Which London airport should you use for a private jet?

By the Charter-A operations team · Last reviewed 6 November 2026

Key facts

• Twelve London airports on this site accept private jets, each with its own page.
• Open 24 hours: Gatwick, Heathrow, Luton and Stansted.
• London City is about 5 miles from the City but limited to aircraft approved for its 5.5 degree steep approach.
• Heathrow and Gatwick take private jets only with a slot, and Heathrow also needs written permission.
• Runways run from 1,505 metres at Lydd to 3,901 metres at Heathrow.

How do the London airports compare?

London has more airports for private jets than almost any other city, and they are not interchangeable. They differ in how far they are from the centre, when they open, whether customs is on site and how long the runway is. The table puts the main facts side by side, ordered by distance from central London.

Distances are in a straight line from central London. Opening hours are shown in short form; each airport’s page gives them in full.

Each airport has its own page on this site with the full detail, and the private jet London page compares them all in one place. What follows explains who each one suits.

Which airport is closest to central London?

London City is, at about 5 miles from the City, with a free shuttle to the DLR for passengers going on by rail. That convenience has a price: the runway is 1,508 metres long and the approach is a steep 5.5 degrees, so only aircraft on the airport's approved list can use it, and single-pilot operations are not allowed. The airport has set hours that vary by day, with a short Saturday and a later Sunday opening, and customs needs notice by 14:00 on the day before.

In practice London City suits a small party flying a short sector in an approved light aircraft, going to or from Canary Wharf or the City. For larger aircraft, longer trips or a flight outside its hours, one of the other airports will be the answer.

Is Biggin Hill or Northolt better for a flight from west or south London?

Both are about 15 miles from central London, and both are strong choices for the capital itself. Biggin Hill is a dedicated business aviation airport with a 1,806 metre runway and customs on site while the airport is open. It opens on weekdays from 06:30 to 23:00 and at weekends and on public holidays from 08:00 to 22:00, and it does not operate outside those hours. There is a 6 minute helicopter shuttle into London for those who want to avoid the road.

RAF Northolt is a military airfield that also takes civil business flights. Its runway is about 1,683 metres, and it handles business jets up to the size of a Global 7500, with a limit of 29 civilian passengers on any one aircraft. Civil flights run on weekdays from 08:00 to 20:00 and at weekends from 10:00 to 17:00, which is the tightest window of any London airport here. Customs is by arrangement rather than on site, and Northolt is not a port of entry for pets, a point that matters if you are travelling with a dog: see taking a dog on a private jet.

What makes Farnborough different?

Farnborough is the UK's largest dedicated business aviation airport, to the south-west of London, with a 2,440 metre runway that takes every business jet. Customs, immigration and screening are all at the terminal. It opens from 07:00 to 22:00 on weekdays and from 08:00 to 20:00 at weekends and on bank holidays, and it is closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. The airport's own figure for the road journey from central London is under 60 minutes by car, or 12 minutes by helicopter.

Farnborough suits a party that wants the full business aviation set-up and a long runway, and that lives or works to the west and south of London. Because it is purpose built, the process on the ground is built around private passengers from the kerb to the aircraft door.

Which London airports are open 24 hours?

Gatwick, Heathrow, Luton and Stansted are open 24 hours. If your departure or arrival is late at night or very early in the morning, those are the airports to start with; the others keep set hours and some close entirely. Even at an airport that never closes there can be restrictions on night operations, so a 24-hour label is the start of the check, not the end of it.

• Luton: airport, customs and immigration are all open 24 hours, with a 2,162 metre runway and two business aviation handling companies. It is about 32 miles from central London by road.
• Stansted: open 24 hours, with night restrictions from 23:30 to 06:00 local. Customs is on site around the clock, but for movements between 23:00 and 07:00 it needs notice by 21:00 local. Its 3,049 metre runway is the longest in the London area with spare capacity, and the airport is about 40 miles from the centre.
• Southend: the Jet Centre runs from 06:00 to 02:30 every day, and the airport itself is open 24 hours, though use between 22:00 and 06:30 needs permission from air traffic control, and night restrictions allow quieter aircraft only. The runway is 1,856 metres and customs is on site.

Can a private jet use Heathrow or Gatwick?

