Quick Turn at Sion (LSGS)

What changes at Sion?

Sion sits at 1,582 feet in an alpine valley, and the aerodrome closes at the end of daylight—18:00 Zulu in summer, 19:00 Zulu in winter at the latest. Aerodrome administration runs from 05:00 Zulu April through September and 07:00 Zulu October through March; the FBOs staff from 07:00 to 20:00 local in the summer season and 08:00 to nightfall in winter. Anything outside those windows needs prior permission and puts services on request. Runway 07/25 runs 2,000 metres; a parallel grass strip is present but irrelevant to turbine operations.

Two handling agents are present at the airport: Signature Flight Support operates an FBO with a 67,200-square-foot hangar, on-site customs and immigration at Chemin Lambien 12; Alpinejet Handling at Route des Ronquoz 146 offers VIP reception and hangar storage for types up to 77,000 kilograms. Both can arrange airside escort and ramp access, which is controlled around the clock. Winter peaks bring ski-season traffic to Crans-Montana, Verbier, Zermatt and the other Valais resorts, so slots compress and the working day shortens. We plan every turnaround inside those daylight brackets, and if you are staging multiple legs we will coordinate recurring visits so the aircraft is clean before the next departure.

Why book a quick turn instead of waiting for a full detail?

A quick turn is not a substitute for a deep clean; it is a bridge between two. If the aircraft flew in this morning and departs again after lunch, a full wash-and-wax will overshoot your slot and leave passengers waiting. The turnaround service resets the cabin to passenger-ready—vacuum, galley bins emptied and restocked with your own supplies, lavatory serviced, trash out, surfaces wiped, scent neutralised—and takes care of the exterior areas that matter most for first impressions: nose, leading edges, the threshold around the airstair. We use a waterless process, so no GPU load for heating and no wait for the paint to dry in cold air.

Operators running charter programmes out of Sion during the ski season book quick turns on a recurring schedule: every turnaround, or every second rotation, depending on load and route. Flight departments staging through the Valais for a week will call for one mid-stay and a full detail on the way out. The service sits between your block time and the next departure, and we are off the ramp before you call for pushback.

How does airside access work with the handler?

Ramp access at Sion is controlled: 24-hour surveillance, secure entry via the FBO, and airport identity cards require a police record extract. We hold current airside credentials and coordinate every job through the handling agent on your booking—Signature or Alpinejet—so there is no delay and no surprise invoice for escort fees. The handler expects a phone call or email at least two hours before the aircraft lands, confirming the service, the stand assignment and whether you need us to bring supplies or use stock from the cabin.

If you are scheduling recurring work—say, every Monday and Thursday for a month of ski shuttles—we file a standing request with the FBO so the handler knows we are coming and the gate is ready. One-off turnarounds need the same lead time but are easier to slot if you give us the registration, arrival time and next departure when you first call. Alpinejet and Signature both offer hangar space for visiting aircraft up to A320-size, and if weather is marginal we can move the detail inside; the handler will quote hangarage separately, and we adjust our schedule to match the tow.

What does alpine climate do to the aircraft between legs?

Sion is a valley field, and winter mornings bring frost; summer afternoons bring dust blown up from the Rhône plain and pollen from the lower slopes. Even a short sit on the ramp will leave a film on the nose, the windscreen and the leading edges of the wing and tail. If the aircraft is cold-soaked from a descent and then parked in sunshine, condensation can bead on the paint and dry to water spots. Skis, boots and road salt tracked into the cabin during the winter peak leave grit in the carpet and salt residue on the galley floor.

A quick turn removes the visible layer before it bakes onto the paint or gets ground into the cabin. We wipe the exterior with a no-scratch waterless solution that lifts dust and light ice residue without a rinse, and we vacuum the cabin to pull grit from the pile before it migrates into seat tracks or the galley. The service does not replace a decon wash after a de-icing event or a single-stage polish to restore gloss, but it keeps the aircraft looking cared-for between deeper interventions and prevents the small problems that become expensive ones if left alone.

Can you turn the cabin while passengers wait in the FBO?

Yes. Both Signature and Alpinejet offer VIP lounges, and if your passengers are stopping for lunch or waiting for a connecting car to the resorts, we can reset the cabin while they are inside. The handler will ask whether you want the aircraft to remain on GPU or if you prefer us to work unpowered; we carry battery lighting and can manage either way, though GPU makes winter work faster because we do not lose heat through the open door.

If the turnaround is very tight—say, forty-five minutes between block-in and the next departure—we will board as soon as the last passenger is off and finish before the next group arrives at the airstair. The handler coordinates the sequence: fuel first or detail first, depending on load and whether you need to reposition the aircraft. We have done back-to-back turns on the same stand all winter, and the rhythm is straightforward once the FBO knows the pattern.

What do you need from us to book a quick turn at Sion?

Registration, aircraft type, arrival and departure times, and which handler you are using—Signature or Alpinejet. If you have specific galley supplies you want us to restock, let us know; otherwise we empty the bins, wipe the surfaces and leave the compartments ready for your catering load. If you want us to bring cabin scent or use a product you have on board, say so when you book. We will ask for a mobile number so we can confirm stand assignment and GPU availability once you are on the ground.

For recurring work—weekly or twice-weekly through the season—we will propose a standing schedule and file it with the FBO so the handler expects us and the ramp is ready. You can cancel or reschedule by phone or email up to two hours before the aircraft lands, and if weather or slot changes push your arrival we will adjust. One-off turnarounds are just as simple: call or email with the details, and we will confirm availability and price within the hour. No long forms, no back-and-forth; we have done this at alpine fields for years, and we know what the handler needs to hear.