Private Jet to Nîmes and Uzès: Garons, a 2,443 m Runway

Nîmes and Uzès by private jet, a 2,443 m runway at Garons

The airport now trades as Nîmes Grande Provence Méditerranée, though the French AIP still lists it as Nîmes-Garons. It is run by EDEIS, whose website puts Nîmes a quarter of an hour away by the D42 road.

Airline traffic is a small share of the activity. The French airports union, UAF, recorded 33,466 non-commercial movements in 2025, ten times the year's 3,270 commercial movements, for 245,552 passengers.

No ILS at Garons: RNP or NDB approaches only

The AIP's list of radio aids stops at a DME and an NDB beacon. The approach charts for runways 18 and 36 are RNP, flown on satellite guidance, or NDB, despite the 900 m approach lighting on runway 18.

A recent business jet is usually equipped for RNP approaches. The crew must be qualified for them too. When the cloud base is low, that is the first thing we ask the operator, even before aircraft availability.

Customs: 24 hours on weekdays, the last working day for weekends

Outside scheduled airline flights, the AIP subjects every international flight to prior permission, with a notice period that depends on the time of day. Monday to Friday, a movement planned between 8am and 5pm local time is declared 24 hours ahead, as is a night movement between 8pm and 8am. Between 5pm and 8pm, the request goes in on the same day, before 4pm.

On Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, everything is settled on the last working day, again before 4pm. A Saturday-morning flight from London to Nîmes is therefore declared on Friday afternoon at the latest.

For a late arrival from outside the Schengen area, Montpellier-Méditerranée, some 40 km away as the crow flies, is another option: a 2,600 m runway and customs on site from 6am to 11pm local time, then on 7 hours' notice.

A stopover on approval, because apron space is short

Parking capacity at Garons is limited, and the AIP draws the consequence: any aircraft wishing to stop over must first obtain EDEIS's approval. Since 1 March 2018, handling has also been compulsory above 3 tonnes, which covers every business jet. The operator provides marshalling, fuelling, flight preparation for crews and access to a VIP lounge.

Air traffic control follows the seasons, in local time: 8am to 8pm from November to February, 8am to 9pm in March, April, September and October, 7am to 10.30pm in May and August, and 7am to 11pm in June and July. Outside those hours, the airport opens on a telephone request made before 4pm.

Jet A1 outside published hours is ordered before 6pm. For an aircraft that needs level 7 fire cover, the request goes in 24 hours ahead.

Uzès has no runway for a jet

Uzès-Belvézet aerodrome, a quarter of an hour from the town, is classed as restricted-use on its AIP chart. Its unpaved runway measures 1,060 m by 60 m, has no lighting and is reserved for aircraft based there or on neighbouring airfields. An outside user must request permission 72 hours ahead. No business jet is expected there.

According to the Uzès town council, the town lies 25 km north of Nîmes, a 35-minute drive, and 50 minutes from Nîmes airport. Avignon, 45 minutes from Uzès according to the same source, has an airport closer to the Luberon; its shorter runway is covered in our guide to a private jet to Avignon.

Arena, Maison Carrée, Pont du Gard: the Nîmes calendar

Two ferias fill the Roman amphitheatre. The Pentecost Feria follows the religious holiday, which falls on 16 May in 2027, and the Grape Harvest Feria returns every year in mid-September. In those weeks, we secure the aircraft and the stopover approval as soon as your dates are fixed.

The Maison Carrée has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 18 September 2023, the City of Nîmes points out. The Pont du Gard stands 27 km from Nîmes and 21 km from Avignon, according to the official Pont du Gard website.

Uzès, black truffles and La Maison d'Uzès

From mid-December to the end of March, Gard truffle growers sell the black winter truffle at the Wednesday and Saturday markets, at the Cabane à Truffe stall, and a truffle weekend is held in January, says the Uzès town council.

La Maison d'Uzès, a five-star Relais & Châteaux member, has 13 rooms and suites in a building listed on France's supplementary inventory of historic monuments. Its restaurant, La Table d'Uzès, led by chef Christophe Ducros, holds one Michelin star. The town of 8,519 residents reports 2 million visitors a year.

Which aircraft for Garons, from Nice, Paris or London

With 2,443 m available for landing in both directions and 2,743 m for take-off, Garons turns away no aircraft category. Heat matters more: the AIP sets a reference temperature of 33.1°C, and a long-range jet leaving at full weight in summer goes through a performance calculation.

• Nice or Geneva: about 35 and 40 minutes, in a Phenom 300, a light jet from €4,000 per hour.
• Paris-Le Bourget, Zurich or Milan: about 1h05, 1h00 and 50 minutes, in a Citation XLS, a midsize jet from €4,800 per hour.
• London or Brussels: about 1h35 from Farnborough or another of the London airports, 1h25 from Brussels, with the customs declaration.
• Dubai or New York: a heavy jet from €6,500 per hour, or an ultra long-range jet at €9,000 to €12,000 per hour.

These times vary with the aircraft, the wind and slots. To choose the cabin, our guide to range by aircraft category sets out the distances each class covers, and our private jet rental rates are hourly, with no set fare for Nîmes. Marseille-Provence is only about 20 minutes away by air: our page on Marseille airport describes its facilities.

What our Nice office prepares

IBC Aviation operates no aircraft. Our Nice private jet charter team selects the operator, then settles what Garons requires before arrival:

• EDEIS's stopover approval and ground handling
• The customs request, 24 hours ahead or on the last working day before 4pm
• The crew's RNP qualification, since there is no ILS
• Level 7 fire cover and out-of-hours fuel, when the aircraft or the schedule calls for them

What this broker's work changes for you is explained in our article on the added value of a charter broker.

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 Uzès?

No. Uzès-Belvézet aerodrome has only an unpaved 1,060 m runway, without lighting, reserved for based aircraft, and other users must request permission 72 hours ahead. A business jet lands at Nîmes-Garons, a 50-minute drive from Uzès according to the Uzès town council.

How much customs notice for a Saturday flight from London to Nîmes?

The request goes in before 4pm on the last working day, so on Friday. On weekdays, an international flight planned between 8am and 5pm, or between 8pm and 8am, is declared 24 hours ahead; between 5pm and 8pm, before 4pm on the same day, according to the September 2026 AIP.

Does Nîmes-Garons airport have an ILS?

No. For runways 18 and 36, the AIP publishes only RNP approaches, flown on satellite guidance, and NDB approaches. A recent business jet is usually equipped for RNP, but the crew must also be qualified: we check this with the operator before confirming a flight in low cloud.

How late can you land at Nîmes in summer?

Until 11pm local time in June and July, and 10.30pm in May and August, based on the air traffic control hours published in the AIP. In winter the tower closes at 8pm. Beyond those hours, the operator EDEIS opens the airport on a telephone request made before 4pm on a weekday.

When are black truffles sold at the Uzès markets?

From mid-December to the end of March, at the Wednesday and Saturday markets, where Gard truffle growers run the Cabane à Truffe stall, according to the Uzès town council. A black truffle weekend is held there every January. For the night, La Maison d'Uzès, a five-star Relais & Châteaux hotel, sits in the heart of town.