Private Jet to Ajaccio: AJA Airport, Gulf and Sanguinaires

Ajaccio Napoléon Bonaparte: 2,300 m of runway at the head of the gulf

The Corsican chamber of commerce, CCI de Corse, runs the airport on behalf of its owner, the Corsican regional authority. It is first and foremost a commercial airport: the French airports union (UAF) counted 1,593,011 passengers and 29,431 movements there in 2025, so private jets share the runway with scheduled airlines.

Punta Sant'Eliseo: 4,170 ft under the runway 20 approach

The AIP singles out the high ground around the airfield for crews' attention. On the approach to runway 20, Punta Sant'Eliseo rises to 4,170 ft, roughly 1,270 m. The runway 20 PAPI, set on a 3.7° glide slope against 3° for runway 02, does not guarantee clearance of that summit, and pilots may not use it more than 12 km from the threshold.

Night narrows the options further. Visual approaches to runway 20 are banned for IFR flights after dark, as are circling and prescribed visual tracks. A crew arriving after sunset therefore has to fly an instrument approach all the way to the runway, for instance the runway 02 ILS, which comes in over the gulf.

The published RNP AR approach to runway 20 has a glide path steeper than 3.5°, and only an operator holding an operational approval specific to that procedure may fly it.

In low visibility, no approach or landing is allowed under LVP, and all movements stop below 400 m of runway visual range. The AIP recommends that captains complete a site familiarisation or simulator training, without making it mandatory.

An evening flight into Ajaccio is therefore planned around the forecast wind, which decides the runway in use, and around the crew's familiarity with the airfield. We check both before confirming a schedule.

Round-the-clock customs on notice, handling within Casavia's hours

Customs and border police at Ajaccio provide a permanent service. The AIP sets one condition, 48 hours' notice for any business or private flight. As far as formalities go, a jet from London or Dubai has no cut-off time.

Ground handling, on the other hand, is compulsory for every flight, VFR or IFR, and the AIP asks operators to contact the handler or the airport operations centre before scheduling. For business aviation the handler is Casavia, which works 8am to 9pm in summer and 9am to 5pm in winter, local time. An arrival outside those hours is arranged with Casavia before take-off.

Jet A1 is available from 6am to 8pm all year. Outside those hours, fuel is requested after landing, and the truck can take up to two hours to arrive. The airport has no de-icing equipment and no hangar for visiting aircraft.

Between 11.30pm and 6.30am in winter, the rescue and firefighting category drops from 7 to 5, so a late arrival in a large long-range jet is cleared with the operator first.

Then there are slots. COHOR, the French slot coordinator, lists Ajaccio as an IATA level 1 airport with no coordination required, whereas Figari is level 3. For a business flight, the handling agent files any slot request with COHOR itself.

Which aircraft for Ajaccio, and where to park it

With 2,073 m available for landing on runway 20 and 2,300 m on runway 02, length is no issue for a light or midsize jet. A fully loaded heavy jet goes through a performance calculation, all the more so as the airfield's reference temperature is 26.5°C. For take-off on runway 20, a 473 m clearway extends the distance available to 2,772 m.

Parking matters as much as the runway. The general and business aviation apron has 18 stands over 16,000 m², but only one, K1, takes a wingspan of up to 28.70 m; stands J1 to J6 are limited to between 13.50 and 21.50 m. For a large aircraft, we confirm the stand with the airport before booking.

• Phenom 300: seven seats and 4h30 of endurance, enough to fly in from London non-stop in a little over two hours.
• Citation XLS: eight passengers and a range of about 3,400 km, for Paris-Le Bourget (about 1h35) or Geneva (in the order of an hour).
• Light jets: the logical choice for the hop from Nice, about 35 minutes in the air, from €4,000 per hour.

Budgets start from the hourly rates we publish for each category: €4,800 per hour for a midsize such as the Citation XLS, €6,500 for a heavy jet. There is no published set fare for Ajaccio.

Maison Bonaparte, the gulf and the Sanguinaires

Napoleon was born on 15 August 1769 in the Maison Bonaparte, rue Saint-Charles, now a national museum open all year. The Palais Fesch fine arts museum and the imperial chapel, where members of the family are buried, complete the trail, and every year in mid-August the town holds its Napoleonic Days.

At the mouth of the gulf, the Sanguinaires islands face the Parata peninsula and its Genoese tower. The archipelago has four islets, listed as a Grand Site de France and part of the Natura 2000 network. Only Mezu Mare, whose lighthouse was automated in 1985, is open to visitors, from April to October, with departures from the Tino Rossi harbour or Porticcio. IBC Aviation arranges that leg by private boat, booked together with the flight.

According to the tourist office, the gulf's shoreline runs for 17 km with 22 bathing spots. The Ajaccio wine appellation, ranked "Cru" like Patrimonio, stretches from the Gulf of Valinco to the Gulf of Porto.

The south of the island is served by another airport: Porto-Vecchio and Bonifacio by private jet are reached through Figari airport, and Sardinia, across the strait, through Olbia and the Costa Smeralda.

Planning a flight to or from Ajaccio with IBC Aviation

We operate no aircraft: we select the operator and the crew, then build a handling file that comes down to four points here.

• Notice: 48 hours for customs and police, sent with the handling request.
• Timing: an arrival within Casavia's hours, or agreed with the handler beyond them.
• Crew: familiarity with the airfield or simulator training, as the AIP recommends.
• Parking: a stand that fits the wingspan of the chosen aircraft.

These flights can leave from Nice Côte d'Azur airport and are handled by our Riviera team (see charter flights from Nice), while our article on what a charter broker adds sets out this checking work in detail.

Private jet charter with IBC Aviation:

Our teams advise you on the private jet best suited to your itinerary and requirements, and organise your trip to or from your destination. Available 24/7:

• France: +33 1 41 69 88 88
• Switzerland: +41 22 880 28 88
• Dubai: +971 55 303 5161
• Bangkok: +66 92 372 4680
• Email: contact@ibc-aviation.com

Frequently asked questions

Can a private jet land at Ajaccio at night?

Yes. Air traffic control, customs and border police operate 24 hours a day, with 48 hours' notice for any private or business flight. After dark, visual approaches to runway 20 are banned, and Casavia, whose handling is compulsory, publishes limited hours, from 8am to 9pm in summer.

Why does runway 20 at Ajaccio need extra preparation?

Punta Sant'Eliseo, at 4,170 ft, sits under the approach path. The runway 20 PAPI, set at 3.7°, does not guarantee clearance of it and may not be used beyond 12 km, while the RNP AR approach requires an operator-specific approval. The AIP recommends site familiarisation for captains.

How far ahead must a private flight to Ajaccio be announced?

Forty-eight hours. The AIP sets that notice for customs and border police on any business or private flight, and ground handling is compulsory. Casavia, the business aviation handler, also passes slot requests to COHOR, which lists Ajaccio as a level 1 airport.

Where does a large private jet park at Ajaccio?

On the general and business aviation apron, only one stand, K1, takes a wingspan of 28.70 m; stands J1 to J6 range from 13.50 to 21.50 m. Beyond that, the stand has to be confirmed with the airport before booking, a check our team makes for every quote.

How long is the flight from Nice to Ajaccio by private jet?

About 35 minutes, depending on the aircraft, the winds and slots. Allow roughly an hour from Geneva, 1h35 from Paris-Le Bourget and a little over two hours from London, a distance a Phenom 300 covers non-stop. The airport lies 5 km east of the town.