London Private Jet Airports Compared

Of the London private jet airports, Farnborough suits most trips: it takes no airline traffic, handles every visiting aircraft itself, and the airport puts central London under an hour away by car. Biggin Hill or London City is closer to the City and Canary Wharf, Northolt to the West End, and Stansted suits the largest cabins.

We are a charter broker. We arrange aircraft through certified operators; we do not operate them. Below we compare eight airports in detail and four more in brief. Runway and hours data come from the UK Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP), checked on 9 November 2026, and terminal details from the airports’ and handlers’ own pages.

In short

  • Farnborough closes at 22:00 on weekdays and 20:00 at weekends; Biggin Hill stays open until 23:00 on weekdays.
  • Luton and Stansted are open around the clock, but night slots are the limit, and Luton had almost none for private flights in summer 2026.
  • London City is closest to the City and Canary Wharf but takes only aircraft approved for its 5.5° approach, and closes from Saturday 12:30 to Sunday 12:30.
  • Northolt serves the West End on military terms: a slot, prior permission and military priority.

London private jet airports at a glance

Hours are local. Transfer times and distances are as published by the source in brackets.

Airport Runway Opening hours Access rules To central London (as published)
Farnborough (EGLF / FAB) 2,440 m Mon–Fri 07:00–22:00; weekends and bank holidays 08:00–20:00 Prior permission; business aviation only Under 60 min by car, 12 min by helicopter (airport)
Biggin Hill (EGKB / BQH) 1,806 m Mon–Fri 06:30–23:00; weekends and public holidays 08:00–22:00 Prior permission; no runway slots Under 50 min by car (Jetex); 6 min by helicopter (airport)
Luton (EGGW / LTN) 2,162 m 24 hours; summer nights restricted Slot for every flight; handler mandatory 30 miles (Signature); from 32 min by train to the passenger terminal (airport)
Stansted (EGSS / STN) 3,049 m 24 hours, few night slots; handlers normally 06:00–22:00 Slot; prior permission 4 h ahead through a handler About 45 min by car to Canary Wharf, 1 h 15 to the West End (Universal Aviation)
London City (EGLC / LCY) 1,508 m Mon–Fri 06:30–22:00; Sat 06:30–12:30; Sun 12:30–22:00 Slot; 5.5° approach approval; no single-pilot flights 6 nautical miles east of the City (UK AIP)
RAF Northolt (EGWU / NHT) 1,687 m (5,535 ft) Mon–Fri 08:00–20:00; weekends confirmed per flight Slot and prior permission; military priority 30 min by car to Park Lane (Universal Aviation, 2025)
Oxford (EGTK / OXF) 1,526 m Daily 06:30–22:30, except Christmas and New Year; extensions by arrangement Prior permission; no slots About an hour to London (airport)
Heathrow (EGLL / LHR) 3,901 m and 3,658 m 24 hours, with night restrictions Written permission at least 24 h ahead, and a slot 12 nautical miles west of London (UK AIP)

Runway lengths are from the UK AIP except Northolt’s, a military aerodrome outside the civil AIP: its runway (converted from feet) and weekday hours come from guides Universal Aviation published in November 2025 and January 2026, while it was the handler there.

Which London airports are busiest for private jets

The European Business Aviation Association’s figures for 2023, republished by Private Jet Card Comparisons, rank six London airports among Europe’s 50 busiest for private flights. London City and Heathrow are not among them.

Airport Rank in Europe Movements in 2023
Farnborough 4 29,966
Luton 5 26,661
Biggin Hill 8 21,685
Stansted 24 10,971
RAF Northolt 34 8,002
Oxford 43 6,684

Airport by airport: private terminals, hours and rules

Farnborough (EGLF / FAB): the default for most trips

The AIP closes Farnborough to scheduled airlines, package-holiday charters and bulk freight. The airport handles every visiting civil aircraft itself, with customs and immigration on site and your car brought to the aircraft steps.

The hours are a planning condition: 07:00 to 22:00 on weekdays and 08:00 to 20:00 at weekends and on bank holidays, with no flying on Christmas Day or Boxing Day, and departing aircraft must be airborne by closing time. Planning conditions also allow aircraft of 50 to 80 tonnes 1,500 movements a year and cap weekend and bank-holiday movements at 8,900 a year; the airport’s bid to raise that to 13,500 goes to a public inquiry scheduled for May 2027.

