The short answer
You can charter a helicopter from Farnborough Airport to meet a private jet and carry on to London, Ascot or Goodwood. The flight to the London Heliport at Battersea takes about 15 to 20 minutes, against 1 hour 1 minute by road. Farnborough has customs on site and is open Monday to Friday 07:00 to 22:00 and weekends 08:00 to 20:00.
Flying from Farnborough Airport? Tell us where and when; we reply with options and a price for the whole aircraft.
Key facts
- Site
- Farnborough Airport, Farnborough, Hampshire (EGLF / FAB)
- Hours as published
- Monday to Friday 07:00 to 22:00; Saturday, Sunday and bank holidays 08:00 to 20:00; closed Christmas Day and Boxing Day. No operations outside published hours (library check 29 September 2026)
- Prior permission
- Yes, through Farnborough Airport Operations
- Customs and immigration
- Yes, on site: customs, immigration and screening at the terminal
- Runway
- 06/24, 2,440 m by 45 m
- Jets
- Yes, the UK's largest dedicated business aviation airport
- To Battersea
- About 15 to 20 minutes by helicopter, 1 hour 1 minute by road
Where Farnborough Airport flights start and end
The map shows Farnborough 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. Farnborough Airport is at Farnborough Airport, Farnborough, Hampshire. Open it in Google Maps.
Farnborough Airport
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Sites that serve Farnborough Airport
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.
Farnborough Airport EGLF / FAB
- Address
- Farnborough Airport, Farnborough, Hampshire
- Hours as published (checked 29 Sept 2026)
- Mon–Fri 07:00–22:00; Sat, Sun and bank holidays 08:00–20:00; closed Christmas Day and Boxing Day. No operations outside published hours
- Permission
- Prior permission required (PPR): we arrange it with your flight
- Customs
- Yes – on site (customs, immigration and screening at the terminal)
- Runway
- 06/24 – 2,440 m × 45 m concrete/asphalt (TORA 2,000–2,063 m)
Why a jet passenger switches to a helicopter at Farnborough
Helicopter charter Farnborough starts with a simple fact: a passenger who lands by private jet at Farnborough still has about 25 nautical miles to central London. By helicopter that last leg is about 15 to 20 minutes; by car it is 1 hour 1 minute in free-flowing traffic. We position the helicopter next to your jet so the change is a short walk across the apron, and if you give us your handling agent in advance we coordinate with them.
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 old page said 12 minutes to Battersea; the computed range is 15 to 20 minutes and that is the one to plan on.
Journey times from Farnborough Airport
The nearest places first, with the helicopter time against the car, taken from our route data.
| To | Distance | Helicopter | By road | Typical saving |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ascot Racecourse | 8.9 nm (10 mi) | 10 to 15 min | 25 min (15 mi) | 12 min |
| London Heathrow | 17 nm (19 mi) | 15 to 15 min | 39 min (28 mi) | 24 min |
| Epsom Downs | 20 nm (22 mi) | 15 to 20 min | 49 min (32 mi) | 31 min |
| London Gatwick | 23 nm (27 mi) | 15 to 20 min | 1 h 05 min (50 mi) | 47 min |
| Goodwood | 25 nm (29 mi) | 15 to 20 min | 1 h 03 min (41 mi) | 45 min |
| London | 25 nm (29 mi) | 15 to 20 min | 1 h 01 min (40 mi) | 43 min |
| Southampton | 29 nm (34 mi) | 20 to 25 min | 58 min (46 mi) | 35 min |
| Oxford | 39 nm (45 mi) | 25 to 30 min | 1 h 29 min (66 mi) | 1 h 01 min |
| Silverstone | 49 nm (56 mi) | 25 to 35 min | 1 h 48 min (81 mi) | 1 h 18 min |
| Cheltenham Racecourse | 62 nm (71 mi) | 30 to 40 min | 1 h 59 min (90 mi) | 1 h 24 min |
| Cambridge | 66 nm (76 mi) | 35 to 40 min | 1 h 58 min (92 mi) | 1 h 20 min |
| Newmarket Racecourse | 73 nm (84 mi) | 35 to 45 min | 2 h 01 min (101 mi) | 1 h 21 min |
| Bristol | 73 nm (84 mi) | 35 to 45 min | 2 h 19 min (106 mi) | 1 h 39 min |
| Birmingham | 79 nm (91 mi) | 40 to 50 min | 2 h 25 min (116 mi) | 1 h 40 min |
| Cardiff | 97 nm (111 mi) | 45 to 55 min | 2 h 58 min (144 mi) | 2 h 08 min |
| Norwich | 113 nm (130 mi) | 55 to 65 min | 3 h 09 min (155 mi) | 2 h 09 min |
| Manchester | 136 nm (157 mi) | 60 to 75 min | 4 h 10 min (197 mi) | 3 h 02 min |
| Liverpool | 145 nm (167 mi) | 65 to 80 min | 4 h 15 min (215 mi) | 3 h 02 min |
| Aintree Racecourse | 154 nm (178 mi) | 70 to 85 min | 4 h 17 min (223 mi) | 2 h 59 min |
| Leeds | 159 nm (183 mi) | 70 to 90 min | 4 h 23 min (227 mi) | 3 h 03 min |
| York Racecourse | 161 nm (185 mi) | 70 to 90 min | 4 h 16 min (230 mi) | 2 h 56 min |
| Newcastle | 228 nm (263 mi) | 1 h 40 min to 2 h 05 min | 6 h 05 min (314 mi) | 4 h 12 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.
