Private Jet to Arcachon and Cap Ferret: Bordeaux or La Teste

Arcachon and Cap Ferret by private jet, under an hour from Mérignac

The aircraft chooses the airfield, not the road map: of the three runways around the Bassin, only one takes a business jet without conditions.

• Bordeaux-Mérignac (BOD, LFBD): every category from light jet to long range, non-Schengen flights included, day and night.
• Arcachon-La Teste-de-Buch (LFCH): turboprops and helicopters; a jet only if the operator's performance calculation allows it, within opening hours and with no border formalities on site.
• Cazaux (LFBC): an air force base closed to civil flights, except in an emergency.

La Teste-de-Buch: 1,347 m of runway, 1,002 m to land towards the west

Arcachon-La Teste-de-Buch aerodrome, known locally as Villemarie, lies 4.5 km south-east of Arcachon and is operated by the Communauté d'agglomération du Bassin d'Arcachon Sud. The French AIP publishes it only through its visual approach chart, in the version dated 17 April 2025: no approach control, no instrument procedure, and an AFIS information service during opening hours.

Its figures differ from those still in circulation, including on the operator's own website, which gives 1,400 m by 20 m. Paved runway 07/25 measures 1,347 m by 23 m, with a published pavement strength of 12, against 64 at Mérignac. Displaced thresholds then shorten the distance available for landing.

An aircraft landing on runway 25 therefore has just 1,002 m. Every calculation starts there. Yet this is the preferred direction, because of the golf-course residences to the east, and the chart warns that sea mist can blanket the field within minutes.

The rest weighs just as much. No customs, no police, fire and rescue cover at level 1, no hangar for visiting aircraft. At night, only members of the local flying club fly. Jet A1 is available, with a TOTAL card or through the tower.

AFIS follows two timetables: daily from 09:00 to 19:00 between 15 April and 15 September, then split sessions and a 17:00 close for the rest of the year, local time.

Those values remain in principle within the capabilities of a Pilatus PC-12, a turboprop designed for very short runways. For a jet, everything depends on landing weight and the operator's own rules: we put that question before proposing La Teste.

Cazaux, an air base 15 km away, stays closed to civil aircraft

Air Base 120 Cazaux lies 15 km south of Arcachon. Its AIP entry leaves no room for interpretation: the aerodrome is closed to public air traffic, except in an emergency, is run by the French Ministry of the Armed Forces and has neither customs nor police. Restricted area R 31A, announced by Cazaux Approach, even dictates departure instructions at La Teste-de-Buch when it is active.

Bordeaux-Mérignac, open day and night

Ten kilometres west of Bordeaux, Mérignac has two 45 m wide runways, one of 3,100 m and one of 2,415 m. Customs never close. Nor do the police, air traffic control or the airport operator, according to the AIP, so a flight in from London, Dubai or New York clears its formalities at any hour. The AIP also publishes no restriction based on aircraft noise performance.

Two rules frame a private flight. Airport handling is mandatory, and the AIP lists two general aviation handlers, Avia VIP and Alyzia Province. Parking a private aircraft on the commercial aprons is limited to 24 hours, subject to the airport operator's agreement obtained through the handler.

For a week on Cap Ferret, parking or repositioning the aircraft is therefore settled at the quotation stage.

From the apron to the Bassin: road, shuttle boat or helicopter

The Lège-Cap Ferret tourist office puts the peninsula under an hour from Mérignac, and the Grand Site of the Dune du Pilat quotes 45 minutes.

Across the water, the boat shortens the trip. The Union des Bateliers Arcachonnais links Thiers pier in Arcachon with Bélisaire pier on Cap Ferret in a 30-minute crossing, all year round, with up to 14 return sailings a day in season, between 09:00 and 23:30. A helicopter can also land at La Teste-de-Buch, whose chart provides a grass parking area for helicopters under 2.8 tonnes.

Pyla, Arcachon, Cap Ferret: the dune and where to stay

South of the Bassin entrance, the Dune du Pilat stands 101 m high, 616 m wide and 2.9 km long, according to the public body that manages it. It moves 1 to 5 m a year towards the forest.

Several hotels around the Bassin appear among the five-star properties classified by Atout France, the French tourism development agency. In Pyla-sur-Mer, Ha(a)ïtza has 38 rooms on place Louis Gaume. In Arcachon, Hôtel Les Vagues offers 45 on boulevard de l'Océan, while on the peninsula, Villa Colette and its 28 rooms gained the classification in June 2026.

Which aircraft, and how long from London, Geneva or Paris

• London: in the order of 1h15 from Farnborough, one of the airfields compared in our London airports guide, with formalities cleared at Mérignac.
• Geneva: about an hour, in an Embraer Phenom 300 for instance, 7 seats, in the light jet category from €4,000 per hour.
• Paris-Le Bourget: in the order of an hour to Mérignac, a flight handled by the team presented on our Paris private jet charter page.
• Nice: a little over an hour. For a family with summer luggage, a Cessna Citation XLS, an 8-seat midsize, falls in the category from €4,800 per hour.
• Dubai, New York: a long-range flight into Mérignac, for its 3,100 m runway and permanent customs.

These times remain to be confirmed depending on the aircraft selected and the weather on the day. Our private jet rental rates give the hourly rate for each category, with no fixed price for the Bassin.

Planning a flight to or from the Bassin with IBC Aviation

IBC Aviation is an independent broker and operates no aircraft. Our Paris team selects the operator and first checks where the flight comes from, since a non-Schengen flight cannot clear formalities at La Teste. Then come the timing, as the La Teste AFIS closes at 17:00 in winter, and the weight, set against the 1,002 m available on runway 25.

At Mérignac, the 24-hour parking limit sometimes means sending the aircraft away between the outbound and return flights, repositioning legs that feed our empty leg flights. The role of ground handlers is explained in our article on the FBO and private terminal, and the other airfields of south-west France appear on our private jet airports page.

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 jet make do with the runway at La Teste-de-Buch?

Not always. The paved runway measures 1,347 m by 23 m, with a published pavement strength of 12, and the landing distance available drops to 1,002 m on runway 25. A turboprop such as the PC-12 is designed for this kind of strip; for a jet, the operator's performance calculation decides.

Why not land at Cazaux, closer to Pyla?

Because Air Base 120 Cazaux, 15 km south of Arcachon, is closed to public air traffic except in an emergency, according to the AIP. It is run by the Ministry of the Armed Forces and has neither customs nor police. Business jets serving the Bassin therefore land at Bordeaux-Mérignac.

How long is the drive from Mérignac to Cap Ferret?

Under an hour according to the Lège-Cap Ferret tourist office, and 45 minutes to the Dune du Pilat according to the Grand Site. From Arcachon, the Union des Bateliers Arcachonnais shuttle reaches Bélisaire pier on Cap Ferret in 30 minutes, and it runs all year round.

Can a private jet fly into Bordeaux-Mérignac at night?

Yes. According to the AIP, the airport operator, air traffic control, customs and police work 24 hours a day, and no restriction based on aircraft noise performance is published. Airport handling remains mandatory, provided for general aviation by Avia VIP or by Alyzia Province.

What are the opening hours at La Teste-de-Buch aerodrome?

From 15 April to 15 September, AFIS operates daily from 09:00 to 19:00. For the rest of the year it opens on weekdays from 09:00 to 12:00 and 14:15 to 17:00, and at weekends and on public holidays from 09:00 to 12:30 and 13:45 to 17:00, local time.