Costa Smeralda by Private Jet: Olbia in August

In August the Costa Smeralda draws business jets from all over Europe, and almost all of them land at Olbia. The airport has a long runway, a dedicated general aviation terminal and a drive of well under an hour to Porto Cervo, so getting in is rarely the problem. The planning goes into slots, a place to park the aircraft and the last miles to the villa or the yacht.

Olbia Costa Smeralda

Olbia (LIEO) sits on the north-east coast of Sardinia, at 37 ft (11 m) above sea level. Following its extension, the runway, 05/23, has a total length of about 2,740 m (roughly 9,000 ft), enough for any business jet. Private passengers use a dedicated general aviation terminal run by a company owned by the airport operator, with its own lounges and handling, so the main terminal and its summer crowds stay out of the picture. The FBO explainer sets out what such a terminal does for passengers, crew and aircraft.

The August peak

The season builds from June. The weeks from mid-July to the third week of August are the tightest, with Ferragosto, the Italian holiday on 15 August, at their centre. The pressure is on slots and parking rather than on the runway:

• Prior permission is required, and parking is never guaranteed in high summer. Request it as early as the handler allows and reconfirm it in the week of travel.
• Slot availability tightens in the peak weeks. Once the schedule is confirmed, treat it as fixed; a late change can mean a different slot, or none.
• Cars, helicopters and parking are booked weeks ahead in August, so the ground arrangements need the same lead time as the flight.

Olbia is generally the easier of Sardinia's airports for parking, and handlers often reposition aircraft here when other Sardinian airports are full. In August even Olbia can run out of room. Then the aircraft drops its passengers and repositions to Alghero (LIEA) on the north-west coast, which has a 3,000 m runway, or to the Italian mainland, and the positioning legs are added to the bill.

The last miles to Porto Cervo

Porto Cervo is about 30 km north of the airport. By car, allow around 35 minutes on a quiet day and 50 minutes or more in August traffic. A helicopter covers the distance in a few minutes, useful for guests heading to a villa with its own approved landing site or a yacht with a helideck. For most yacht guests, the simplest arrangement is a car to the marina and a tender from the quay.

The helicopter or car tool compares the two door to door, and the helicopter transfer explainer covers landing sites, baggage limits and weather.

Yachts and changing plans

Much of the Costa Smeralda's August traffic is linked to yachts, and yacht plans move. A charter guest whose boat changes anchorage, or a group that decides to spend two more days at sea, can turn a confirmed pick-up into a new slot request. A few habits help:

• Agree a pick-up window with the captain and the operator, rather than a single time, and tell the handler early if it shifts.
• Keep passports and luggage details with the operator before the trip, so a schedule change does not hold up the paperwork.
• If the jet will wait several days, ask whether parking at Olbia or a positioning flight to Alghero or the mainland works out cheaper. The charter cost estimator gives an indicative band for the sectors.

Timing advice

If the dates are flexible, arriving in early July or leaving after the third week of August makes slots and parking noticeably easier. Within the peak, an early-morning arrival gives the most margin for the transfer and the yacht tender, and a departure booked well ahead of the end of a holiday week avoids the rush of aircraft leaving at the same time. For combined trips along the coast, a turboprop or a light jet for the short sectors avoids moving a large-cabin aircraft in and out of busy ramps.

Questions

Does Olbia airport have a private jet terminal?

Yes. Olbia has a dedicated general aviation terminal, run by a company owned by the airport operator, with its own lounges and handling. Private passengers do not pass through the main passenger terminal.

How long is the transfer from Olbia airport to Porto Cervo?

Porto Cervo is about 30 km away, around 35 minutes by car on a quiet day and 50 minutes or more in August traffic. A helicopter covers the distance in a few minutes, landing at an approved site or on a yacht helideck.

Can I park a private jet at Olbia in August?

Sometimes, but not reliably. Prior permission is required and parking is limited at the peak, so operators often plan a drop and go and reposition the aircraft to Alghero or the Italian mainland until the return flight.

Figures checked 19 October 2026. Prices are indicative and never a quote. Seen something out of date? Tell the editors.