Sometimes, opulence is not just about the biggest car, the fastest yacht, or the best restaurants. Sometimes, it is all about accessibility. Accessibility to places closed to the public, access to experiences restricted to the public, etc.
In this article, we will look at some airports and destinations that are closed to the general public. But that is not all we will be discussing. We will also look at some elements that other blog posts skip.
Therefore, without further ado, let us take a deep dive to look at some of the most remote places that are only available by private air charters.
Explaining The ‘Private Only’ Terminology
Before we start exploring places that you could only access with KSA private jets, let us define the term and look at what the ‘private only’ term actually means. Let’s go!
- No meaningful scheduled service. Think private airstrips linked to a lodge or island. Hence, a charter or a helicopter is the plan, not the backup.
- Minimal STOL service, but not for jets. A Twin Otter or Caravan pops in, but your midsize jet won’t. You still charter, but you pick the right aircraft (or mix modes).
- Commercially reachable inefficiently. The airport exists, yet runway or terrain makes airline ops rare, seasonal, or weather‑fragile. Private charter closes the time gap and serviceability lapses.
Destinations Perfect For Private Charter
Sometimes, reaching a place is all the adventure you need. Therefore, here is a brief rundown of some of the most remote places reachable only by private jet. Before we begin, we would like to clarify that this is not a ranking list. This is an informative list. Therefore, follow along:
Courchevel Altiport (LFLJ/CVF), France
A steep, ultra‑short runway with 537 meters in length and 18.6% gradient makes Courchevel legendary and incompatible with standard airliners. The usual play is to reach Geneva or Lyon, then charter a specialized turboprop or light aircraft to LFLJ. The difference is not just comfort, it’s arriving in the resort bubble.
St. Barths (SBH), Caribbean
The famous approach drops you over a ridge to a short strip that ends near the water. Commercial long‑hauls don’t land here. Typical routing is airline to St. Maarten (SXM), then a short charter hop (Caravan/PC‑12) into SBH. If “time to toes‑in‑sand” matters, this last leg by private charter is the magic piece.
Saba (SAB/TNCS), Caribbean
At 1,312 ft, Saba’s strip is essentially a precision platform edged by cliffs. There is limited scheduled STOL service, but jets can’t land here. Private access means turboprops/helicopters, and meticulous weight planning. The point stands: if you want Saba on your own schedule, you charter small and plan tight.
Telluride (TEX), Colorado
Perched at 9,070 ft and ringed by peaks, TEX has the drama and the weather to match. Airlines often punt to Montrose; private charters land you at TEX when conditions allow or pivot you quickly when they don’t. For powder chasers, that agility beats betting your week on one thin commercial schedule.
Lady Elliot Island (Australia)
A grass strip 1,755 ft; no scheduled jet service; charters and STOL types are the way in. That’s the pattern across many reef/island airstrips: the runway exists for small aircraft with short‑field chops, not Boeings.
Tetiaroa (French Polynesia) & Sossusvlei (Namibia)
Private atolls and desert reserves often maintain their own airstrips and aviation partners. There’s no airline “workaround” that gets you anywhere close; the experience is built on charter. It’s logistics as a luxury: you’re airborne, you land, you’re there.
Truths That Most Miss
Hiring a private charter is not the end of it; there are other aspects as well. Here are some truths that most listicles miss:
- Pick your stage‑point wisely
- Season and wind matter.
- Pack with performance in mind.
- Accept the occasional two‑aircraft solution.
Access Is The Real Luxury
In these places, private charter isn’t a status symbol; it’s a key. A key that turns time lost in layovers into time actually there. The trick is matching destination, runway, season, and aircraft, then flying a plan that respects physics and rewards you with proximity.
Pick the right stage‑point, the right final leg, the right day. The rest of the world can keep chasing connections. You’ll be landing where the island begins, and the mountain starts. In short, sometimes, luxury is in the quiet access rather than the opulence of it.
