In Cannes, the price doesn’t just follow distance; it follows the calendar and platform pressure. Mandelieu has only one FBO (Sky Valet) and a main runway of 1,540m: when the airport is coordinated, slots are negotiated, and parking becomes scarce.
Key periods to anticipate. The Cannes Film Festival (mid-May) is the absolute peak: Mandelieu is under COHOR coordination, aircraft drop off passengers then reposition to Nice or Marseille while awaiting their return. This is a repositioning flight integrated into the quote, not discovered afterward. MIPIM (March, international real estate) and MIPCOM (October, international audiovisual) create two other short but significant business peaks. The Cannes Yachting Festival (early September, Europe’s premier in-water boat show) attracts clients who arrive to board directly.
The night curfew. The airport closes for operations at 10 PM (local time), with no exceptions outside of emergencies. A late arrival or departure before 6 AM will be rerouted to Nice, which is open H24. This is anticipated at the time of booking, not on the day of travel.
Parking, the real driver. During high season and events, parking spaces at Mandelieu are limited. The aircraft may need to reposition after drop-off: this cost is systematically included in the quote. Outside of events, parking is flexible, and slots are readily available.
One fact guides aircraft choice: if your jet exceeds 35t MTOW, Nice is mandatory. We indicate this from the first exchange.