A passenger stepping off a scheduled flight at Merignac often needs much longer to get out: shuttle, security, baggage reclaim. A passenger stepping off a private jet needs a few minutes. The airport says so itself: the business aviation terminal offers direct access to the apron, with no mandatory security screening.
That single sentence changes the whole pick-up. With a scheduled flight, the chauffeur has a margin. With a jet, he has none: if the car is not there when the door opens, the passenger is the one waiting on the car park, and that is precisely what he paid to avoid.
- Where a private jet actually lands in Bordeaux
- What skipping security screening changes
- How we set the time without public flight tracking
- Vehicle, luggage and discretion
- Staying available throughout the stay
- Frequently asked questions
Where a private jet actually lands in Bordeaux
Bordeaux Merignac is LFBD in ICAO code, BOD in IATA code. The airport is open 24 hours a day and has two runways: one of 3,100 metres with ILS category III, one of 2,145 metres with ILS category I.
In plain terms, the length limits no business aircraft. And category III allows landings in very poor visibility, which matters on a foggy January morning.
The aircraft itself does not park in front of Hall A or Hall B. It heads for the general aviation area, on the other side of the airfield, where the business terminal stands.
That terminal is operated by AviaVIP, at Rue Caroline Aigle, 33700 Merignac, reachable on +33 5 40 54 97 95, open from 7am to 9pm with announced availability around the clock.
This geography is the first thing to understand: it is not the same address as the passenger terminals. A chauffeur sent “to the airport” with no further detail ends up outside departures, several minutes’ drive from the right building. If you want to know how those passenger halls work, we cover them in our guide to the Bordeaux airport terminals, Hall A, Hall B and Billi.
This is the number one cause of delay on this kind of pick-up, and it is entirely avoidable. The full list of services appears on the official on-demand air transport page of Bordeaux Airport, which also lists the charter operators referenced by the airfield.
What skipping security screening changes
The business terminal advertises a set of services you will not find on the scheduled side:
- Direct access to the apron, with no mandatory security screening: the passenger walks down the airstairs and into the building, or straight to the vehicle.
- Border control and tax refund available on request: for an arrival from outside the Schengen area, the formality is handled on site, not in the common queue.
- A VIP lounge and a dedicated crew lounge, with separate spaces for passengers and for flight crew.
- Parking reserved for VIP passengers and concierge services for catering and vehicle hire.
- A hangar taking a maximum wingspan of 17 metres and stands suited to every type of aircraft.
Side by side, the two worlds have little in common:
| Point | Business flight | Scheduled flight |
|---|---|---|
| Arrival point | Business terminal, general aviation area | Hall A and Hall B |
| Security screening | No mandatory screening | Mandatory |
| Border control | On site, on request | Shared terminal desk |
| Flight tracking | No public board | Flight number and arrivals board |
| Reception hours | 7am to 9pm, availability 24/7 | Terminal opening hours |
The practical consequence is simple. The gap between touchdown on the ground and the passenger walking out is counted in minutes, not in half hours. The whole transfer has to be built around that pace, not around the pace of a commercial flight.
One thing we will not describe here, for lack of a public source: the exact procedure for driving in and dropping off at the foot of the business terminal. It depends on the operator and on the instructions of the day. That is precisely why we call ahead, rather than assume.
How we set the time without public flight tracking
On a scheduled flight, we follow the flight number and adjust in real time, exactly as we do when a flight is delayed or cancelled at Merignac.
A business flight, however, does not appear on the airport’s arrivals board, and that is the single biggest change of method.
So we work from three pieces of information, asked for at booking:
- The aircraft registration and the expected arrival time, as given by the crew or the broker.
- The name of the ground handling operator, meaning whoever receives the aircraft in Bordeaux.
- A contact reachable on the day: the passenger, an assistant, or the crew.
With that, the chauffeur positions himself early and confirms the real time with ground handling before landing.
A jet that leaves twenty minutes early arrives twenty minutes early: there is no imposed slot as there is on a scheduled route. So the margin is taken on the right side, by arriving early.
If the schedule moves a long way, we apply the same rule as for our corporate clients: we warn you before the passenger notices. That logic is set out on our page about the private chauffeur for business travel in Bordeaux.
Vehicle, luggage and discretion
Three subjects come up on every mission of this kind, and all three are settled at booking.
The volume of luggage
A business jet carries few passengers, but often a lot of volume: a week of luggage, garment bags, professional equipment. Volume decides the vehicle, not the number of people.
Four passengers with eight bags do not travel in the same car as four passengers with four cabin cases. Tell us the detail and we propose the right category between the SUV, the people carrier and the van.
The real destination
Many private jet arrivals do not stop in Bordeaux. The city centre is about ten kilometres from the terminal, 20 to 30 minutes depending on traffic on the ring road.
But the destination is sometimes Arcachon Bay, the Atlantic coast, the Charente or the Basque Country. Distance changes the quote entirely: give us the exact address with your request, not just the town.
Discretion
No name board if it is not wanted, no comment on who is being driven, no photographs. That is our default rule, it does not need to be asked for.
Staying available throughout the stay
A private jet trip is rarely long: a day, sometimes two. In that format, a return transfer is not always the right answer.
An hourly booking often is: the chauffeur and the vehicle stay assigned to the group for a defined window, and destinations follow one another without a fresh booking each time.
We explain how that works on our page about hiring a private driver for the day in Bordeaux.
And if the stop in Bordeaux is short, between two flights, the principle does not change: the programme is built around the departure time, never the other way round.
Frequently asked questions
Where does the chauffeur wait for a private jet arrival in Bordeaux?
At the business aviation terminal, in the general aviation area, not outside the passenger halls. The exact spot is confirmed on the day with ground handling, because it depends on the instructions in force.
How long does it take to get out after landing?
A few minutes. The airport states direct access to the apron with no mandatory security screening. Border control, when it applies, is arranged on site on request.
Can a private flight be tracked like a scheduled one?
No. A business flight does not appear on the airport’s public arrivals boards. We confirm the real time with ground handling, from the aircraft registration and the contact given at booking.
How long does it take to reach the centre of Bordeaux?
About ten kilometres, 20 to 30 minutes depending on traffic. A run to Arcachon Bay, the Atlantic coast or the Basque Country obviously takes longer, and is quoted case by case.
Should you book a long time in advance?
The more unusual the hour, the more booking ahead secures the vehicle. A night arrival, or a very early morning one, is easier to set up the day before than within the hour.
A private jet arrival in Bordeaux comes down to one thing: the chauffeur has to be at the right building, before the door opens. The rest follows from three details given at booking, the registration, the ground operator and a contact who answers. Send us the date, the expected time and the destination address from the booking page, and we reply with the vehicle and the precise plan.