The short answer
Helicopter charter in Edinburgh runs from Edinburgh Airport at Ingliston, open 24 hours with customs on site and a dedicated business aviation centre. Glasgow is about 20 to 25 minutes by helicopter against about 1 hour 4 minutes by road. Send your date, weights and destination for a quote.
Flying from Edinburgh? Tell us where and when; we reply with options and a price for the whole aircraft.
Key facts
- Main site
- Edinburgh Airport (EGPH), Edinburgh EH12 9DN, 2,558 m runway, jet capable
- Hours (checked 29 Sep 2026)
- Airfield, air traffic, customs and immigration, handling, security and de-icing all 24 hours; business aviation centre 24 hours; fuelling 05:30 to 23:00 and outside that by arrangement
- Permission
- Prior permission with the handling agent; a handling agent is mandatory for every flight including helicopters, because of limited parking
- Customs
- On site, 24 hours
- Edinburgh to Glasgow
- Helicopter about 20 to 25 minutes; car about 1h04
- Edinburgh to Newcastle
- Helicopter about 40 to 50 minutes; car about 2h53
Where Edinburgh flights start and end
The map shows Edinburgh Airport, 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. Edinburgh Airport is at Edinburgh Airport, Edinburgh, Lothian EH12 9DN. Open it in Google Maps.
Edinburgh Airport
Choose a place
Hover, or tap, a pin for the details
Sites that serve Edinburgh
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.
Edinburgh Airport EGPH / EDI
- Address
- Edinburgh Airport, Edinburgh, Lothian EH12 9DN
- Hours as published (checked 29 Sept 2026)
H24 – AD administration, ATS, customs & immigration, security and de-icing all H24; Terminal Building H24; Business…
H24 – AD administration, ATS, customs & immigration, security and de-icing all H24; Terminal Building H24; Business Aviation Centre H24; 0530–2300 local, outside by prior arrangement with (UK AIP AD 2.3)- Permission
- Prior permission required (PPR): we arrange it with your flight
- Customs
- Yes – on site
- Runway
- 06/24 – 2,558 m × 45 m, asphalt (grooved), PCN 68
How helicopter charter works in Edinburgh
Helicopter charter Edinburgh starts with the same four facts as anywhere else: your date, your route, how many people are travelling and what each weighs. We match the helicopter, book the landing and give you a firm quote. Charter-A Helicopter is the helicopter charter service of Charter-A Ltd, which has arranged private flights across the UK and Europe since 2011.
Edinburgh Airport is the principal site. It is published as open 24 hours for air traffic, customs and immigration, handling, security and de-icing, and the business aviation centre runs round the clock too. Fuelling is 05:30 to 23:00, and outside those hours it is by prior arrangement with the handling agent. General aviation flights are exempt from the airline slot rules, but parking is limited, so every aircraft, helicopters included, is cleared in advance with a handling agent on the airfield. International passengers are taken to Border Force by the handling agent, and night noise limitations apply.
Journey times from Edinburgh 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 | 36 nm (41 mi) | 20 to 25 min | 1 h 04 min (51 mi) | 41 min |
| Newcastle | 79 nm (91 mi) | 40 to 50 min | 2 h 53 min (113 mi) | 2 h 08 min |
| Leeds | 138 nm (159 mi) | 65 to 80 min | 4 h 26 min (207 mi) | 3 h 13 min |
| York Racecourse | 144 nm (165 mi) | 65 to 80 min | 4 h 20 min (216 mi) | 3 h 07 min |
| Aintree Racecourse | 149 nm (172 mi) | 65 to 85 min | 4 h 15 min (219 mi) | 3 h |
| Liverpool | 158 nm (182 mi) | 70 to 90 min | 4 h 34 min (231 mi) | 3 h 14 min |
| Manchester | 161 nm (185 mi) | 70 to 90 min | 4 h 40 min (230 mi) | 3 h 20 min |
| Birmingham | 218 nm (250 mi) | 95 to 115 min | 5 h 52 min (305 mi) | 4 h 07 min |
| Cheltenham Racecourse | 247 nm (284 mi) | 1 h 45 min to 2 h 10 min | 6 h 25 min (338 mi) | 4 h 27 min |
| Silverstone | 247 nm (284 mi) | 1 h 45 min to 2 h 10 min | 6 h 44 min (354 mi) | 4 h 46 min |
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.
Edinburgh to Glasgow, Newcastle and England
Edinburgh to Glasgow is about 20 to 25 minutes by helicopter against 1 hour 4 minutes by road, which makes a Glasgow morning and an Edinburgh afternoon a realistic day; see Glasgow. Newcastle to Edinburgh is about 40 to 50 minutes against 2 hours 53 minutes by road. Aberdeen is about 40 to 50 minutes against 2 hours 26 minutes; see Aberdeen.
Further south, Leeds is about 65 to 80 minutes against 4 hours 26 minutes, Manchester about 70 to 90 minutes against 4 hours 40 minutes (on Manchester to Edinburgh) and Birmingham about 95 to 115 minutes against 5 hours 52 minutes. Those road times are free-flowing floors; real Scottish winter journeys are longer.
Business, golf and the Royal Highland Show
Edinburgh is a financial and legal centre, and a directors' day can span the capital, Glasgow and the east coast. Our business helicopter charter page explains how those days are built. The Royal Highland Centre sits next to the airport at Ingliston and hosts the Royal Highland Show, held in June; the next is announced for 17 to 20 June 2027, so check with the organiser for the final arrangements before relying on a date.
East Lothian has famous links golf, including Muirfield at Gullane, and Fife and Perthshire are within easy reach; see golf by helicopter for how those days work. Landing at a golf club, hotel or estate is subject to landing permission and site suitability, so we agree it first. Shooting days on Scottish estates are covered under shooting by helicopter.
Tips for flying from Edinburgh
Arrive 10 minutes before departure and keep luggage to soft bags where the hold is small. Weather in the Lothians and the Forth can change quickly, and we watch it on the morning. If the flight is cancelled because of the weather, you pay nothing. The airport is H24, so very early and late departures are realistic, though a handling agent must still be told in advance.
Other Scottish bases include Perth and Dundee. The Scotland region page pulls the country together, and the Scottish airfield directory lists sites. For jets see charter-private-jet.com, and for cost guides see Helicopter Hire Prices.
Nearby airfields and heliports
Other sites close to Edinburgh Airport, with the distance in nautical miles. Chips with a link open that site's own page.
Frequently asked questions
Is Edinburgh Airport open 24 hours for helicopters?
It is published as open 24 hours, with a business aviation centre also open round the clock. A handling agent must be arranged in advance for every flight, and night noise limits apply.
How long is a helicopter from Edinburgh to Glasgow?
About 20 to 25 minutes, against about 1 hour 4 minutes by road.
Can I fly from Edinburgh to a golf course?
Often, subject to landing permission and site suitability. We ask the club first, or land at a nearby airfield and arrange a car.
Do international flights clear customs at Edinburgh?
Yes. Customs and immigration are on site 24 hours, and the handling agent takes international passengers to Border Force.
Do helicopters need a slot at Edinburgh?
General aviation is exempt from the airline slot rule, but every aircraft needs prior arrangement with a handling agent because parking is limited.