Who it suits: the West End, Kensington, Surrey and Hampshire, and daytime trips on any day. More on our Farnborough airport page.

Biggin Hill (EGKB / BQH): the City, Canary Wharf and late weekday arrivals

Biggin Hill sits 12 nautical miles south-south-east of London. The airport calls itself a designated UK port of entry with no runway slots, but every movement needs prior permission and nothing operates outside published hours. Its 23:00 weekday close is the latest standard close of the airports here that shut overnight; Oxford can extend to midnight by arrangement.

Two FBOs share the airport. Biggin Hill Executive Handling is the airport’s own terminal, co-located with UK Border Force; Jetex London runs a 1,900 square metre private terminal. The airport’s helicopter shuttle, run by Castle Air, takes six minutes to central London. The AIP lists handling for business aircraft up to Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 size, and larger on request.

Who it suits: the City, Canary Wharf, south-east London and Kent, and weekday arrivals after Farnborough has closed. More on our Biggin Hill airport page.

Luton (EGGW / LTN): late flights, except on summer nights

Luton is a 24-hour airport with customs around the clock, 30.5 nautical miles north of London. Every flight needs a slot from Airport Coordination Limited and a pre-arranged handler: for private aviation, Signature, whose Terminal 1 is open 24 hours, or Harrods Aviation.

Summer nights are the exception. From 1 June to 30 September 2026 the slot coordinator’s declaration allowed no ad hoc movements between 23:00 and 06:59, private flights included; Signature, for one, was later allocated six night slots a month for quieter aircraft. In 2025 the airport released a 100-movement summer pool instead. Who it suits: late-evening and early-morning flights from October to May, north London and Hertfordshire. See our Luton airport page.

Stansted (EGSS / STN): the long runway

Stansted’s 3,049-metre runway is the longest of the eight after Heathrow’s. It is open 24 hours, but every flight needs a slot, and the AIP warns that ad hoc slots in peak periods are likely to be extremely limited.

Nights are tighter still. Between 23:30 and 06:00, ad hoc flights, private ones included, share a pool the airport aims to keep at ten movements a week and can suspend; without one, Universal Aviation puts the last departure at 23:10. Harrods, Universal Aviation, Inflite and Diamond Hangar’s London Jet Centre handle executive aircraft. Handlers normally work 06:00 to 22:00 and customs 07:30 to 21:30; cover outside those hours is arranged through the handler.

Universal Aviation says the airport takes VIP aircraft up to a Boeing 747-8. Who it suits: the largest cabins, Essex, Cambridge and east London.

London City (EGLC / LCY): closest to the City, strictest aircraft rules

London City sits six nautical miles east of the City of London and has the strictest aircraft rules here. Every aircraft needs approved procedures for an approach of 5.5 degrees or steeper. Single-engine aircraft and single-pilot operations are not accepted, and every flight needs a slot and the airport director’s permission.

The runway is 1,508 metres long, and only 1,199 metres is declared for the take-off run, which can cap take-off weight on longer sectors. Handling is by the London City Airport Jet Centre.

On public holidays it opens 09:00 to 22:00. Customs needs notice by 14:00 the day before, and a delayed aircraft may be allowed 30 minutes past closing by prior arrangement. Who it suits: weekday trips to Canary Wharf and the City on an aircraft cleared for the steep approach, which we check before we quote. See our London City airport page.

RAF Northolt (EGWU / NHT): the West End, on military terms

Northolt is a working RAF station that admits business aviation. Since 1 September 2026 its sole business aviation handler has been Gama Aviation, which took over from Universal Aviation. Weekday civil hours were last published as 08:00 to 20:00, in January 2026. Published weekend hours have varied, so we confirm them for each date.

Flights need a slot and prior permission, and military or government movements take priority, so a permission can be delayed or withdrawn. An annual cap applies and some days have no slots left. Aircraft the size of an Airbus ACJ or Boeing BBJ may not be accepted because fire cover is limited. Who it suits: same-day business in Mayfair, Knightsbridge or Kensington, below airliner size, with slack in the schedule.

