Private Jet for Ski Season: Aspen, Courchevel, and St. Moritz

The Event

Ski season runs from December through April across the Northern Hemisphere's premier mountain resorts. The big three — Aspen, Courchevel, and St. Moritz — represent the pinnacle of luxury skiing, each offering a distinct combination of terrain, social scene, and après-ski culture that draws a consistent international clientele.

What unites these resorts is their remoteness from major airports. Aspen sits in a narrow Colorado valley accessible only by a mountain airport. Courchevel is perched in the French Alps with its famously short and steep runway. St. Moritz is nestled in the Engadin Valley, reachable by small aircraft or a long drive from Zurich. For commercial travelers, reaching any of these destinations involves connections, ground transfers, and weather-dependent schedules that can easily consume an entire day.

Private aviation compresses this journey dramatically. Instead of a 10-hour door-to-door ordeal, a private jet delivers you to a mountain airport in 2–4 hours from most major cities, with your ski equipment loaded in the cargo hold rather than subject to airline baggage roulette.

Getting There by Private Jet

Each resort has unique airport considerations that shape aircraft selection:

• Aspen/Pitkin County Airport (ASE) — Elevation 7,820 feet with a single runway of 2,438 meters. Accepts most light and midsize jets. Heavy jets face weight restrictions due to altitude and runway length. The airport is 4 miles from downtown Aspen, making ground transfer virtually instant. Winter weather closures are common — always have Eagle County (EGE, 70 miles) as a backup.
• Courchevel Altiport (CVF) — One of the world's most challenging airports. The runway is 537 meters long with an 18.5% gradient — uphill on landing, downhill on takeoff. Only specially certified pilots and specific aircraft types (primarily turboprops and very light jets) are approved to operate here. Most private jet travelers fly into Chambéry (CMF, 90 min drive) or Lyon (LYS, 2.5 hrs) and transfer by car or helicopter.
• St. Moritz / Samedan Airport (SMV) — Europe's highest airport at 5,600 feet, with a 1,800-meter runway in the Engadin Valley. Accepts light and midsize jets. The airport is 5 km from St. Moritz. Alternatively, Zurich (ZRH, 3-hour drive) serves as the heavy-jet gateway with helicopter transfers available.

Turboprops and very light jets offer an advantage at mountain airports: they handle short runways, high altitudes, and gusty crosswinds that larger jets cannot manage safely.

What It Costs

Ski season charter pricing varies by route and the mountain airport's accessibility:

• Light jet, New York to Aspen (TEB to ASE, 4 hrs): $25,000 – $40,000 one-way
• Midsize jet, Los Angeles to Aspen (VNY to ASE, 2.5 hrs): $18,000 – $30,000 one-way
• Light jet, Geneva to Samedan (GVA to SMV, 45 min): $8,000 – $14,000 one-way
• Light jet, London to Chambéry (FAB to CMF, 1.5 hrs): $10,000 – $16,000 one-way
• Helicopter, Chambéry to Courchevel: $3,000 – $5,000 per trip

Christmas/New Year and Presidents' Day/February half-term are peak pricing periods, with premiums of 25–40% above regular ski season rates. January and March offer the best combination of reliable snow and reasonable charter pricing.

Timing Your Flight

Mountain weather is the defining variable for ski season charters. Key scheduling strategies:

• Build in weather buffers — Mountain airports close frequently due to low visibility, high winds, and snowfall. Plan your arrival for the day before your first ski day, not the morning of.
• Morning departures are preferred — Mountain weather tends to be clearest in the morning, with afternoon cloud buildup common in all three resort areas.
• Weekend changeover days — Saturday is the busiest day at all mountain airports as weekly renters arrive and depart. Friday afternoon arrivals and Sunday departures face the least congestion.
• Multi-week stays — For extended ski holidays, park your aircraft at the nearest suitable airport (Zurich for St. Moritz, Chambéry for Courchevel, Eagle County for Aspen) and reactivate when ready to depart.

VOLO's Event Charter Service

VOLO's event charter service has specialized ski season operations with experienced mountain airport coordination. We match aircraft to airport constraints — ensuring the jet we propose can actually land at your destination. Our operations team monitors weather windows in real time and communicates proactively about diversions, delays, and alternate airport options.

We also handle ski equipment logistics, coordinating oversized baggage loading for skis, snowboards, and gear bags that standard commercial airlines either refuse or charge excessively for. For groups of 6–10, our ski season packages cover round-trip charter, ground transfers to the resort, and flexible return scheduling tied to weather and snow conditions. Contact us with your ski destination and dates for a customized quote.