Private Jet to London
London has more business aviation airports than any other city in Europe, so the question is rarely whether you can land but where: Farnborough or Biggin Hill for the West End, London City for Canary Wharf, Luton for the long-range fleet. Most of Europe is under two hours away.
Which airport for London.
Four of the five take every jet in the reference fleet; London City is the exception and the reason to check the type before you choose it. For Mayfair and Knightsbridge it is Farnborough or Biggin Hill, for the City it is London City, for a late long-haul arrival it is Luton.
| Airport | To the centre | Runway | Jets that fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Farnborough FAB | About 60 km, an hour to Mayfair by road or 15 min by helicopter to Battersea | 2,440 m | 70 of 70 VIP airliner |
| London Luton LTN | About 55 km, an hour to Mayfair | 2,162 m | 70 of 70 VIP airliner |
| London Biggin Hill BQH | About 25 km, 45 min by road or 6 min by helicopter to Battersea | 1,806 m | 59 of 70 Ultra long range |
| London City LCY | 20 min to the City and Canary Wharf | 1,508 m | 34 of 70 Heavy jet |
| London Stansted STN | About 60 km, 1 h 10 to the centre | 3,049 m | 70 of 70 VIP airliner |
Farnborough (FAB): London's dedicated business aviation airport: no scheduled traffic, a terminal built for private flights and the fastest handling in the region. Movements are capped at weekends, so Saturday and Sunday slots go early.
London Luton (LTN): Open 24 hours with several FBOs and no size limit, which makes it the airport for long-range jets and late arrivals. The road into town is the slowest of the five at rush hour.
London Biggin Hill (BQH): The closest full business aviation airport to the city, with its own helicopter link. Opening hours end in the evening, so a late arrival from the east is better at Luton.
London City (LCY): In the Docklands itself, with a steep 5.5° approach that only certified aircraft types may fly. Closed from Saturday afternoon to Sunday midday, and the most weather-sensitive of the five. This airport has a 5.5° steep approach. Only aircraft certified for it, flown by crews trained for it, may land here — so the runway length below is necessary but nowhere near sufficient. The list of operators who can serve it is short, and we will tell you plainly whether your dates can be covered.
London Stansted (STN): Open 24 hours with a long runway for any aircraft type. Useful for the north-east of the city, Cambridge and as the diversion airport when fog closes the others.
Rule of thumb: published take-off distance at maximum weight, sea level, a standard day and a dry runway. Altitude, weather and airport rules can still rule out an aircraft the runway allows. Check any airport in the runway checker
Popular routes to London, with indicative prices.
| Route | Flight time | Aircraft class | Indicative price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frankfurt to London FRA, QEF | 1 h 20 | Light jet | from €7,000 |
| Munich to London MUC | 1 h 45 | Light jet | from €8,500 |
| Düsseldorf to London DUS | 1 h 10 | Light jet | from €6,000 |
| Vienna to London VIE | 2 h 15 | Light to midsize jet | from €11,000 |
| London to Nice NCE | 1 h 50 | Light to midsize jet | from €9,500 |
| London to Geneva GVA | 1 h 30 | Light to midsize jet | from €7,500 |
| London to Paris LBG | 1 h 05 | Light jet | from €6,500 |
| London to Zurich ZRH | 1 h 35 | Light to midsize jet | from €8,000 |
| London to Ibiza IBZ | 2 h 30 | Midsize jet | from €15,500 |
| London to Milan LIN | 1 h 50 | Light to midsize jet | from €9,500 |
| London to Dubai DXB, DWC | 6 h 45 | Heavy jet | from €58,000 |
| London to New York TEB, HPN | 7 h 15 | Ultra-long-range jet | from €85,000 |
Indicative one-way prices for the whole aircraft, all-inclusive: crew, fuel, handling, landing fees and catering. They reflect operator pricing seen by our desk in autumn 2026; London airport fees vary widely (Farnborough and London City are the dearest), and positioning, de-icing and peak dates move them. A quote names the actual aircraft and holds the price.
London through the year.
Christmas and New Year. The busiest fortnight at every London airport. Farnborough's weekend cap and Biggin Hill's hours bite hardest here; confirm by early December.
Royal Ascot and Wimbledon. Mid-June to mid-July is the summer season: Ascot in the third week of June, Wimbledon from late June, with parking at Farnborough and Biggin Hill booked out weeks ahead.
Chelsea Flower Show. Late May brings the show, the start of the summer social calendar and the first slot pressure of the year at the western airports.
