The short answer
Helicopter charter County Down uses Ards Aerodrome at Newtownards, open 09:00 to 17:00 by prior permission, with Belfast City Airport 6.7 nautical miles away. Glasgow is about 45 to 55 minutes by helicopter and Liverpool about 55 to 70, with no road alternative. The runway is short and narrow, so helicopters and small aircraft only. Send your date and weights for a quote.
Flying from County Down? Tell us where and when; we reply with options and a price for the whole aircraft.
Key facts
- Main site
- Newtownards Airport (Ards Aerodrome, EGAD), Portaferry Road, Newtownards, 790 m by 18 m runway, visual only
- Hours (checked 29 Sep 2026)
- Open seven days a week 09:00 to 17:00, and by arrangement
- Permission
- Prior permission for every visiting aircraft
- Larger aircraft
- George Best Belfast City Airport, 6.7 nautical miles; Belfast International, 18.8 nautical miles
- Newtownards to Glasgow
- Helicopter about 45 to 55 minutes; no road link
- Newtownards to Liverpool
- Helicopter about 55 to 70 minutes; no road link
- Newtownards to Manchester
- Helicopter about 65 to 80 minutes; no road link
Where County Down flights start and end
The map shows Newtownards Airport and the other sites that serve County Down, with range rings and the nearest cities. Pins with a page of their own are links.
The map draws a satellite picture, so it needs JavaScript and an internet connection. Newtownards Airport is at Ards Aerodrome, 61 Portaferry Road, Newtownards, County Down. Open it in Google Maps.
Newtownards Airport (Ards Aerodrome)
Choose a place
Hover, or tap, a pin for the details
Sites that serve County Down
Hours, permission and customs are the airport's or site's published information, checked 29 Sept 2026. We arrange permission and confirm times with your booking.
Newtownards Airport (Ards Aerodrome) EGAD
- Address
- Ards Aerodrome, 61 Portaferry Road, Newtownards, County Down
- Hours as published (checked 29 Sept 2026)
- Open 7 days a week 09:00–17:00; and by arrangement
- Permission
- Prior permission required (PPR): we arrange it with your flight
- Customs
- By arrangement / prior notice
- Runway
- 03/21 – 790 m × 18 m asphalt; two shorter asphalt runways
Official websiteOpen in Google Maps
George Best Belfast City Airport EGAC / BHD
- Address
- Belfast City Airport, Sydenham Bypass, Belfast
- Hours as published (checked 29 Sept 2026)
Airfield 06:30–21:30 daily (extended to 23:59 only in exceptional circumstances for delayed aircraft); terminal from…
Airfield 06:30–21:30 daily (extended to 23:59 only in exceptional circumstances for delayed aircraft); terminal from 05:30. Positioning and non-scheduled flights are not accepted after 21:30.- Permission
- No PPR published; we still confirm before you fly
- Customs
- By arrangement / prior notice
- Runway
- 04/22 – 1,829 m × 45 m asphalt (grooved)
Helicopter charter BelfastOfficial websiteOpen in Google Maps
Why County Down needs its own page
Helicopter charter County Down is a different job from Belfast. The county is wide, with Strangford Lough, the Ards Peninsula, the town of Newcastle and the Mourne Mountains, and the best landing for a client is often not the city airport. Ards Aerodrome, on the Portaferry Road at Newtownards, puts you on the edge of Strangford Lough and 6.7 nautical miles from Belfast City, which is the airport to use if the aircraft or the passengers need more runway or customs facilities.
Charter-A Helicopter is the helicopter charter service of Charter-A Ltd, which has arranged private flights across the UK and Europe since 2011. Our Belfast page covers the two city airports in detail; this page is for the county around them.
Journey times from Newtownards Airport
The nearest places first, with the helicopter time against the car, taken from our route data.