Farnborough's hours, customs and rules
Farnborough is strictly timed. Weekdays are 07:00 to 22:00 and weekends and bank holidays 08:00 to 20:00. It is closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, and nothing operates outside the published hours. Prior permission comes through Farnborough Airport Operations. Customs, immigration and screening are all at the terminal, so an arrival from abroad clears the border in the same building that has the helicopter waiting.
There is complimentary secure parking with electric vehicle charging outside the terminal and a hotel next door, and the airport is approved for pet travel. If you bring a pet on a private flight, Pet Friendly Flights is our sister site.
Farnborough by helicopter and by road
The short hops: Ascot is 10 to 15 minutes by helicopter against 25 minutes by road, Heathrow 15 against 39, and Epsom Downs 15 to 20 against 49. Goodwood is about 15 to 20 minutes against 1 hour 3, and Southampton about 20 to 25 against 58 minutes.
Longer legs show the real gain. Oxford is about 25 to 30 minutes against 1 hour 29, Silverstone about 25 to 35 against 1 hour 48, and Cheltenham about 30 to 40 against 1 hour 59. Bristol takes about 35 to 45 minutes against 2 hours 19 and Birmingham 40 to 50 against 2 hours 25. Compare these with the London to Bristol route.
Farnborough or Blackbushe?
The two airfields are less than 4 nautical miles apart. Blackbushe is smaller and simpler, and our old page noted that weekend landing charges can be lower there. Farnborough has customs on site, a long runway and jet handling. Choose Farnborough when you are connecting with a jet or arriving from abroad, and Blackbushe when you only need a helicopter point to point.
Neighbouring pages that may matter are Battersea for the central London end and London for the wider picture.
Where Farnborough clients go and how to book
Clients have flown to London, Aldershot, Reading, Guildford, Basingstoke and a Hampshire country hotel; see also Southampton and Heathrow. Farnborough also hosts the Farnborough International Airshow, a trade event held every other year; check the organiser for dates and arrival arrangements before you plan a trade visit.
To book, tell us your date, passengers with weights, and your onward destination. Arrive 10 minutes before departure, and pack soft bags. See Helicopter Hire Prices for cost guidance, and our private jet site for the jet itself. If the flight is cancelled because of the weather, you pay nothing.
Nearby airfields and heliports
Other sites close to Farnborough Airport, with the distance in nautical miles. Chips with a link open that site's own page.
Frequently asked questions
What are the opening hours at Farnborough Airport?
Monday to Friday 07:00 to 22:00; Saturday, Sunday and bank holidays 08:00 to 20:00. It is closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, and there are no operations outside published hours.
Does Farnborough have customs on site?
Yes. Customs, immigration and screening are all at the terminal.
How long is the helicopter from Farnborough to Battersea?
About 15 to 20 minutes, against about 1 hour 1 minute by road in free-flowing traffic.
Can a helicopter meet my private jet at Farnborough?
Yes. We position it next to your jet where the apron allows. Tell us your handling agent in advance.
Is Farnborough PPR?
Yes. Prior permission is required through Farnborough Airport Operations, and we obtain it for your flight.
Is it cheaper to use Blackbushe?
Our old advice was that weekend landing charges can be lower at Blackbushe. We confirm current charges when we quote, so ask for both.
