The short answer
Manchester to Liverpool takes about 15 to 20 minutes by helicopter. By road it is 34 miles and at least 1 hour 4 minutes free-flowing, so the helicopter typically saves about 47 minutes each way. The value is in the connection and the group, not the minutes alone.
Quote Manchester to Liverpool We reply with options and a price for the whole aircraft.
Key facts
- Distance
- 20.6 nautical miles (24 statute miles) in a straight line
- Helicopter time
- 15 to 20 minutes
- Car time
- At least 1 hour 4 minutes free-flowing, 34 miles by road
- Typical time saved
- About 47 minutes each way
- Manchester end
- Manchester Airport, or Manchester Heliport at Barton Aerodrome
- Liverpool end
- Liverpool John Lennon Airport, 24 hours for the airfield; Aintree Racecourse helipad by arrangement
- Return journey
- The same time applies in the other direction
Manchester to Liverpool on the map
The dashed line joins the main airfield or heliport at each end, with a ring at the midpoint. Real flights follow the sites at each end and the weather on the day.
The map could not load just now. Manchester Airport to Liverpool John Lennon Airport: about 21 nm in a straight line, 15 to 20 min by helicopter.
Helicopter against the car
Manchester to Liverpool: the numbers
Manchester to Liverpool by helicopter takes about 15 to 20 minutes, against at least 1 hour 4 minutes on the road.
The straight line is 20.6 nautical miles (24 statute miles). The road is 34 miles and 1 hour 4 minutes even when it flows freely, so the helicopter typically saves about 47 minutes each way. This is a short flight, so the ground arrangements at both ends make as much difference to the day as the minutes in the air.
Likely departure and arrival sites
The sites we would normally use at each end, with the same figures worked out from the site itself.
| Site | Flying | Distance | Helicopter | By road |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City centre to city centre | Manchester to Liverpool | 21 nm | 15 to 20 min | 1 h 04 min |
| Manchester Airport | to Liverpool | 21 nm | 15 to 20 min | 46 min |
| Manchester Heliport | to Liverpool | 18 nm | 15 to 20 min | 40 min |
| Liverpool John Lennon Airport | to Manchester | 21 nm | 15 to 20 min | 1 h 04 min |
| Aintree Racecourse Helipad | to Manchester | 25 nm | 15 to 20 min | 1 h 06 min |
Why fly a distance this short?
At 15 to 20 minutes against at least 1 hour 4 minutes by road, Manchester to Liverpool is not the longest saving on this site. It still makes sense in three cases: a group that must connect between a jet at one airport and a meeting in the other city; a client who needs to be on a particular site and cannot wait for the road; and a spread of three or four stops in a day. In those cases the helicopter turns a series of hour-long drives into short hops, and removes the risk of the M62.
Liverpool and Aintree
Liverpool John Lennon Airport has a 2,286 metre runway and is open 24 hours on the airfield, with customs and fuel at any hour. All visiting aircraft need prior permission and ground handling arranged through the airport's business aviation facility, which we book. Aintree racecourse has its own helipad, and the Grand National page explains the day. Anfield is Liverpool's football ground; see Anfield.
See helicopter charter Liverpool for the full page. Liverpool is also the main mainland base for the Isle of Man TT, and Hawarden, for Chester Racecourse, is 10 to 15 minutes from Liverpool by helicopter.
A same-day plan
- Leave Manchester at 09:00, land at Liverpool between 09:15 and 09:20.
- Meetings in Liverpool, or racing at Aintree.
- Leave Liverpool at 15:30, land at Manchester between 15:45 and 15:50.
That is 30 minutes to 40 minutes in the air for the round trip. The same trip by car is at least 2 hours 8 minutes of driving, so the helicopter typically gives back about 1 hour 33 minutes across the day. With such short legs, add a third stop and the helicopter really earns its place. If the flight is cancelled because of the weather, you pay nothing.
Manchester Airport and Barton
Manchester Airport is slot-coordinated, so a lead time applies. Barton Aerodrome, 5 miles west of the city, is the dedicated rotary facility and is available 24 hours on request. If you are connecting from a long-haul flight, use the airport; if you are arriving from the city, use Barton. See helicopter charter Manchester. For a longer chain, Liverpool to Birmingham and Manchester to Leeds are the nearest legs.
Where the figures come from
For Manchester to Liverpool the straight-line distance is 20.6 nautical miles. At a cruise of 135 knots that is about 9 minutes; we add 8 minutes for start-up, climb and the approach, which gives a block time of about 17 minutes, and we show it as a range, 10 per cent shorter to 12 per cent longer, rounded to the nearest five minutes. The road figure is the free-flowing time from a routing engine, so it is a floor. Real journeys on the day are usually slower. The other routes are on the UK helicopter routes page, and helicopter against car journey times explains the comparison.
Flying the other way
The figures are the same in both directions: Liverpool to Manchester is 21 nm in a straight line and 15 to 20 minutes by helicopter. The car takes at least 1 hour 4 minutes (34 miles).
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to fly from Manchester to Liverpool?
About 15 to 20 minutes by helicopter.
How long is the drive from Manchester to Liverpool?
At least 1 hour 4 minutes for 34 miles, free-flowing. Real journeys are usually slower.
Is Manchester to Liverpool worth flying?
For a connection, a fixed start time or a chain of stops, yes. For a single there-and-back, the saving is smaller.
Can I land at Aintree?
Aintree has a racecourse helipad used on race days, subject to permission. We arrange it.
What happens if the weather stops the flight?
If the flight is cancelled because of the weather, you pay nothing.
