Private Jet to Bergerac: Customs, 2,205 m Runway, Dordogne

Bergerac by private jet, about 1 hour 15 minutes from London

Bergerac Dordogne Périgord airport handles business aviation five minutes by car from the town centre, according to the French airports association UAF. Its 09/27 runway measures 2,205 m by 45 m, with a Category I ILS on runway 27. The airfield is a designated border crossing point, so a jet from Farnborough or Geneva flies in direct, provided customs has been notified. The operator, EGC Aéro, looks after private flights itself through its general aviation desk.

Customs: a day ahead, and by Friday for a Monday

Every flight arriving from or leaving for another country must be declared to French customs. The airport's business aviation page asks for 24 hours' notice on weekdays and, for the weekend, a request sent before noon on Friday. The French AIP adds Monday to that rule and sets the cut-off at 14:00 local time; we work to the earlier of the two.

On arrival, passengers and crew go straight to the arrivals hall for immigration. Under France's Vigipirate security plan, the airport also asks for the name and passport or identity card number of everyone on board.

Then there is the clock. The AIP publishes customs and police hours of 09:00 to 17:00 in winter and 08:00 to 19:00 in summer, so an early evening arrival from London is checked before it is promised.

2,205 m of runway, 1,935 m to land on

The published length is not the figure a performance calculation uses. Declared distances bring the landing distance available down to 1,935 m on runway 09 and 1,960 m on runway 27; for take-off, runway 09 offers a 2,145 m run.

A light or midsize jet keeps a wide margin. For a heavily loaded long-range aircraft bound for the Gulf or North America, the numbers are run case by case, all the more so as the AIP notes runway slopes slightly above the applicable standards and a reference temperature of 27.9°C. Pavement strength is published as PCN 43.

Tower, parking, de-icing: what needs 48 hours' notice

The tower is open from 08:00 to 20:00 local time, according to the AIP in force in September 2026. For a later return, an extension is available for any flight announced 48 hours in advance to EGC Aéro during office hours. The same lead time applies to three other services.

• Parking stand: allocated on request. On the general aviation apron, twelve of the seventeen stands are limited to a 12 or 14 m wingspan, less than a Phenom 300; a non-scheduled commercial flight can also be given a stand on the commercial apron.
• Rescue and firefighting: category 5 during tower hours, category 7 by season or on request, none outside those hours.
• De-icing: one de-icing vehicle and Type I fluid. The AIP, however, lists no hangar space for visiting aircraft.

Security screening follows the scheduled airline programme. For an additional flight the airport wants two days' warning, and at night any movement on the general aviation apron needs its authorisation.

Which private jet for Bergerac

Flight times from the main European bases are short: about 1 hour 15 minutes from London-Farnborough, about 55 minutes from Paris-Le Bourget or Geneva, and about an hour from Nice, depending on the aircraft, winds and slots. Over these distances, light jets cover most requests.

• Phenom 300: 7 seats, a regular choice from London as from Paris.
• Citation CJ3: 6 seats, suited to a business trip for two or three.
• Citation XLS+: 8 seats and 1.73 m of cabin height, for a group or a golf stay.

Our rate card starts at €4,000 per hour for a light jet and €4,800 for a midsize. Bergerac carries no fixed route price there, so the quote follows actual flight time.

British Dordogne, the vineyards and Saint-Émilion

France's statistics office, Insee, counted 7,198 British residents in the Dordogne in 2016, or 1.74% of the population. In the Eymet area, under half an hour by road south of the airport, the share reached 9%. The study, published in July 2020, links this settlement to the low-cost routes opened from Bergerac in the 2000s.

The link still shows in the timetable. According to the airport, Ryanair flies to London Stansted year-round and British Airways to London City from June to the end of September, then in December and January; Bristol, Liverpool or Edinburgh are also on the programme.

As for wine, the Pays de Bergerac tourist office lists nearly 130 winegrowers who receive visitors at their estates, across appellations such as Monbazillac, Pécharmant, Saussignac or Montravel. Château des Vigiers, a 4-star hotel in a 16th-century château with a 27-hole golf course, puts itself about 30 minutes from the airport. Saint-Émilion is a little over an hour by road, barely longer than from Bordeaux-Mérignac.

For Sarlat, Brive airport shortens the drive. For Périgueux, Bassillac airfield is closer but only accepts international traffic from within the Schengen area: from London, the arrival is at Bergerac or Brive.

Chartering to or from Bergerac with IBC Aviation

Flights to south-west France are handled by our Paris office. Before confirming an aircraft for Bergerac, our teams check the customs cut-off for the arrival day, the published landing distance against the planned weight, the parking stand and, for a return after 20:00, the tower extension. As an independent broker, IBC Aviation then compares the operators available, empty legs included.

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

When must customs be notified for a London to Bergerac flight?

Twenty-four hours ahead if the flight operates Tuesday to Friday. For a Saturday, Sunday or Monday arrival, the request goes in on Friday, before noon according to the airport. Passengers and crew then clear immigration in the arrivals hall, with names and passport numbers sent in advance.

How much landing distance does Bergerac's runway offer?

The runway measures 2,205 m by 45 m, but the landing distance available is 1,935 m on runway 09 and 1,960 m on runway 27. Light and midsize jets manage it comfortably; a heavily loaded long-range aircraft needs a case-by-case performance calculation.

Can a private jet land at Bergerac after 20:00?

Yes, on request. The tower is open from 08:00 to 20:00 local time, and an extension is available for any flight announced 48 hours in advance to the operator, EGC Aéro. The rescue and firefighting category is requested with the same notice, and night movements on the general aviation apron need its approval.

How long is the flight from London to Bergerac?

About 1 hour 15 minutes in a light jet from London-Farnborough, depending on the aircraft, winds and slots. From Paris-Le Bourget or Geneva, allow in the order of 55 minutes. A Phenom 300 or a Citation CJ3 is enough over these distances, at light jet rates from €4,000 per hour.

How far is Saint-Émilion from Bergerac airport?

A little over an hour by road depending on traffic, barely longer than from Bordeaux-Mérignac. Closer in, Monbazillac is around ten minutes from the airport, and Château des Vigiers, a 4-star hotel with a 27-hole golf course, about 30 minutes.