The short answer
Helicopter charter in Inverness runs from Inverness Airport at Dalcross, which has an instrument approach and handles everything from helicopters to large-cabin jets. A flight to Edinburgh takes about 45 to 60 minutes, against about 3 hours 17 minutes by road. Tell us your date, weights and destination for a quote.
Flying from Inverness? Tell us where and when; we reply with options and a price for the whole aircraft.
Key facts
- Main site
- Inverness Airport (EGPE), Dalcross, 1,888 m runway with ILS, light to large-cabin jets
- Hours (checked 29 Sep 2026)
- Airfield daily 06:15 to 22:45; terminal 04:15 to 22:45. Fuel by arrangement outside weekday hours
- Permission
- Strictly prior permission: 2 hours notice for domestic flights, 24 hours for international
- Customs
- By arrangement; 6 hours notice for EU flights
- Inverness to Edinburgh
- Helicopter about 45 to 60 minutes; car about 3h17
- Inverness to Glasgow
- Helicopter about 50 to 60 minutes; car about 3h50
Where Inverness flights start and end
The map shows Inverness 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. Inverness Airport is at Inverness Airport, Dalcross, Inverness. Open it in Google Maps.
Inverness Airport
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Sites that serve Inverness
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.
Inverness Airport EGPE / INV
- Address
- Inverness Airport, Dalcross, Inverness
- Hours as published (checked 29 Sept 2026)
Airfield Monday to Sunday 06:15–22:45; terminal 04:15–22:45. : Northair & Mon–Fri 06:00–19:00, Sat/Sun 06:00–21:00, out…
Airfield Monday to Sunday 06:15–22:45; terminal 04:15–22:45. : Northair & Mon–Fri 06:00–19:00, Sat/Sun 06:00–21:00, out of hours via; World ofs 06:00–22:00- Permission
- Prior permission required (PPR): we arrange it with your flight
- Customs
- By arrangement / prior notice
- Runway
- 05/23 – 1,888 m × 45 m asphalt (grooved), ILS
How to charter a helicopter in Inverness
Helicopter charter Inverness works as it does elsewhere: you send us the date, the places and each passenger's weight, we match the helicopter and the landing, and we quote. What differs is distance. Everything in the Highlands is far from everything else by road, which is why a helicopter pays back sooner here than almost anywhere in the UK. Charter-A Helicopter is the helicopter charter service of Charter-A Ltd, which has arranged private flights across the UK and Europe since 2011.
Inverness Airport has a 1,888 m grooved runway with an instrument approach and two dedicated business aviation facilities. It is strictly prior permission: two hours notice for domestic flights and 24 hours for international, via apron operations. Customs is by arrangement, with six hours notice for EU flights. Inverness is excluded from the owner's out-of-hours scheme, so movements are planned inside the published hours of 06:15 to 22:45, and we build the schedule around them.
Journey times from Inverness Airport
The nearest places first, with the helicopter time against the car, taken from our route data.
| To | Distance | Helicopter | By road | Typical saving |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edinburgh | 98 nm (113 mi) | 45 to 60 min | 3 h 17 min (156 mi) | 2 h 24 min |
| Glasgow | 101 nm (116 mi) | 50 to 60 min | 3 h 50 min (186 mi) | 2 h 55 min |
| Newcastle | 170 nm (195 mi) | 75 to 95 min | 5 h 59 min (268 mi) | 4 h 34 min |
| Leeds | 235 nm (270 mi) | 1 h 40 min to 2 h 05 min | 7 h 23 min (366 mi) | 5 h 30 min |
| York Racecourse | 238 nm (274 mi) | 1 h 40 min to 2 h 05 min | 7 h 18 min (374 mi) | 5 h 25 min |
| Aintree Racecourse | 247 nm (284 mi) | 1 h 45 min to 2 h 10 min | 7 h 12 min (377 mi) | 5 h 14 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.
What the helicopter saves on Highland journeys
Inverness to Edinburgh is about 45 to 60 minutes by helicopter against about 3 hours 17 minutes by road. Glasgow is about 50 to 60 minutes against 3 hours 50 minutes. Newcastle is about 75 to 95 minutes against 5 hours 59 minutes. Leeds and York are about 100 to 125 minutes against more than seven hours by car, and Aintree about 105 to 130 minutes against 7 hours 12 minutes. These road times are free-flowing floors; Highland weather and roadworks lengthen real journeys.
See Edinburgh, Glasgow and Newcastle for the other ends of the flights, and the Scotland region page for the whole country. A wider comparison is in helicopter against car journey times.
Estates, golf and business in the Highlands
Highland estates are the main reason for many bookings. The grouse and deer seasons bring parties to lodges that are hours from a main road, and a helicopter turns a long drive into a short flight. Carriage of guns and cartridges is regulated, so the owners hold the licences, carriage is unloaded and cased, and we confirm the rules before booking; see shooting by helicopter for how it works. Landing at an estate or lodge is subject to landing permission and site suitability.
Golf draws corporate parties to Castle Stuart Golf Links near Inverness and Royal Dornoch to the north; see golf by helicopter. Inverness and the Moray Firth also have a growing energy and renewables sector, and our business helicopter charter page covers how business days are planned across long distances.
Planning a Highland flight
Arrive 10 minutes before departure with your passenger list and weights agreed. Pack in soft bags where the hold is small. Mountain weather is the planning variable: cloud base over high ground can close a route even when the airport is clear, so we plan alternates and tell you early. If the flight is cancelled because of the weather, you pay nothing.
For a jet leg see charter-private-jet.com; the Highlands have no other large nearby site in our library, so Inverness is the anchor. The Scottish airfield directory lists the smaller sites, and Helicopter Hire Prices gives cost guides.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the helicopter from Inverness to Edinburgh?
About 45 to 60 minutes, against about 3 hours 17 minutes by road.
How much notice does Inverness Airport need?
Two hours for domestic flights and 24 hours for international ones, with six hours for EU customs. We handle the notices.
Can a helicopter land on a Highland estate?
Often, subject to landing permission and site suitability. We ask the landowner and confirm before you travel.
Is Inverness Airport open at night?
The airfield is published as open 06:15 to 22:45 and is not part of the out-of-hours scheme, so movements are planned inside those hours.
Can I take guns on the flight?
Guns and cartridges must be carried and stored lawfully, the owners hold the licences, and we confirm the carriage rules before booking.
