.

The alternatives: Toulon-Hyères, Cannes-Mandelieu and Nice

If your aircraft can't use La Môle, three airports cover Saint-Tropez. Each has its own limits, summarised below from the French AIP and the airports' published information.

Sources: AIP Toulon-Hyères, Toulon-Hyères business terminal, AIP Cannes-Mandelieu, AIP Nice. Transfer times from Nice are covered in our Nice to Saint-Tropez guide.

Toulon-Hyères is the closest large runway to Saint-Tropez. The AIP gives a 2,121 m main runway, priority for military traffic, and no civil movements between 23:00 and 07:00 local. It also excludes small aeroplanes: civil aircraft need a maximum take-off weight above 3.5 tonnes or ten or more passengers unless the director grants a derogation, which suits business jets. Its business terminal quotes about 45 minutes by road and 15 by helicopter to Saint-Tropez.

Cannes-Mandelieu is the Riviera's business-aviation field. Its AIP bars jets over 35 tonnes maximum take-off weight and turboprops over 22 tonnes, bans the noisiest aircraft, and becomes a slot-coordinated airport during periods published by NOTAM. That covers most light, midsize and super-midsize jets, and it is convenient if your trip also involves Cannes; see private jet hire Cannes.

Nice takes anything, at any hour, and has the most handling and helicopter options. It is the default for heavy jets and for anyone landing after La Môle has closed; private jet hire Nice shows what is flying there. The full comparison of helicopter, car and boat from Nice is in our Nice to Saint-Tropez private jet guide.

When La Mole isn't the right choice

La Môle is the closest runway to the village, but closest isn't always best. On these trips, Nice, Toulon-Hyères or Cannes-Mandelieu is usually the better plan:

• Evening arrivals. The field works in daylight only and closes at 19:00 local in summer at the latest, unless extended towards sunset. Anything landing later goes to Nice.
• Groups above about eight, or a lot of luggage. The aircraft that fit La Môle comfortably are turboprops and light jets. A larger group on a midsize or heavy jet will be happier at Nice with a helicopter, or Toulon-Hyères with a car.
• Last-minute bookings. The 24-hour prior notice applies to every flight, and the Group 1 process takes weeks for a jet operator that hasn't done it. A booking made today rarely lands at La Môle tomorrow unless the operator is already cleared.
• Arriving from London outside summer. Before 1 July or after 15 October, a non-Schengen flight can't clear in at La Môle at all.
• An empty leg into Nice. If the cheap leg lands at Nice, take it and add the transfer. An empty leg won't divert to La Môle, and the saving on the flight is usually far bigger than the helicopter fare.

None of these is a reason to avoid La Môle. They are reasons to keep Nice in the plan, which is what the operators who fly here regularly do as a matter of course.

St Tropez airport for a private jet: how to choose

For most people the decision is made by the aircraft, not the other way round. If you are booking a full charter, tell the broker or operator you want La Môle at the start; they will either confirm an approved aircraft and crew or tell you to plan for Nice. If you are flying an empty leg, the airport is fixed by the repositioning flight, and most Saint-Tropez legs land at Nice. Geneva and Paris legs into La Môle on light aircraft do appear in season, as the private jet hire St Tropez page shows, and a standing alert is the reliable way to catch them; see how to find empty legs.

It is also worth being honest about when La Môle isn't worth chasing. A super-midsize jet into Nice plus a 20-minute helicopter is a perfectly good arrival. Swapping to a smaller aircraft purely to land closer only makes sense if the group and luggage genuinely fit the smaller cabin; our guide to how many seats on a private jet will help you judge that. The same Nice-plus-helicopter logic applies further east, as our guide to a private jet to Monaco explains, and helicopter vs private jet covers when the rotor leg earns its cost. For every Riviera and Alpine airfield we cover, start from our private jet hire destinations.

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