Cannes Mandelieu. Minutes from the Croisette, if your aircraft fits.
The closest a private aircraft can land to Cannes. It is a small field with a short runway, a weight limit and no night operation, so the first question is never the drive. It is whether your aircraft is allowed in.
The airport
Cannes Mandelieu at a glance
- CodesCEQ / LFMDWest of Cannes at Mandelieu la Napoule, about 8 kilometres from the Croisette.
- Weight limit35 tonnes for jetsRaised from 22 tonnes in 2015. Turboprops remain limited to 22 tonnes.
- Main runwayAbout 1,610 metresA second, much shorter strip of around 760 metres serves light aircraft.
- HoursDaylight onlyThe field opens in the morning and closes around sunset. There is no night operation and no informal flexibility.
The airport describes itself as the second business aviation airport in France. Sky Valet is the handling agent on the field. Published opening and closing times move through the year, so your operator confirms them for your date.
Journey times
From Cannes Mandelieu by road
| To | Quiet roads | Busy periods |
|---|---|---|
| Cannes and the Croisette | 10 to 20 minutes | 25 to 45 minutes |
| Mougins | 15 to 25 minutes | 25 to 40 minutes |
| Antibes and Cap d'Antibes | 20 to 30 minutes | 35 to 60 minutes |
| Nice centre | 30 to 45 minutes | 50 to 80 minutes |
| Nice Cote d'Azur airport | 30 to 45 minutes | 50 to 80 minutes |
| Monaco | 45 to 70 minutes | 1 hour 20 to 2 hours |
| Saint Tropez | 1 hour 15 to 1 hour 45 | 2 hours to 2 hours 45 |
Realistic ranges, not promises. Mandelieu sits west of Cannes, which makes it the quickest arrival for Cannes itself and for Saint Tropez, and the slowest for Monaco.
Who can use it
The weight limit decides everything
Light and midsize jets use Mandelieu comfortably. Large cabin aircraft do not: a Global or a big Gulfstream is well over the 35 tonne limit and goes to Nice instead. The runway is short by business jet standards at around 1,610 metres, so even an aircraft inside the weight limit can be constrained on a hot afternoon with a full cabin and full tanks. This is a question for your operator, and the honest answer sometimes comes back as a reduced fuel load and a technical stop.
If the aircraft does fit, the prize is real. You are ten to twenty minutes from the Croisette instead of an hour in A8 traffic, and in the middle of May that hour is worth a great deal. Through the high season, roughly the middle of May to the middle of September, the field requires slots and prior permission for arrival, departure and parking, so nothing here is a decision to make on the morning.
Operating reality
What your flight department will be working with
Short field, daylight hours and a neighbourhood that notices aircraft noise.
- Maximum take off weight of 35 tonnes for jets and 22 tonnes for turboprops. There is no discretion in it
- The main runway is around 1,610 metres. Performance on a warm day is a real planning factor, not a formality
- No night operation. The field closes around sunset, which in December means a mid afternoon deadline and in July a late evening one
- In the high season, from around the middle of May to the middle of September, slots and prior permission are required for arrival, departure and parking
- Noise sensitive approaches over the coast and the Esterel. Published procedures are followed closely
- If the aircraft cannot use Mandelieu, the plan is Nice plus a thirty to forty five minute drive, which we quote alongside it so you can compare properly
Onward
Where Mandelieu passengers go next
Events and harbours
Aircraft and services
Request a quote
Tell us the aircraft
Aircraft type matters more here than anywhere else on the coast. Give us the type, the date and time, the handler, passengers and luggage, and where you are going. We will quote the Mandelieu plan and the Nice alternative side by side. Nothing is booked or charged online.
Prefer to talk? +44 2030 048300 or WhatsApp, at any hour.
Questions people ask
About Cannes Mandelieu
Will our aircraft be allowed in?
If it is a jet under 35 tonnes maximum take off weight, almost certainly. Above that, no. Turboprops are limited to 22 tonnes. Your operator will also check take off performance against the short runway for the day and the load.
Are these your own cars?
No. Our own fleet and our own chauffeurs are in London and Manchester. On the Riviera cars are arranged through operators we know, with one person at Odyssey managing the movement.
Can we land in the evening?
Only in daylight. The field closes around sunset, so in winter the practical deadline is mid afternoon. Late arrivals go to Nice.
Is it worth using instead of Nice?
For Cannes itself in a busy week, often yes: it saves an hour of coast road each way. For Monaco or Nice, no. Mandelieu is on the wrong side of Cannes for both.
What about film festival week?
Slots, prior permission and parking are all required in the high season, and the demand in May is the heaviest of the year. Ask early. See Cannes Film Festival.
Can you arrange the aircraft as well?
Yes, and we will tell you honestly whether the type you want can use this airport. See private jet charter.