The short answer
Helicopter charter Shetland uses Sumburgh Airport at the southern tip of Mainland, with a 1,498 metre runway and prior permission for every movement. Edinburgh is about 105 to 130 minutes by helicopter, and there is no road link. A public road crosses the runway approach, so timings are planned with the airport. Send your date and weights and we quote.
Flying from Shetland? Tell us where and when; we reply with options and a price for the whole aircraft.
Key facts
- Main site
- Sumburgh Airport (EGPB), Sumburgh, Shetland, 1,498 m main runway
- Hours (checked 29 Sep 2026)
- Airfield Mon to Fri 07:30 to 20:00, Sat 07:45 to 15:45, Sun 11:30 to 19:45; extensions on request to air traffic control
- Permission
- Prior permission required; out-of-hours operations are not permitted without an extension
- Customs
- By arrangement, with prior notice
- Sumburgh to Edinburgh
- Helicopter about 105 to 130 minutes; no road link
- Local traffic
- The coastguard search and rescue helicopter based here has traffic priority
- Road crossing
- A public road crosses the runway 09 approach; barriers close before every landing and departure
Where Shetland flights start and end
The map shows Sumburgh 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. Sumburgh Airport is at Sumburgh Airport, Sumburgh, Shetland. Open it in Google Maps.
Sumburgh Airport
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Sites that serve Shetland
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.
Sumburgh Airport EGPB / LSI
- Address
- Sumburgh Airport, Sumburgh, Shetland
- Hours as published (checked 29 Sept 2026)
Airfield Mon–Fri 07:30–20:00, Sat 07:45–15:45, Sun 11:30–19:45. Terminal Mon–Fri 06:30–20:15, Sat 06:30–16:00, Sun…
Airfield Mon–Fri 07:30–20:00, Sat 07:45–15:45, Sun 11:30–19:45. Terminal Mon–Fri 06:30–20:15, Sat 06:30–16:00, Sun 10:15–20:00. Extensions on request to Sumburgh ATC (charged per 30-minute segment)- Permission
- Prior permission required (PPR): we arrange it with your flight
- Customs
- By arrangement / prior notice
- Runway
- 09/27 – 1,498 m × 44 m asphalt (grooved); secondary 15/33 – 1,424 m
Flying to Shetland: what is different
Helicopter charter Shetland is the longest flight in our Scottish island set. Sumburgh is about 245 nautical miles from Edinburgh, which our data turns into a helicopter block time of about 105 to 130 minutes. It is the only comparison the data holds for the island, and with no road link at all there is no car figure to put beside it. The alternative to a charter is the scheduled aeroplane or the overnight ferry, both of which run to someone else's timetable.
Charter-A Helicopter is the helicopter charter service of Charter-A Ltd, which has arranged private flights across the UK and Europe since 2011. For a Shetland job we look first at range and fuel: a flight of this length is planned with a fuel stop or an alternative in mind, and we tell you the plan in the quote. Distances this long are also where a larger twin-engine aircraft earns its place; the AW139 and the Airbus H145 are the types we discuss for island work.
Journey times from Sumburgh 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 | 245 nm (282 mi) | 1 h 45 min to 2 h 10 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.
Sumburgh Airport: hours, road and rescue helicopter
Sumburgh has two unusual features that a charter customer should hear about before the day. First, a public road crosses the runway 09 undershoot, and barriers close before every landing and departure, so approach and departure timings are coordinated rather than casual. Second, the coastguard search and rescue helicopter based at the airport has traffic priority, which is exactly as it should be, and means your slot can move by a few minutes when it is called out.
Hours are published as weekday and Saturday daytime with a late-morning opening on Sundays, and out-of-hours operations are not permitted without an extension agreed with air traffic control. The runway is 1,498 metres with a second runway of 1,424 metres, so the airfield takes light and midsize business jets as well as helicopters. Customs and immigration are by arrangement. A handling agent on the airfield looks after the aircraft, and we arrange them.
What takes people to Shetland
Shetland's economy rests on the energy terminals around Sullom Voe, on fishing and fish farming, and on a strong community of engineering and marine firms. Charters usually carry project teams, directors visiting sites and specialists with a short window. Our business helicopter charter page sets out how a day like that is built, and same-day business trips explains the there-and-back option.
The islands are also known for Jarlshof near Sumburgh, the January fire festival in Lerwick and some of the best sea cliffs in Britain. We only fly business groups, but if a business visit happens to include a site, tell us and we plan the day around it. Lerwick is the main town, roughly 25 miles north of the airport by road, so you will usually want a car at the airport. Executive Global Travel can arrange it.
Practical planning for a Shetland charter
Give us the date, the passengers' weights and the destination, and allow extra margin on the return. Northern weather is the main constraint: low cloud, wind and short winter daylight all shape the timing. We watch the forecast for the departure and arrival points the day before and on the morning. If the flight is cancelled because of the weather, you pay nothing.
Arrive 10 minutes before departure and keep bags soft where the cabin hold is small. Landing anywhere other than the airport, such as a quay, an estate or a terminal site, is subject to landing permission and site suitability. For the wider picture see the Scotland region page, the Scottish airfields and Orkney, the next island group south. For jets on this run see Charter-Private-Jet.com.
Frequently asked questions
Where do helicopters land in Shetland?
Sumburgh Airport at the southern tip of Mainland is the main site. It is prior permission only and works to published hours. Other landings are subject to landing permission and site suitability.
How long is the flight from Shetland to Edinburgh?
About 105 to 130 minutes by helicopter. There is no road link, so no car time exists.
Why does the road crossing matter?
A public road crosses the approach to runway 09. Barriers close before each landing and departure, so the airport coordinates timings with the pilots.
Can I fly in the evening?
Not outside published hours unless an extension is agreed with air traffic control. We ask early and confirm it before you plan around it.
Is the weather a problem in Shetland?
It can be. We watch the forecast closely and plan a margin on the return. If the flight is cancelled because of the weather, you pay nothing.