| To | Distance | Helicopter | By road | Typical saving |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glasgow | 89 nm (102 mi) | 45 to 55 min | No road link | Not applicable |
| Edinburgh | 114 nm (131 mi) | 55 to 65 min | No road link | Not applicable |
| Aintree Racecourse | 117 nm (135 mi) | 55 to 65 min | No road link | Not applicable |
| Liverpool | 125 nm (144 mi) | 55 to 70 min | No road link | Not applicable |
| Newcastle | 141 nm (162 mi) | 65 to 80 min | No road link | Not applicable |
| Manchester | 141 nm (163 mi) | 65 to 80 min | No road link | Not applicable |
| Leeds | 148 nm (170 mi) | 65 to 85 min | No road link | Not applicable |
| York Racecourse | 166 nm (190 mi) | 75 to 90 min | No road link | Not applicable |
| Birmingham | 190 nm (219 mi) | 85 to 105 min | No road link | Not applicable |
| Cheltenham Racecourse | 206 nm (237 mi) | 90 to 110 min | No road link | Not applicable |
| Cardiff | 209 nm (241 mi) | 90 to 115 min | No road link | Not applicable |
| Bristol | 220 nm (253 mi) | 1 h 35 min to 2 h | No road link | Not applicable |
| Silverstone | 225 nm (259 mi) | 1 h 35 min to 2 h | No road link | Not applicable |
| Oxford | 228 nm (262 mi) | 1 h 40 min to 2 h | No road link | Not applicable |
Times from George Best Belfast City Airport
| To | Distance | Helicopter | By road | Typical saving |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glasgow | 90 nm (104 mi) | 45 to 55 min | No road link | Not applicable |
| Edinburgh | 117 nm (135 mi) | 55 to 65 min | No road link | Not applicable |
| Aintree Racecourse | 124 nm (142 mi) | 55 to 70 min | No road link | Not applicable |
| Liverpool | 132 nm (152 mi) | 60 to 75 min | No road link | Not applicable |
| Newcastle | 147 nm (169 mi) | 65 to 80 min | No road link | Not applicable |
| Manchester | 148 nm (170 mi) | 65 to 85 min | No road link | Not applicable |
| Leeds | 155 nm (178 mi) | 70 to 85 min | No road link | Not applicable |
| York Racecourse | 172 nm (198 mi) | 75 to 95 min | No road link | Not applicable |
| Birmingham | 196 nm (226 mi) | 85 to 105 min | No road link | Not applicable |
| Cheltenham Racecourse | 212 nm (244 mi) | 90 to 115 min | No road link | Not applicable |
| Cardiff | 214 nm (246 mi) | 95 to 115 min | No road link | Not applicable |
| Bristol | 225 nm (259 mi) | 1 h 35 min to 2 h | No road link | Not applicable |
| Silverstone | 231 nm (266 mi) | 1 h 40 min to 2 h 05 min | No road link | Not applicable |
| Oxford | 234 nm (269 mi) | 1 h 40 min to 2 h 05 min | No road link | Not applicable |
Helicopter figures are typical block times: distance at 135 knots plus 8 minutes, shown as a range. Road figures are free-flowing road times, a floor that real journeys rarely beat. Distances are in a straight line. Figures from our UK route data, checked 29 Sep 2026.
Ards Aerodrome: what it can take
The main runway at Ards is 790 metres long and 18 metres wide, with two shorter asphalt runways, and the aerodrome is visual-only. That suits helicopters and small air-taxi aircraft of the Islander and PC-12 class, but not jets and not larger turboprops. Prior permission is required for every visit, and it is open seven days a week from 09:00 to 17:00 and by arrangement. We confirm it for your date.
For anything heavier, or an international arrival, use George Best Belfast City Airport, 6.7 nautical miles away, or Belfast International, 18.8 nautical miles. We choose the right one when we quote.
Times to Great Britain
From Newtownards, Glasgow is about 45 to 55 minutes by helicopter, Edinburgh about 55 to 65, Liverpool and Aintree about 55 to 70, Newcastle and Manchester about 65 to 80 and Birmingham about 85 to 105. Cheltenham is about 90 to 110 minutes, Cardiff 90 to 115, Bristol 95 to 120 and Silverstone 95 to 120. Our data has no car time for any of these, because they cross the Irish Sea.
That makes the helicopter a direct competitor to the ferry and the scheduled flight for a small group with a fixed appointment. See helicopter charter Liverpool and Glasgow for the mainland ends, and Silverstone for a motorsport weekend.
Golf, estates and business in the county
County Down is serious golf country, with Royal County Down at Newcastle among the best-known links courses in the world. Corporate golf days, estate lunches and client entertaining are the common reasons to charter. Our golf by helicopter page and business helicopter charter page explain the planning. Landing at a golf club, hotel or estate is subject to landing permission and site suitability, and we agree it first.
Arrive 10 minutes before departure, supply weights and use soft bags. We watch the forecast on the day before and on the morning. If the flight is cancelled because of the weather, you pay nothing. The Northern Ireland region page and the airfield directory give the wider picture.
Nearby airfields and heliports
Other sites close to Newtownards Airport, with the distance in nautical miles. Chips with a link open that site's own page.
Frequently asked questions
Where do helicopters land in County Down?
Ards Aerodrome at Newtownards is the main site for helicopters. Belfast City Airport, 6.7 nautical miles away, takes larger aircraft.
Can a jet land at Newtownards?
No. The runway is 790 metres and visual-only, so it suits helicopters and small air-taxi aircraft. Jets use Belfast City or Belfast International.
How long is a helicopter from Newtownards to Glasgow?
About 45 to 55 minutes, and there is no car time because of the sea crossing.
Can you land at a golf club or estate?
Often, subject to landing permission and site suitability. We ask the owner first.
What if the weather cancels the flight?
If the flight is cancelled because of the weather, you pay nothing.
