UK heliports and airfields where charter helicopters land

Key points

• The right site is the nearest suitable one to your real destination, taking permission, hours and weather into account.
• London has one central heliport at Battersea and a ring of airfields around the capital.
• Outside London, regional airports and airfields serve every major city, and we use private sites where permitted.
• Opening hours and permission rules change, so we confirm them for your date rather than relying on a list.
• Our directory of UK heliports and airfields holds the verified details.

What are the main sites around London?

In central London, the London Heliport at Battersea on the Thames is the heart of the helicopter network. Battersea Helicopter explains it in full, and we cover it on our Battersea page. Around the capital are the airfields and airports we use: Redhill in Surrey, where Charter-A has its head office, Biggin Hill, Elstree, Denham, Farnborough and Blackbushe, as well as the major airports at Heathrow and Gatwick.

Each has its own character. Some are staffed, some are general aviation airfields with a friendly pace, and some are major airports with specific rules for helicopters. We choose the one that gives the best connection to your real destination.

What about the south, the Cotswolds and the South West?

Along the south coast and into the South West we use sites such as Southampton, Bournemouth, Goodwood, Exeter, Newquay and Penzance. In the Cotswolds and Thames Valley, Oxford and Cheltenham are the natural starting points, with country houses and hotels reached by private landing where permitted. See south coast and South West England.

What about the Midlands, the North and Scotland?

Each major city has an airport or airfield we use: Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Newcastle, Edinburgh and Glasgow, plus Aberdeen, a long-standing centre of helicopter activity serving the North Sea. Our regional hubs, England North, Midlands and East and Scotland, list the rest.

Remember that a site is only part of the picture: the road from the landing point to your final door can take longer than the flight, which is why we look at the whole journey. Distances between these cities suit helicopters well. For example, our route data gives Birmingham to Manchester as 30 to 35 minutes, Edinburgh to Glasgow as 20 to 25 minutes, and Manchester to York as 30 to 35 minutes, each far shorter than the road.

What about islands, Wales and Northern Ireland?

We cover Jersey, Guernsey, the Isles of Scilly, the Isle of Man, Cardiff and Belfast. Island and sea crossings favour twin-engine aircraft, and every helicopter in our fleet is twin-engine. The regional hub Wales, Northern Ireland and the islands brings them together.

How do hours, permission and noise rules affect the choice?

The choice among UK heliports and airfields is rarely about the aircraft alone. Hours matter: an airfield that closes at a set time cannot take a late return. Permission matters: some sites need prior permission, and a request made late can fail. Noise rules matter: some sites limit movements or set quiet hours, especially close to housing.

Weather also differs from site to site. A coastal airfield can have low cloud when a site ten miles inland is clear, and hills create their own conditions. When we plan a flight we look at the weather at both ends and the route, and where it is marginal we choose the site with the better options.

Charges differ too: landing, parking and handling fees vary, and they are part of the fully inclusive quote. We do not list them here because they change. If a particular site matters to you for a reason, such as a business park nearby or a hotel on the road, tell us, and we will check whether it works. Many of the sites also have a page of their own on this website, with the details we hold, and each region page links to the closest. The London and Home Counties page is a good place to start for the south-east.

Check our weather guide and the landing sites explained article for more on how the site affects the plan.

How is this guide kept up to date?

Sites change. Hours move, permission rules tighten, an airfield closes or a heliport relocates. We keep a verified record of each site we use, built from published information and our own flights, and we flag anything we cannot confirm. Where a site's status is uncertain, we say so on its page and check again before we promise a landing. For this reason we do not quote opening hours in this guide, and we confirm them for your date. If you notice something that looks out of date, tell us.

How do I choose between sites?

Ask four questions. How close is the site to your destination? Is it open at your time? Does it need prior permission? What does the weather do there? Then add the ground side: how long is the car, and who arranges it? Our sister service Executive Global Travel provides cars to and from any of these sites.

You do not have to do this alone. Request a quote and tell us where you want to be. We recommend the site and handle the permission. For the differences between kinds of site, see helipad vs landing site vs airfield.