Oxford (EGTK / OXF): no slots, long hours, further out

London Oxford Airport lies 40 miles north-west of Greater London, by its own description. It opens 06:30 to 22:30 every day except Christmas and New Year, with extensions from 06:00 to midnight by arrangement, and says it has no slots or weekend restrictions. All handling is the airport’s own, through its Oxfordjet terminal. It takes aircraft up to BBJ, A320 and Embraer 190 size.

International flights need two hours’ notice to the airport for customs. Who it suits: Oxford, the Cotswolds and the Thames Valley, and weekend schedules that Farnborough’s 20:00 close would not fit.

Heathrow (EGLL / LHR): rarely the right answer

Each private flight needs written permission from Heathrow’s Director of Operations, applied for between ten days and 24 hours ahead, and a slot it must keep to. A handling agent is required. Signature runs a private terminal there with customs and immigration on site.

It makes sense when a private leg connects with an airline flight at Heathrow. Otherwise Farnborough, Northolt or Luton does the job with less paperwork.

Other airfields near London

Four more airfields take business aircraft. Gatwick, 24.7 nautical miles south of London, needs a slot and the airport’s prior approval for every flight, and international private arrivals clear customs in the South Terminal. London Southend’s Jet Centre works around the clock, but night slots are restricted from 23:00 to 06:30. Cambridge takes visiting aircraft on weekdays only, last movement 17:45. Blackbushe, 3.8 nautical miles north-west of Farnborough, has a 1,285-metre runway and closes at 18:00, or 22:00 by arrangement.

Which London airport to use

We start with the address, then check the clock and the aircraft.

  • West End and Kensington: Northolt when its hours and slots allow, Farnborough otherwise.
  • The City and Canary Wharf: London City if the aircraft is cleared for the steep approach, Biggin Hill if not.
  • North London and Hertfordshire: Luton. Essex and Cambridge: Stansted.
  • After 22:00 on a weekday: Biggin Hill until 23:00, Oxford until 22:30 or later by arrangement, then Luton from October to May or Stansted, if a night slot is available.
  • Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning: not London City, which is shut from 12:30 on Saturday to 12:30 on Sunday.
  • Airliner-sized VIP jets: Stansted; Farnborough within its annual allowance for aircraft of 50 to 80 tonnes; Biggin Hill and Oxford up to Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 size. Not Northolt.

The airport also moves the price. A field far from the aircraft’s base adds positioning, and landing and handling alone run roughly €800 to €2,500 per movement at hubs like Luton, as our charter cost guide sets out. Hourly rates by aircraft class are in our Price Index.

Frequently asked questions

Which London airport is best for private jets?

Farnborough suits most trips: it takes no airline traffic, and the airport puts central London under 60 minutes away by car. Biggin Hill is better for the City and Canary Wharf, Northolt for the West End, and Luton outside summer or Stansted for late nights, when a night slot is available.

Which London private jet airports are open 24 hours?

Luton, Stansted, Heathrow, Gatwick and Southend are open around the clock, but night slots for private flights are limited. Luton allowed almost no ad hoc night flights from June to September 2026, and Stansted aims to release about ten movements a week between 23:30 and 06:00 to ad hoc operators. Farnborough, Biggin Hill, London City, Northolt and Oxford close overnight.

Which London airport is closest to central London for a private jet?

London City, six nautical miles east of the City of London, if the aircraft is approved for its 5.5-degree approach. For the West End, RAF Northolt is 30 minutes from Park Lane by car, by Universal Aviation’s 2025 estimate.

Where can a private jet land in London late on a Sunday?

Farnborough closes at 20:00 on Sundays. Biggin Hill and London City stay open until 22:00, and Oxford until 22:30 or later by arrangement. Later arrivals need a slot at a 24-hour airport: Stansted, or Luton outside its summer night restriction.

Can a private jet fly into Heathrow?

Yes, with prior written permission from Heathrow, applied for between ten days and 24 hours ahead, and a slot from Airport Coordination Limited. For most private trips Farnborough, Northolt or Luton is simpler.

Sources

Send us the address in London, the date and the number of passengers. We will come back with the airport, the aircraft and an itemised price. Request a quote.