The short answer
Helicopter charter to the Outer Hebrides uses Stornoway Airport on Lewis, which has a 2,088 metre runway, or Benbecula Airport in the Uists. Stornoway to Glasgow is about 70 to 85 minutes by helicopter and Benbecula to Glasgow about 60 to 75 minutes. There is no road link. Both airports need prior permission. Send your date and weights for a quote.
Flying from Outer Hebrides? Tell us where and when; we reply with options and a price for the whole aircraft.
Key facts
- Main site
- Stornoway Airport (EGPO), Isle of Lewis, 2,088 m runway with ILS, jet capable
- Second site
- Benbecula Airport (EGPL), Western Isles, 1,837 m runway, no fuel published, limited weekend hours
- Stornoway hours (checked 29 Sep 2026)
- Airfield Mon to Fri 07:00 to 19:45, Sat 07:00 to 15:30, Sun 13:00 to 17:00; extensions charged per half hour
- Permission
- Strictly prior permission; the form is lodged with air traffic at least 3 hours before arrival at Stornoway
- Stornoway to Glasgow
- Helicopter about 70 to 85 minutes; no road link
- Stornoway to Edinburgh
- Helicopter about 75 to 90 minutes; no road link
- Benbecula to Glasgow
- Helicopter about 60 to 75 minutes; no road link
Where Outer Hebrides flights start and end
The map shows Stornoway Airport and the other sites that serve Outer Hebrides, 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. Stornoway Airport is at Stornoway Airport, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis. Open it in Google Maps.
Stornoway Airport
Choose a place
Hover, or tap, a pin for the details
Sites that serve Outer Hebrides
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.
Stornoway Airport EGPO / SYY
- Address
- Stornoway Airport, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis
- Hours as published (checked 29 Sept 2026)
Airfield Mon–Fri 07:00–19:45, Sat 07:00–15:30, Sun 13:00–17:00. Terminal Mon–Fri 07:00–20:00, Sat 07:00–16:00, Sun…
Airfield Mon–Fri 07:00–19:45, Sat 07:00–15:30, Sun 13:00–17:00. Terminal Mon–Fri 07:00–20:00, Sat 07:00–16:00, Sun 11:30–18:00. Extensions charged per 30-minute segment- Permission
- Prior permission required (PPR): we arrange it with your flight
- Customs
- By arrangement / prior notice
- Runway
- 18/36 – 2,088 m × 45 m asphalt (grooved), ILS RWY 36
Benbecula Airport EGPL / BEB
- Address
- Benbecula Airport, Balivanich, Benbecula, Western Isles
- Hours as published (checked 29 Sept 2026)
Airfield Mon–Fri 08:30–16:30, Sat 08:30–09:15 and 10:45–12:45, Sun 16:45–18:00, and by arrangement. Terminal Mon–Fri…
Airfield Mon–Fri 08:30–16:30, Sat 08:30–09:15 and 10:45–12:45, Sun 16:45–18:00, and by arrangement. Terminal Mon–Fri 08:00–16:30, Sat 08:00–12:30, Sun 15:30–18:30- Permission
- Prior permission required (PPR): we arrange it with your flight
- Customs
- By arrangement / prior notice
- Runway
- 06/24 – 1,837 m × 40 m asphalt (grooved); non-precision approaches
Two airports for the Western Isles
Helicopter charter Outer Hebrides work has two realistic landing sites. Stornoway, on the Isle of Lewis, is the larger: a 2,088 metre grooved runway with an instrument approach, suitable for every class of business jet and well equipped for a helicopter. Benbecula, in the middle of the Uists, has a 1,837 metre runway but no fuel published, a very short weekend schedule and military range activity nearby that can affect instrument approaches. We use Stornoway as the default and Benbecula when the destination is in the south of the chain.
Charter-A Helicopter is the helicopter charter service of Charter-A Ltd, which has arranged private flights across the UK and Europe since 2011. Both airports are prior-permission only. At Stornoway the form goes to air traffic at least three hours before arrival, and Sunday opening is only 13:00 to 17:00. Benbecula's weekend hours are shorter still. We deal with both, and we tell you the schedule before you commit.
Journey times from Stornoway 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 | 154 nm (177 mi) | 70 to 85 min | No road link | Not applicable |
| Edinburgh | 167 nm (192 mi) | 75 to 90 min | No road link | Not applicable |
| Newcastle | 245 nm (281 mi) | 1 h 45 min to 2 h 10 min | No road link | Not applicable |
Times from Benbecula Airport
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.
Times to Glasgow, Edinburgh and Newcastle
The islands are a long way from anywhere by road and ferry, so the helicopter comparison is stark. Stornoway to Glasgow is about 70 to 85 minutes, Stornoway to Edinburgh about 75 to 90 minutes and Stornoway to Newcastle about 105 to 130 minutes. From Benbecula, Glasgow is about 60 to 75 minutes and Edinburgh 70 to 90. There is no car time for any of them, because the Minch is in the way.
Those are block times: distance at 135 knots plus eight minutes, shown as a range. Atlantic wind can stretch the return, so we keep the upper figure for planning. A rendezvous with a longer connection is common: land at Glasgow or Inverness, then continue by jet. For that leg see Charter-Private-Jet.com.
Who flies to Lewis and the Uists
Our charters here carry business and project groups: renewable energy teams, aquaculture and fisheries managers, engineers visiting a site and directors who need to be on the island and off it in a day. The island economy also includes Harris tweed and a strong cultural and tourism base, which brings corporate visitors for meetings and events. Our business helicopter page explains the planning, and same-day business trips covers the there-and-back pattern.
Callanish and the other standing stones on Lewis are a famous draw, but we only fly business and corporate groups. If your business visit includes a site, tell us and we work it into the day. Landing at an estate, hotel, farm or other private site is subject to landing permission and site suitability, and we agree it first. Stornoway town is a short transfer from the airport; a chauffeur can wait on the ground.
Planning a Hebridean charter
Sunday and early-evening limits are the biggest practical points. Plan outbound legs early and returns before the airfield closes, and let us ask for an extension if you need it. Customs at Stornoway has notice periods that vary by origin: none for departures direct to the EU, four hours for arrivals direct from the EU, twelve for the Channel Islands and forty-eight for other non-EU airports, so any international leg needs advance notice. We handle it.
Weather decides more than distance out here. We check it the day before and on the morning, and the rule is simple. If the flight is cancelled because of the weather, you pay nothing. Arrive 10 minutes before departure and use soft bags. For the national picture see the Scotland region page and the Scottish airfields, and for the nearest alternatives see Argyll and Inverness.
Frequently asked questions
Which airport do helicopters use on Lewis?
Stornoway Airport, with a 2,088 metre runway and an instrument approach. It needs prior permission, lodged with air traffic at least three hours before arrival.
How long is a helicopter from Stornoway to Glasgow?
About 70 to 85 minutes, against no road option at all because of the sea crossing.
Can I fly to Benbecula?
Yes, by prior permission. It has a 1,837 metre runway but no fuel published and very short weekend hours, so we plan around it.
Do I need customs notice for an international flight?
Yes. At Stornoway it ranges from none to forty-eight hours depending on where you are coming from. We arrange it.
What about Sunday flights?
Stornoway opens only 13:00 to 17:00 on Sunday and Benbecula even less, so we plan carefully or ask for an extension.
Can you land at a house or estate on the island?
Often, subject to landing permission and site suitability. We ask first and keep the airport as the alternative.
