Above Mont d’Arbois, the Cote 2000 road climbs through high pastures to a short runway not far from the Mont Blanc massif: the Megève altiport. People come up here to fly over the glaciers, to learn mountain flying, to have lunch on the terrace while planes land uphill, or simply to see the runway where a Tour de France stage was decided. Here is the altiport, from its history to how to get up there.
The Megève altiport at a glance
- Altitude: 1470m, at Cote 2000, a few kilometres south-east of the village.
- Runway: 548m by 18m, hard-surfaced, with a gradient of 7% then 9.3%.
- In winter: the runway is groomed but never cleared of snow; flying is by day only.
- Who lands here: small planes and helicopters; no jets, and no flights from outside the Schengen area.
- On site: discovery flights by plane and helicopter, a flying school, a restaurant.
- Getting there: by the Cote 2000 road, or on the free Meg’Bus shuttle bus.
Founded in 1964, at the foot of Cote 2000
The idea came from Michel Ziegler, head of the airline Air Alpes and builder of several Alpine altiports in the 1960s, and from Megève local Jacques Henri Bujard, a director of the Edmond de Rothschild group. The town saw a chance to attract a wealthy clientele; Edmond de Rothschild provided the land at Cote 2000. The altiport opened in December 1964, and Air Alpes ran the first commercial flights from it.
A flying club set up shortly afterwards. According to the tourist office, it has become Europe’s benchmark centre for mountain flying, and some 300 pilots come here to train in this demanding discipline. The airfield is also known as the Cote 2000 altiport.
The Megève altiport runway
The runway measures 548m by 18m, is paved, and runs into a 72m stopping area at its lower end. It climbs at a gradient of 7% for most of its length, then 9.3% over 122m, before easing to 3.8% over the last thirty metres. Aircraft always land uphill, towards the south-east, and always take off downhill. There is no runway lighting, so flying is by day only. In winter, after snowfall, the runway is groomed but not cleared, unlike the Courchevel altiport, which is kept clear at all times.
Only pilots holding the mountain rating, or an authorisation specific to the altiport, may land a plane here, and radio is mandatory. Visiting helicopters have two parking pads below the aircraft parking area. Flights arriving from outside the Schengen area are not permitted, and a flight from Switzerland must notify customs 24 hours in advance.
Helicopter and plane: flying from the altiport
Two companies run discovery flights from the altiport, and the tourist office counts around 5000 passengers a year. By plane, four routes range from ten minutes over the Megève valley to forty minutes over every glacier in the Mont Blanc massif, taking in the Bossons and Taconnaz glaciers, the Mer de Glace and the Vallée Blanche. By helicopter, thirty-minute introductory flights and fifty-minute flights take you close to Mont Blanc. Scenic flights leave from the altiport and return to it, by day and weather permitting.
The altiport is also used for helicopter transfers to and from Megève. A jet, on the other hand, lands down in the valley, at Geneva, Annecy or Chambéry, and a flight from London must first clear customs at an airport. Our guide to private jet and helicopter travel to the ski resorts covers these arrivals in detail. If you want to learn to fly, the flying club trains pilots for the private pilot licence from the age of 15, and for the mountain flying rating on wheels and on skis.
Restaurant, skiing and golf around the altiport
A restaurant with a terrace sits beside the altiport: you can have lunch while watching the planes and helicopters come and go. In winter, the Cote 2000 sector, one of those in the Megève ski area, starts close by, and the Livraz and Cote 2000 Nordic area has its cross-country trails nearby. In summer, the Mont d’Arbois golf course is not far away. For skiing, see our guide to the Megève ski area, and for cross-country, our guide to cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in Megève.
The Tour de France on the altiport runway
On 12 July 2022, stage 10 of the Tour de France, which set off from Morzine Les Portes du Soleil, finished on the altiport runway after a final climb of 19.2km. Denmark’s Magnus Cort won narrowly on the finishing ramp, ahead of Australia’s Nick Schultz. One point that is often muddled: in 2016, the Sallanches-Megève time trial finished in the village, not at the altiport.
Altiport webcam, opening hours and shuttle bus
The town hall publishes a webcam of the altiport among its views of the resort. No opening hours are published for the airfield itself; the companies and the flying club post their own, during the day, from 8am or 9am until 5pm, 6pm or 7pm depending on the activity. Ask the companies for flight prices, and the town hall, which runs the airfield, for landing fees.
You reach the altiport by the Cote 2000 road, above Mont d’Arbois. Without a car, the free Meg’Bus line 2 goes up to Cote 2000 in winter and in high summer, with an altiport stop on its map; this winter’s timetable has not yet been published.
AEC tip. Discovery flights must be booked, and they depend on the sky: keep yours for a clear morning early in your stay, so you can move it if you need to. And to get up there without a car, a chalet on Mont d’Arbois puts you on Meg’Bus line 2.
Where to stay
Our Megève chalets are gathered on a single page. To choose your area, from the centre to Mont d’Arbois, see our guide to choosing where to stay in Megève; for the journey, our guide to getting to Megève; and to fill your week, what to do in Megève in winter.
The simplest thing is to write to us: tell us your dates and the number of guests, and our agents will send you a selection of chalets.
And at the end of the day, from the terrace, you watch the last plane climb the runway as the light fades on the ridges.
What is the altitude of Megève altiport?
1470m, according to the tourist office. It sits at Cote 2000, a few kilometres south-east of the village, on the road that climbs above Mont d’Arbois.
How long is the runway at Megève altiport?
548m by 18m, hard-surfaced, with a gradient of 7% then 9.3%. Aircraft always land uphill and take off downhill. In winter the runway is groomed but not cleared of snow.
Can a private jet land at Megève altiport?
No. The altiport takes small planes, whose pilots must hold the mountain rating or an authorisation specific to the airfield, and helicopters. Flights from outside the Schengen area are not permitted: a jet lands at Geneva, Annecy or Chambéry.
Can you take a helicopter flight from Megève altiport?
Yes. One company based at the altiport offers thirty-minute introductory flights and fifty-minute flights towards Mont Blanc, and another runs plane flights of ten to forty minutes, from the Megève valley to the Mont Blanc glaciers.
Is there a restaurant at Megève altiport?
Yes, a restaurant with a terrace sits beside the altiport, where you can watch the planes and helicopters come and go.
Did the Tour de France finish at Megève altiport?
Yes, on 12 July 2022: stage 10, which set off from Morzine Les Portes du Soleil, finished on the altiport runway and was won by Denmark’s Magnus Cort.
How do you get to Megève altiport without a car?
On the free Meg’Bus line 2, which goes up to Cote 2000 in winter and in high summer, with an altiport stop on its map. The town hall also publishes a webcam of the altiport.
