Airport Restrictions: Short Runways and Steep Approaches

The 60% rule, the one that closes most airfields

This is the decisive technical point, and it is rarely explained. The European air operations regulation requires, for commercial air transport, that the aircraft be able to come to a stop within a fraction only of the available runway.

In practice, the landing distance available must be at least:

In other words, a jet must be able to stop within 60% of the available runway, a turboprop within 70%. The additional 15% factor applies as soon as the runway is wet.

Two practical consequences you will see in our proposals. First, the same aircraft can be refused at an airfield where it lands without difficulty on an owner flight: the margin is regulatory, not technical. Second, the turboprop enjoys a distinctly more favourable margin, which is why a PC-12 or a PC-24 opens airfields closed to heavier jets.

Steep approach: London City and Lugano

Some airports impose a far steeper approach path than the usual 3 degrees. London City is at 5.5 degrees, close to double the standard, to reduce prolonged low flying over a dense area and to clear the surrounding obstacles.

The consequence is twofold, and it applies to the aircraft and to the crew. The aircraft must be certified for steep approach, and the pilots must be specifically qualified. Neither condition can be worked around on the day of the flight.

The picture is improving. In January 2026 the Gulfstream G500, together with the G600, obtained EASA steep-approach certification, demonstrated at London City and Lugano. That widens access to these constrained urban airports for a class of aircraft previously excluded, subject to the aircraft's configuration and the operator's approval.

Weather, terrain and single-direction runways

At several airfields, feasibility is decided on the morning itself.

Single-direction runways. At Saint-Tropez La Môle, the terrain requires taking off and landing in the same direction whatever the wind. If the wind picks up from the opposite direction, operations stop or the aircraft diverts to a neighbouring airfield. This is not a theoretical case: it is the most common reason for diversion at that airport in summer.

High-elevation airfields. In the mountains, thinner air lengthens takeoff distances and reduces the maximum permissible weight. An aircraft accepted at Geneva may face a passenger or fuel limitation at Sion or Samedan. The constraint is computed case by case, against the temperature of the day.

Limited instrument procedures. Several of these airports offer only visual procedures or restricted approaches. In poor visibility, access is simply closed, including to aircraft perfectly sized for the runway.

Airfields with specific restrictions

A non-exhaustive list of European airports requiring a crew qualification, an aircraft certification or a specific prior permission.

This list changes. Procedures, required qualifications and operating limitations are published and revised regularly by the national authorities: they are checked against the date of the flight, not against a fixed list.

Slots, a separate constraint

Do not confuse an operational restriction with coordination. These are two different mechanisms and they stack.

At a coordinated airport, no aircraft may land or take off without a slot allocated by the coordinator, whatever its performance. In France the coordinator is COHOR and the airports concerned are Paris Charles de Gaulle, Paris Orly, Nice Côte d'Azur, Cannes-Mandelieu, Nantes Atlantique and Figari Sud Corse.

Cannes therefore carries both: a short runway that excludes certain aircraft, and coordination that requires obtaining a slot. In high season it is often the slot, not the aircraft, that is missing.

What this changes for your flight

Three habits that avoid most unpleasant surprises.

• Give the exact destination at the first exchange, not just the city. Saint-Tropez La Môle and Nice are not handled the same way, and the road transfer can change the trade-off.
• Be open to discussing the aircraft category. At a constrained airfield, a smaller aircraft or a turboprop is sometimes the only workable answer at a given weight and passenger count.
• Plan an alternate. At weather-dependent airports this is basic discipline, and we prepare one as a matter of course.

The broker's role sits precisely here: cross-checking the aircraft's real performance, the crew's qualifications, the airfield's limitations and the expected weather before proposing a solution. See also our article on organising a private jet flight.

IBC Aviation private jet charter:

Our teams advise you on the private jet best suited to your itinerary and your requirements, including to the most constrained airfields, and arrange your flight to or from any destination. Available 24/7:

• France: +33 1 41 69 88 88
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• Dubai: +971 55 303 5161
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• Email: contact@ibc-aviation.com

Frequently asked questions

Why is a jet accepted on a private flight refused on charter?

Because European regulation imposes on commercial air transport a margin that owner flights do not carry. A jet must be able to come to a stop within 60% of the available runway, meaning a length at least equal to 1.67 times its actual landing distance, and 1.92 times if the runway is wet. An aircraft that technically stops in 1,000 metres therefore requires a runway of 1,670 metres when dry and 1,920 metres when wet.

Which airports require steep approach certification?

London City is the best known case, with a 5.5 degree approach against 3 degrees as standard, requiring a certified aircraft and a specifically qualified crew. Lugano follows the same logic. In January 2026 the Gulfstream G500 and G600 obtained EASA steep-approach certification, demonstrated at London City and Lugano, which widens access to these airports.

Why does a turboprop reach more airfields than a jet?

Because its regulatory margin is more favourable. In commercial air transport a turboprop must be able to stop within 70% of the available runway, against 60% for a jet, a factor of 1.43 instead of 1.67. At equal performance it therefore opens shorter runways, which explains the place of the PC-12 and the PC-24 at constrained airfields.

What happens if the wind turns at Saint-Tropez La Môle?

The terrain requires taking off and landing in one direction only. If the wind picks up from the opposite direction, operations may stop and the aircraft divert to a neighbouring airfield. That is why an alternate is prepared as a matter of course at this airport, and why the road transfer from Nice sometimes remains the safest trade-off.

Is a short runway the same constraint as a coordinated airport?

No, they are two distinct mechanisms that stack. The operational restriction concerns the aircraft's performance and the crew's qualifications. Coordination concerns the airport's capacity and requires obtaining a slot, whatever the performance. Cannes-Mandelieu carries both at once.