Samedan. Ten minutes from St Moritz, and a long way above sea level.
Engadin Airport is one of the highest in Europe, ringed by three thousand metre peaks, with no runway lighting and no night operation. When it works it is the best arrival in the Alps. Planning it properly is the whole job.
The airport
Engadin Airport at a glance
- CodesSMV / LSZSAt Samedan in the Engadin valley, about ten minutes by road from St Moritz.
- ElevationAbout 1,707 metresRoughly 5,600 feet, among the highest airports in Europe, with mountains to 3,000 metres around it.
- RunwayAbout 1,800 metresOn the valley floor. There is no runway or approach lighting.
- Hours08:00 to 19:00 in summerIn winter, 08:00 until the end of evening civil twilight. Open 365 days a year, with no night operation.
Customs clearance is available throughout the airport's operating hours. Prior permission and specific flight plan arrangements apply, and parking is tightest over Christmas, New Year and the February racing weekends on the frozen lake.
Journey times
From Samedan by road
| To | Good conditions | Winter or snow |
|---|---|---|
| St Moritz | About 10 minutes | 15 to 25 minutes |
| Celerina | 5 to 10 minutes | 10 to 15 minutes |
| Pontresina | 10 to 15 minutes | 15 to 25 minutes |
| Sils Maria and Silvaplana | 20 to 30 minutes | 30 to 45 minutes |
| Zuoz and Madulain | 15 to 20 minutes | 20 to 35 minutes |
| Davos | 1 hour 15 to 1 hour 45 | 2 hours or more if a pass is closed |
| Zurich airport | 2 hours 30 to 3 hours | 3 hours 30 or more |
| Milan | 3 hours to 3 hours 30 | 4 hours or more |
Realistic ranges, not promises. Inside the Engadin the distances are short and the roads are well kept. Everything leaving the valley crosses a pass, and that is where winter decides your timings.
The qualification
Why the briefing is not a formality
Every pilot flying into Samedan must complete the airport's familiarisation briefing and pass its test before departure, and must carry the confirmation with the other flight documents. The qualification has a currency period of two years, so a crew who flew in the winter before last may no longer be valid. It is the first question to ask your operator, and it is asked far too late far too often.
The reasons are in the geography. The airport sits at around 5,600 feet in a valley surrounded by peaks to 3,000 metres. Thin air lengthens take off runs and flattens climb performance, which means an aircraft that carries eight people out of Farnborough may not carry eight people out of Samedan with full tanks. There is no runway or approach lighting, so operations are daylight only, and in December that means the day is effectively over by mid afternoon.
For a St Moritz arrival none of this is a reason to give up. The reward is a ten minute drive to the hotel instead of three hours from Zurich. It is a reason to plan the flight and the fallback in the same conversation, which is how we handle every Engadin trip.
Operating reality
What your flight department will be working with
The questions that decide whether this airport is actually available to you.
- Is the crew's Samedan briefing complete and still current? It expires, and proof must be carried on the flight
- What does the altitude do to our payload and runway performance on the day? Warm air at 5,600 feet is unforgiving, and the answer may be fewer passengers or a fuel stop
- What time does the airport close? Winter operations end with evening civil twilight, not at a fixed hour, so a slipping departure elsewhere can close the door here
- Where can the aircraft park? Christmas, New Year and the February racing weekends on the lake fill the apron, and repositioning is common
- What is the fallback? Zurich is the usual answer, with two and a half to three hours of road behind it. Occasionally clients plan a helicopter leg instead
- For the return, remember the day ends early in midwinter. Lunch, not dinner, is the last comfortable departure in December
Onward
Where Samedan passengers go next
Request a quote
Tell us the week
Hotel or chalet, dates, tail number or operator, passengers and the ski and bag count. We reply with a clear price, the transfer plan and the Zurich fallback costed alongside it. Nothing is booked or charged online.
Prefer to talk? +44 2030 048300 or WhatsApp, at any hour.
Questions people ask
About Samedan and St Moritz
Are these your own cars?
No. Our own fleet and our own chauffeurs are in London and Manchester. In the Engadin cars and helicopters are arranged through operators we know, and one person at Odyssey manages the whole movement.
How long is the drive into St Moritz?
About ten minutes in normal conditions, a little longer after heavy snow. It is the shortest airport to resort transfer our clients make anywhere in the Alps.
Can we arrive in the evening?
No. There is no night operation and no runway lighting, so the airport closes at dusk in winter. Evening arrivals go to Zurich and drive.
Why might our operator refuse Samedan?
Usually because the crew are not briefed and current for the airport, or because the altitude and the day's temperature make the take off performance unworkable with your passenger and fuel load.
Is Zurich a reasonable alternative?
Yes, and many clients plan it deliberately. It is two and a half to three hours of good road, and far less likely to be closed by weather. See Zurich.
Can you arrange the aircraft as well?
Yes, and we will ask about the crew's Samedan qualification before anything is confirmed. See private jet charter.
One contact, wherever you are