Cannes-Mandelieu: festival arrivals over the sea
A compact airport minutes from the Croisette, where the ramp fills with jets every May.
Cannes-Mandelieu: festival arrivals over the sea
Cannes-Mandelieu Airport · RWY 35
Why it is famous
Cannes–Mandelieu is a business-aviation airport a few minutes from the Croisette. Arrivals on runway 35 come in from the south over the Mediterranean, with the red Esterel hills to the west and Cannes to the east.
The jet-set angle
During the Cannes Film Festival, and for events such as the Monaco Grand Prix, demand spikes; the runway of about 5,300 feet and the apron limit the size of aircraft, so larger jets use Nice instead.
What to watch
- Open sea on final
- Cannes and the Croisette off the right wing
- The red rocks of the Esterel to the left
More legendary approaches
St Barts: the drop over the hill
Clear a ridge with a roundabout on top, dive for a runway barely 2,100 feet long and stop before the beach — one of the most famous landings in the world.
St Maarten: low over Maho Beach
The approach that made plane-spotting famous: a three-degree final that crosses Maho Beach moments before touchdown.
London City: the 5.5° dive past Canary Wharf
A glide path almost twice as steep as normal, between skyscrapers and the Thames — only specially approved aircraft may fly it.
Sources and credits
Imagery: NASA GIBS, with aerial photos from USGS, swisstopo, IGN and basemap.at where available · terrain © Mapterhorn (CC BY 4.0) · 3D aircraft models by Nick the Name and BlenderCommunityHead (CC BY 4.0) · 3D engine: CesiumJS.
- Cannes-Mandelieu: festival arrivals over the sea · Olivier Cleynen · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons