The short answer
York is served for helicopters by Leeds East Airport at Church Fenton, about 9 miles from the city and 26 minutes by road, or by Leeds Bradford Airport. From Leeds East, Leeds is about 15 minutes by helicopter, Manchester 25 to 35 and London roughly 65 to 80 minutes. We arrange permission and handling with your booking.
Flying from York? Tell us where and when; we reply with options and a price for the whole aircraft.
Key facts
- Main site for York
- Leeds East Airport (Church Fenton), Busk Lane, North Yorkshire
- Second site
- Leeds Bradford Airport, with a business-aviation handling area on the south side
- Leeds East hours (as published, checked 29 Sep 2026)
- 08:00 to 18:00 seven days a week, 24-hour landing on request
- Leeds Bradford hours
- Airport 07:00 to 23:00 local, prior permission outside; business handling 08:00 to 18:00
- Customs
- By arrangement at both sites
- Prior permission
- Required at both; we arrange it
- Distance from Leeds East to York
- About 9 miles, 26 minutes by road, 10 to 15 minutes by helicopter
Where York flights start and end
The map shows Leeds East Airport and the other sites that serve York, 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. Leeds East Airport is at Leeds East Airport, Busk Lane, Church Fenton, North Yorkshire. Open it in Google Maps.
Leeds East Airport (Church Fenton)
Choose a place
Hover, or tap, a pin for the details
Sites that serve York
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.
Leeds East Airport (Church Fenton) EGCM
- Address
- Leeds East Airport, Busk Lane, Church Fenton, North Yorkshire
- Hours as published (checked 29 Sept 2026)
- 08:00–18:00 seven days a week (summer and winter), with 24-hour landing on request with full services. Customs and immigration by arrangement
- Permission
- Prior permission required (PPR): we arrange it with your flight
- Customs
- By arrangement / prior notice
- Runway
- 06/24 – 1,826 m × 45 m asphalt (fully lit)
Map position is approximate.
Leeds Bradford Airport EGNM / LBA
- Address
- Leeds Bradford Airport, Leeds
- Hours as published (checked 29 Sept 2026)
- Airport 07:00–23:00 local, PPR outside these hours.
- Permission
- Prior permission required (PPR): we arrange it with your flight
- Customs
- By arrangement / prior notice
- Runway
- 14/32 – 2,250 m × 46 m concrete (grooved)
Where does a helicopter land for York?
For helicopter charter York clients, note that the city itself has no airport that takes charter helicopters, so we use the sites around it. The closest is Leeds East Airport at Church Fenton, a privately owned licensed aerodrome with a 1,826 metre lit runway, about 9 miles from York. It publishes 08:00 to 18:00 opening seven days a week, with landing outside those hours on request, and all movements need prior permission, which we arrange for you.
The alternative is Leeds Bradford Airport, 20.5 nautical miles from York by air. It opens roughly 07:00 to 23:00 and has a separate business-aviation area well away from the passenger terminal. It is the higher site, around 674 feet above sea level, so low cloud can matter there.
If you need a landing nearer the city, such as a country house or business park, that is possible subject to landing permission and site suitability. Ask when you book.
Journey times from Leeds East Airport
The nearest places first, with the helicopter time against the car, taken from our route data.
| To | Distance | Helicopter | By road | Typical saving |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| York Racecourse | 7.6 nm (9 mi) | 10 to 15 min | 26 min (15 mi) | 13 min |
| Leeds | 17 nm (19 mi) | 15 to 15 min | 50 min (26 mi) | 35 min |
| Manchester | 48 nm (55 mi) | 25 to 35 min | 1 h 52 min (76 mi) | 1 h 22 min |
| Aintree Racecourse | 66 nm (76 mi) | 35 to 40 min | 1 h 56 min (94 mi) | 1 h 18 min |
| Liverpool | 66 nm (76 mi) | 35 to 40 min | 1 h 56 min (91 mi) | 1 h 18 min |
| Newcastle | 74 nm (85 mi) | 35 to 45 min | 2 h 25 min (106 mi) | 1 h 45 min |
| Birmingham | 85 nm (98 mi) | 40 to 50 min | 2 h 21 min (116 mi) | 1 h 36 min |
| Silverstone | 106 nm (122 mi) | 50 to 60 min | 2 h 46 min (140 mi) | 1 h 51 min |
| Cambridge | 110 nm (126 mi) | 50 to 65 min | 2 h 50 min (146 mi) | 1 h 52 min |
| Newmarket Racecourse | 112 nm (129 mi) | 50 to 65 min | 2 h 57 min (154 mi) | 1 h 59 min |
| Norwich | 113 nm (130 mi) | 50 to 65 min | 3 h 35 min (167 mi) | 2 h 37 min |
| Cheltenham Racecourse | 120 nm (138 mi) | 55 to 70 min | 3 h 15 min (169 mi) | 2 h 12 min |
| Oxford | 120 nm (138 mi) | 55 to 70 min | 3 h 14 min (165 mi) | 2 h 11 min |
| London Heathrow | 145 nm (166 mi) | 65 to 80 min | 3 h 42 min (196 mi) | 2 h 29 min |
| London | 147 nm (169 mi) | 65 to 80 min | 4 h 02 min (197 mi) | 2 h 49 min |
| Ascot Racecourse | 147 nm (169 mi) | 65 to 80 min | 3 h 55 min (204 mi) | 2 h 42 min |
| Edinburgh | 148 nm (170 mi) | 65 to 80 min | 4 h 31 min (223 mi) | 3 h 18 min |
| Epsom Downs | 155 nm (179 mi) | 70 to 85 min | 4 h 07 min (217 mi) | 2 h 49 min |
| Bristol | 157 nm (181 mi) | 70 to 85 min | 4 h 12 min (218 mi) | 2 h 54 min |
| London Gatwick | 166 nm (190 mi) | 75 to 90 min | 4 h 23 min (235 mi) | 3 h |
| Glasgow | 166 nm (191 mi) | 75 to 90 min | 4 h 23 min (227 mi) | 3 h |
| Cardiff | 166 nm (191 mi) | 75 to 90 min | 4 h 40 min (241 mi) | 3 h 17 min |
| Southampton | 173 nm (199 mi) | 75 to 95 min | 4 h 27 min (232 mi) | 3 h 02 min |
| Goodwood | 179 nm (206 mi) | 80 to 100 min | 4 h 48 min (249 mi) | 3 h 18 min |
Times from Leeds Bradford Airport
| To | Distance | Helicopter | By road | Typical saving |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| York Racecourse | 21 nm (24 mi) | 15 to 20 min | 49 min (29 mi) | 31 min |
| Manchester | 38 nm (43 mi) | 20 to 30 min | 1 h 37 min (61 mi) | 1 h 12 min |
| Aintree Racecourse | 51 nm (59 mi) | 30 to 35 min | 1 h 41 min (79 mi) | 1 h 08 min |
| Liverpool | 53 nm (61 mi) | 30 to 35 min | 1 h 41 min (75 mi) | 1 h 08 min |
| Newcastle | 70 nm (81 mi) | 35 to 45 min | 2 h 21 min (103 mi) | 1 h 41 min |
| Birmingham | 85 nm (98 mi) | 40 to 50 min | 2 h 37 min (126 mi) | 1 h 52 min |
| Silverstone | 110 nm (126 mi) | 50 to 65 min | 3 h 02 min (150 mi) | 2 h 04 min |
| Cheltenham Racecourse | 118 nm (136 mi) | 55 to 70 min | 3 h 30 min (178 mi) | 2 h 27 min |
| Cambridge | 120 nm (138 mi) | 55 to 70 min | 3 h 12 min (161 mi) | 2 h 09 min |
| Oxford | 122 nm (141 mi) | 55 to 70 min | 3 h 30 min (175 mi) | 2 h 27 min |
| Newmarket Racecourse | 123 nm (141 mi) | 55 to 70 min | 3 h 20 min (170 mi) | 2 h 17 min |
| Norwich | 128 nm (147 mi) | 60 to 70 min | 3 h 57 min (182 mi) | 2 h 52 min |
| Edinburgh | 138 nm (159 mi) | 65 to 80 min | 4 h 25 min (207 mi) | 3 h 12 min |
| London Heathrow | 150 nm (173 mi) | 65 to 85 min | 3 h 58 min (205 mi) | 2 h 43 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.
How fast is a helicopter from York compared with the car?
Leeds East to Leeds is about 15 minutes by helicopter against 50 minutes by road. Manchester is typically 25 to 35 minutes in the air and 1 hour 52 minutes by car. Liverpool, at about 35 to 40 minutes, would take around 1 hour 56 minutes on the road, and Newcastle is 35 to 45 minutes against 2 hours 25.
For the south, Birmingham is 40 to 50 minutes by helicopter, and London about 65 to 80 minutes against 4 hours 2 minutes in free-flowing traffic. Road times are the best case, so real journeys are normally longer. If you are heading to the capital for a meeting, our London helicopter charter page explains the landing options, and the London Heliport in Battersea is the central one.
Race days, Ebor week and corporate hospitality
York Racecourse on the Knavesmire is the best-known reason to arrive by air. The Ebor Festival in August is the main meeting, and the course runs a full season from spring to autumn. Our York racecourse helicopter page covers arrival and timing for hospitality parties; dates and landing arrangements for each meeting should be checked with the racecourse.
Not all race-going flights go to York. The Leger meeting at Doncaster is covered on the Doncaster St Leger page, and the general approach is in horse racing by helicopter. We do not offer flights for pleasure; these are corporate and client-entertainment days with a defined schedule.
Who flies on business from York?
York's employers include the rail industry, insurance and financial services, the University of York and a growing cluster of science and technology firms at the Science City research parks. Executives often need to be in Leeds, Manchester or London the same day and back for the evening. A helicopter from Church Fenton makes the Leeds leg a quarter of an hour and a Manchester meeting a half-hour hop.
Estates and country houses around the Vale of York and the Yorkshire Dales also generate charters, including shooting parties in the season. Our shooting by helicopter page describes the rules on carrying guns. For more on the region, see Yorkshire and the Humber, helicopter charter Leeds and helicopter charter Hull.
Booking a helicopter for York step by step
Give us the date, the start and end points and the weights of everyone travelling. We reply with the type, the site and the timings. The helicopter is a licensed charter aircraft flown by type-rated pilots, and every helicopter we use is on a UK CAA or EASA approved air operator certificate and fully insured.
On the day, arrive 10 minutes before departure at the site we name. Luggage goes in soft bags where the hold is small. Landing anywhere other than a licensed site is subject to landing permission. If the flight is cancelled because of the weather, you pay nothing. For a price idea, read the price guides, or ask for a quote and we will give you a firm figure.
Nearby airfields and heliports
Other sites close to Leeds East Airport, with the distance in nautical miles. Chips with a link open that site's own page.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a heliport in York?
No heliport or airport takes charter helicopters in the city itself. We use Leeds East Airport at Church Fenton or Leeds Bradford Airport, or arrange permission for a suitable private site.
How far is Leeds East Airport from York?
About 9 miles, roughly 26 minutes by road in free-flowing traffic. The helicopter flight between the two takes 10 to 15 minutes.
Can I charter a helicopter to York Racecourse?
Yes, as corporate hospitality or client entertainment, subject to the racecourse and landing permission for the day. Book early for the Ebor Festival and check dates with the racecourse.
What are the opening hours of Leeds East Airport?
It publishes 08:00 to 18:00 seven days a week with 24-hour landing on request. Hours were checked on 29 September 2026. All visits need prior permission.
Do either of your York sites have customs?
Both handle customs by arrangement with notice, so international trips are possible if we plan them ahead.
Can I get from York to Manchester Airport by helicopter?
Yes. Manchester is typically 25 to 35 minutes from Leeds East against nearly 2 hours by road. See our airport transfers by helicopter page.