Yes, but only with a slot, and neither is the natural home of private flying. Heathrow accepts business aviation only with prior written permission from the airport and a slot for every movement, applied for between 24 hours and 10 days ahead; light aircraft are not permitted. Gatwick accepts private aircraft only with a runway slot, requested up to 10 days and at least 24 hours ahead, and a mandatory handling agent, and peak-time slots may not be available.

Both have customs on site around the clock and fast rail links into London, which is why they make sense when your journey continues on an airline connection or when nothing else fits the time. For most private trips the dedicated business airports are simpler.

What are the airports further from London for?

Three more are on the list for different reasons. Oxford has a 1,526 metre runway and a dedicated business aviation terminal, about 45 minutes from the M25 and Greater London by car, with customs by arrangement on two hours' notice. Lydd, 60 miles from the centre, has a 1,505 metre ILS runway for light and midsize jets and opens from 08:30 to 19:00 every day. Bournemouth has a 2,272 metre runway and is the airport for the south coast rather than the capital.

Which airport suits which trip?

A starting point only. The airport that suits you also depends on the aircraft, the date and where the aircraft is based.

How should you choose?

1. Start with the destination. The saving on a private flight is on the ground, so the airport nearest your door usually wins.
2. Check the hours at both ends. A flight that suits the aircraft can still be impossible if the airport is closed at the time you want.
3. Check customs. For a flight abroad, confirm customs on site or the notice it needs, as in the table above.
4. Match the runway to the aircraft. Short runways limit the aircraft that can use them; see which size of private jet you need.
5. Allow for slots and permission. Charter-A obtains these, but the busiest airports need them applied for ahead.

How do customs arrangements differ between the London airports?

For a flight abroad, customs and immigration have to be available at the London end, and the arrangements are not the same everywhere. Biggin Hill, Farnborough, Luton, Stansted and Southend have customs on site, and Heathrow and Gatwick have it around the clock. The others work by arrangement or on notice, and the notice is part of the plan.

• London City needs notice by 14:00 on the day before, and border checks for international arrivals take place at the Private Jet Centre.
• Northolt clears flights remotely or at the FBO under general aviation reporting, by arrangement.
• Oxford works under a certificate of agreement: two hours’ notice for flights to and from any country, and 12 hours where special clearance is needed.
• Stansted has customs around the clock, but for movements between 23:00 and 07:00 it needs notice by 21:00 local.
• Lydd coordinates customs through its handling company during airport hours, and needs general aviation reporting notice.

None of this is a problem when it is planned. It becomes one when a flight is arranged late and the notice has already passed, which is why the choice of airport and the notice you give go together.

How do runway length and aircraft size fit together?

The longest runways accept anything; the shortest set limits. Farnborough, with 2,440 metres, takes every business jet. Biggin Hill handles business aircraft up to the size of a Boeing 737 or Airbus A320. Northolt takes jets up to a Global 7500 but no more than 29 civilian passengers on one aircraft. Lydd is for light and midsize jets, with handling mandatory over 4 tonnes. Oxford has fire cover of category 4 to 6 on request. London City is the strictest of all, because the steep approach restricts it to aircraft on its approved list.

This matters when you are choosing between two airports that look equally convenient. A party of ten, or an aircraft with a long take-off run, may rule out the nearest one. See which size of private jet you need for how the classes compare.

How do you get into central London from each airport?

Distance in miles is only part of it. The airports publish their own figures for rail, road and helicopter transfers, and they differ more than the distances suggest.

Transfer times are those published by each airport. Journeys by road depend on traffic.

Can you land at a different London airport from the one you left?

Yes. The airport at each end is chosen for where you are going, not for where the aircraft started. A flight can leave from Farnborough and bring you home to Biggin Hill, for instance, if that suits the people waiting for you and both airports are open at the time. The aircraft and crew are positioned to match, which is part of how the price is built.

Does the time of year or the day of the week matter?

It can. Biggin Hill keeps shorter hours at weekends and on public holidays, from 08:00 to 22:00, and Northolt’s civil window is shorter at weekends, from 10:00 to 17:00. Farnborough is closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. London City closes around midday on Saturday and opens later on Sunday. If your date falls on a weekend or a holiday, check the hours first and choose the airport after that. A weekday departure from Northolt, which is not available on a Sunday evening, is a typical example of a plan that works on one day and not on another.

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Distances, hours, runways, customs and slot rules are taken from the airport records on this site, which are checked against each airport’s own published information. Charter-A Ltd acts as agent for the passenger; details are confirmed for each flight at booking.