Private Jet to Cannes: Film Festival Hotspot
When May arrives and the buzz around the Cannes Film Festival heats up, Cannes (CEQ) Airport becomes a hubbub of activity. No other event in Europe generates so much demand for private jet travel as when throngs of filmmakers, celebrities, commercial sponsors, and dignitaries descend on the glittering French resort town. As a result, Cannes Mandelieu Airport is second only to Nice Airport (LFMN / NCE) when it comes to air travel to and from the French Riviera.
Private Jet Charter in Cannes: The Original VIP Airport on the Côte d’Azur
The first flights to Cannes Airport date back to 1905. From the very beginning of its existence, it was principally used by private aircraft. Today it is exclusively used for private flights for both business and leisure. Commercial aircraft don’t come into play, but this doesn’t diminish the importance of the airport to the region. During its heyday in the 1930s, the French Government took over responsibility for the airport and began expansion. It became the only airport on the Côte d’Azur used by Air France, with smaller aircraft taking passengers onwards to St. Tropez and Monaco.
In the early days of flying, if one wanted to get to the Côte d’Azur quickly, one need look no further than Cannes Airport. Following WWII, the it was rebuilt, expanded, and renamed with its current moniker (36 hectares of the airport’s land belongs to the neighbouring municipality of Mandelieu and 79 hectares to Cannes). Because the Esterel Mountains that surround the airport make it impossible to land large aircraft, the airport in Cannes could not be expanded enough to accommodate commercial flights. In 1966, the government passed responsibility for CEQ Airport over to the Nice and Côte d’Azur Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Today the organisation prides itself in maintaining the airport’s status as the second most important airport in France for private jets, after Paris Le Bourget.
Cannes Airport Location
The airport is located a short 6 kilometres from Cannes, and can be accessed directly from the A8/E80 motorway. Its convenient location means that one’s accommodation is easily reached by executive car or limousine. Those who are staying farther away can also take a helicopter directly from the airport. The airport even allows the helicopter to park right next to the jet to allow seamless boarding from one aircraft to the other.
Distances from Cannes Mandelieu Airport
- Cannes city centre: 6 kilometres
- Nice: 29 kilometres
- St Tropez: 80 kilometres
- Toulon: 96 kilometres
Cannes Private Jet Charter Services
They say that good things come in small packages and that has certainly been the case for Cannes Airport since its opening in 1905. The 155 hectare airport welcomes 9,500 passengers annually. Small and mid-sized private aircraft from the Beechcraft King Air to the XL Citation jet take off and land on the 1,600 meter runway, although it services no commercial aircraft, no loud turbojets and no turbo and propeller aircraft with a take-off weight over 22 tonnes.
Because Cannes Airport caters exclusively for private aircraft, it offers an extremely high level of service for its business and leisure passengers. Cannes charter flight passengers can expect the following:
- First-class VIP lounges
- Numerous Wi-Fi-hotspots throughout the terminal
- Over 400 parking spaces
- Direct transfer from airplane to helicopter
A flight by private jet to Cannes Airport means being comprehensive passenger care at every step of your journey. Passenger satisfaction with the quality of accommodation and service is reflected in the airport’s economic success, with annual turnover of 300 million Euros.
Cannes Airport Flights: Top Connections
Cannes Airport has flight connections to an array of popular domestic and international destinations. Whether you have a business appointment in Geneva or London, or are planning a short hop to nearby Nice, you will be well served by Cannes Mandelieu. Among others, Paris Le Bourget, Geneva Airport, and London Farnborough Airport are all reachable within a couple of hours:
- Cannes Airport (CEQ) ✈ Paris Le Bourget (LFPB / LBG): approx. 1 hour 20 minutes
- Cannes Airport (CEQ) ✈ Geneva (LSGG / GVA): approx. 50 minutes
- Cannes Airport (CEQ) ✈ Nice (LFMN / NCE): approx. 30 minutes
- Cannes Airport (CEQ) ✈ Amsterdam Schiphol (EHAM / AMS): approx. 1 hour 40 minutes
- Cannes Airport (CEQ) ✈ London Farnborough (EGLF / FAB): approx. 1 hour 40 minutes
Hire a Private Jet to Cannes and Discover the French Riviera
The eyes of the world are on Cannes during the Film Festival in May. Film stars bedecked in glittering gowns tread the red carpets while producers and industry execs court new sponsors. The international press are busy snapping away while film fans simply soak up the atmosphere and glorious sunshine. But Cannes has more to offer than the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès. The palm-lined Promenade de la Croisette is the ideal starting point to explore the golden beaches and exclusive boutiques of this seaside utopia.
Given the Film Festival’s proximity to the Monaco Grand Prix and the French Open in Paris, the airport at Cannes Mandelieu is the foremost departure and arrival point for fast and flexible private flights.
Airport Facts
- Airport code: LFMD / CEQ
- Surface area: 155 ha
- Altitude: 4 m (13 ft) above MSL
- Passengers per year: 9,492 (2014)
- Aircraft types: aircraft up to the size of an ATR 72
- Runway operating hours: 24/7
- Runways: 17/35 (1,600 x 45 m), 04/22 (760 x 30 m), 17L/35L (550 x 50 m)
Top Connections
- Paris Le Bourget Airport (France)
- Geneva Airport (Switzerland)
- Nice Airport (France)
- Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (Netherlands)
- London Farnborough Airport (UK)
- London Luton Airport (UK)
- Ibiza Airport (Spain)
- Zurich Airport (Switzerland)
- London Biggin Hill Airport (UK)
- Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport (Italy)
- Antwerp Airport (Belgium)
- RAF Northolt Airport (UK)
- Montpellier Airport (France)
- Milan Linate Airport (Italy)
- Moscow Vnukovo Airport (Russia)