La Clusaz Altisurface

The primary catalyst for the closure was a fatal accident on August 1, 1999. During a landing attempt, the aircraft carrying renowned French aviator Gérard Feldzer and co-pilot Anne-Sophie Vandamme crashed, resulting in the death of the co-pilot. This event highlighted the significant risks associated with this particularly challenging mountain airstrip. The subsequent investigation and heightened liability concerns for the local municipality led to the decision to permanently close the altisurface to all air traffic.

The site has been fully returned to its natural state. The former runway area is no longer distinguishable from the surrounding landscape and is now used as an alpine pasture for grazing cattle during the summer. The location, being on the scenic Col des Aravis, is a popular spot for tourists, hikers, and cyclists. There is no remaining aviation infrastructure, and the land is used for agriculture and recreation.

The airfield was more commonly known as the 'Altisurface du Col des Aravis'. It was a classic, high-altitude mountain airstrip located on a mountain pass, renowned within the European mountain flying community. Its operations were exclusively for light, STOL (Short Takeoff and Landing) capable aircraft, typically flown by pilots holding a special 'mountain rating' (qualification de montagne). The altisurface was used for recreational and tourist purposes, offering breathtaking scenic flights over the Aravis mountain range, with views of Mont Blanc. Its short, sloped, unpaved runway and the unpredictable weather conditions of the high Alps made it a symbol of the adventurous and highly skilled nature of alpine aviation.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening the altisurface. Given the definitive nature of its closure following a fatal accident, the significant safety and liability issues, and the environmental sensitivity of the alpine location, a reopening is considered extremely improbable.