St Moritz hosts the most exclusive winter calendar in Europe — White Turf horse racing on the frozen lake, the Snow Polo World Cup, and the Cresta Run season — with arrivals managed at Samedan, the highest airport in Europe.
White Turf has run on the frozen Lake St Moritz since 1907 and remains the only horse racing event held on a frozen lake in Europe. The three race Sundays in February anchor the wider Engadine winter calendar, which includes the Snow Polo World Cup and the long-running Cresta Run toboggan season.
For private aviation, the period from late January through mid-February draws a concentrated UK, European, and Gulf clientele to Samedan — Europe's highest airport at 5,600 feet, which sits about 15 minutes by road from St Moritz village.
White Turf and Snow Polo are tightly Engadine clientele — UK private banking and family-office, Italian winter-sports and lifestyle clients, German and Austrian corporate hospitality, and a smaller but growing Gulf and US presence. Most flights arrive Friday to Saturday for a Sunday race or polo final and depart Monday morning.
The Engadine has limited hotel inventory at the very top end (Badrutt's Palace, Carlton, Suvretta House, Kulm) so booking happens early — and the aviation arrangements are usually slotted in alongside the hotel and hospitality booking rather than after.
Primary London origin. Strong availability of light and midsize jets cleared for the Samedan approach.
Direct access from central, south, and east London. Suits light jets used by most White Turf clients.
Used for larger groups and midsize aircraft.
Significant inbound traffic from Milan — short hop, popular with Italian clients.
Europe's highest airport at 5,600ft, set inside an Alpine valley and surrounded by terrain. Single instrument approach, slot-controlled in winter, requires current operator and crew approvals. The default arrival point.
Used as an alternate when Samedan weather forces a diversion. Onward road transfer to St Moritz takes approximately 3 hours.
Used when Samedan and Lugano both close, particularly in poor visibility. Onward road or train transfer is 4–5 hours.
e.g. Pilatus PC-24, Phenom 300, Citation CJ4
The default for Samedan. Pilatus PC-24 is particularly common — purpose-built for short, high-altitude runways. Operator must hold current Samedan approval.
e.g. Citation XLS+, Praetor 500
Used by some operators with current Samedan currency. Performance margins are tighter — confirm aircraft and crew compatibility at quote.
e.g. Pilatus PC-12, King Air 350
Frequently used as a relief option when Samedan jet slots are full or weather is marginal. Slower but more flexible operationally.
Block time London to Samedan is approximately 1h 50m; Milan Linate to Samedan is around 35 minutes. Door-to-door London to St Moritz village is typically 3.5 to 4 hours. Onward road transfer Samedan to St Moritz is 15 minutes.
Concentrated late January through mid-February. The three White Turf Sundays drive the highest demand; Snow Polo (late January) overlaps with the early end of White Turf. Christmas and New Year see a separate peak that books out months ahead.
Samedan is the most operationally specialised airport in European business aviation. The 5,600ft elevation and surrounding terrain materially reduce aircraft performance margins, the single instrument approach is weather-sensitive, and slot allocation is tight on event Sundays. We use only operators with current Samedan approval and recent crew experience. Diversions to Lugano or Zurich are not unusual — clients should plan onward road transfer flexibility.
Samedan and Lugano produce reliable Sunday evening empty legs back to London during White Turf weekends. Eastbound empty legs are less common but occasionally appear at the start of the Engadine season.
Samedan is a route where operator and crew currency materially affect whether the trip happens at all. We use Samedan-current operators only, plan diversion options before they're needed, and coordinate with the leading Engadine hotels for ground transfer. We have arranged White Turf charter every winter for over a decade.
Six to ten weeks ahead of the chosen race Sunday. Samedan slot allocation tightens early in the season; later bookings limit aircraft choice and can force a Lugano arrival.
Light jets cleared for high-altitude short-runway operations — Pilatus PC-24, Phenom 300, and select Citation models — plus a range of turboprops. Operator and crew must hold current Samedan approvals.
You can fly direct to Samedan, which is 15 minutes by road from St Moritz village. There is no airport in St Moritz itself.
Samedan can close at short notice in winter weather. We pre-plan Lugano or Zurich as alternates with onward ground transfer (3–5 hours) and communicate the back-up plan early. Operator selection and weather monitoring are central to White Turf charter.
A light jet round-trip from London during a White Turf weekend typically runs £20,000–£30,000. Samedan-current operators command a premium given the limited supply.