Frieze and the autumn season. Early October fills Mayfair with the art fair and its sales; a quieter month for the airports otherwise, with reliable weather.
Winter weather. Fog and frost close London City first and Luton last; from November to February allow for de-icing and keep an alternate in the plan.
August. The quietest month: Parliament and the markets are away, slots are easy and prices soften on the short European legs.
London, in brief.
Where to stay
Mayfair and Knightsbridge are the natural end of a Farnborough or Biggin Hill arrival: Claridge’s, the Connaught, the Berkeley and the Lanesborough are all within a few minutes of each other, with Belgravia’s townhouse hotels a short walk away. For the City and Canary Wharf, land at London City and stay east, at the Ned or the Four Seasons at Ten Trinity Square. Further out, the Cotswolds and the Surrey estates are closer to Farnborough than to town, which is worth knowing when a country weekend is the point of the trip.
What to do
The calendar does the planning. Royal Ascot in June, Wimbledon from late June, the Proms through the summer, Frieze in October and the Christmas windows on Regent Street each draw their own crowd and fill their own hotels. Between them, London rewards a short list: a morning at the Wallace Collection or the Courtauld, lunch in Mayfair, the theatre at night. Day trips reach Oxford, Windsor and the Cotswolds in little more than an hour by car, or Edinburgh in an hour by jet.
Getting around
A chauffeured car waits at the aircraft door at every airport, but traffic sets the timetable: Farnborough and Luton are an hour from Mayfair outside rush hour and well over it inside. Helicopter transfers from Farnborough and Biggin Hill to Battersea cut that to minutes and are the usual answer for a dinner or a meeting with a fixed start. Within town, black cabs and the Elizabeth line beat a car across the centre.
Good to know
The UK is one hour behind central Europe and four hours behind the Gulf, so a morning departure from Dubai lands before lunch. Visa-free visitors need an Electronic Travel Authorisation before they fly, which takes minutes online. Sterling is the currency, cards work everywhere, and tipping is modest. London’s airport fees are the highest in Europe, which is why a quote here always names the airport as well as the aircraft.
Before you fly to London.
How long is a private jet flight to London from Europe?
Between one and two and a half hours from almost anywhere in western and central Europe: about 1 h 05 from Paris, 1 h 20 from Frankfurt, 1 h 35 from Zurich, 1 h 50 from Nice or Milan, 2 h 15 from Vienna. A light jet does all of these non-stop; from Dubai it is about seven hours in a heavy jet.
Which London airport should I use?
Farnborough or Biggin Hill for Mayfair, Knightsbridge and the west, with a helicopter link from both to Battersea. London City for the City and Canary Wharf on a weekday, if your aircraft type is certified for its steep approach. Luton for a long-range jet or a late arrival, Stansted for the north-east and as the bad-weather alternate.
How much does a private jet to London cost?
From about €6,500 one way from Paris or €7,000 from Frankfurt in a light jet, about €9,500 from Nice or Milan, and from about €85,000 from New York in an ultra-long-range jet. The whole aircraft is priced, so the cost per seat falls with every passenger; London's airport fees are among Europe's highest and are already in these figures.
How far in advance should I book?
Outside the summer season and the holidays, a day is enough and same-day is often possible. For Royal Ascot, Wimbledon and the Christmas fortnight, two weeks secures the aircraft and the parking, because Farnborough caps weekend movements and Biggin Hill closes in the evening.
Can I land in central London by helicopter?
Yes. Battersea heliport takes transfers from Farnborough (about 15 minutes) and Biggin Hill (about 6 minutes), landing a few minutes from Chelsea and Belgravia. It has fixed opening hours and needs a booking, which we make together with the flight.
Do I need a visa or a travel authorisation for the UK?
EU, Swiss, US and most Gulf passports need an Electronic Travel Authorisation, applied for online in advance, rather than a visa. On a private flight immigration is cleared at the FBO in minutes; tell us the passports on board when you request the quote and we check the rules for each.
Is London City really restricted to certain aircraft?
Yes. Its short runway and 5.5-degree approach mean only aircraft types certified for it may land, among them several light and midsize jets but no heavy jets. If London City is the goal, say so when you ask for the quote and we offer only aircraft that can use it.
Included on every booking.
- Usually a quote in under 15 minutes, with the actual aircraft named
- All-inclusive pricing — handling, crew, catering and landing fees
- AOC-certified operator, verified before we offer it
- One advisor from the first call to the arrival
- Ground transfers arranged at both ends on request
Routes to and from London
Quote a flight to London
Usually a reply in under 15 minutes, with real aircraft and all-inclusive pricing.