Biggin Hill Airport Private Jet Guide: Runway, Heli Shuttle

Biggin Hill: 22 km (14 miles) from London, six minutes by helicopter

A private jet to London Biggin Hill (BQH / EGKB) lands 22 km (14 miles) south-south-east of London by the AIP's own measure, and the airport times its helicopter shuttle to the London Heliport at six minutes. There is no slot coordination: prior permission is booked online at least 30 minutes before the movement, and Border Force works throughout opening hours, 06:30 to 23:00 on weekdays and 08:00 to 22:00 at weekends, local time. The figure to check is the runway, 1,806 m long but with only 1,555 m declared for landing on runway 03. IBC Aviation's Paris, Nice and Luxembourg teams arrange private jet hire to or from Biggin Hill.

Six minutes to Battersea by helicopter, 16 minutes to Victoria by train

The London Heli Shuttle is run for the airport by Castle Air, with AgustaWestland AW109 and AW139 helicopters based on site. According to the airport, it reaches the London Heliport at Battersea about six minutes after lift-off, and a chauffeured car to the final address is included.

The heliport keeps its own hours. The AIP sets them at 07:30 to 19:30 on weekdays and 08:00 to 18:00 at weekends, local time, with movements up to 23:00 by arrangement, so a jet landing at 21:00 on a Friday can still connect if the heliport's late opening is arranged together with the flight.

Rail is the other route in. From Bromley South, non-stop trains reach London Victoria in 16 minutes, the natural choice for the West End; from Orpington, London Bridge is 18 minutes away, closer to the City and Canary Wharf. A car, or the rail-air shuttle bus listed in the AIP, covers the stretch from the terminal to either station.

On a map, the airport sits about 22 km from Charing Cross, inside the London Borough of Bromley.

No slot, but prior permission 30 minutes ahead

Biggin Hill is not slot-coordinated. Every movement needs prior permission instead, requested through the booking form on the airport's website at least 30 minutes before the estimated time of departure or arrival; a filed flight plan counts as that request, which makes short-notice departures simpler here than at a coordinated field such as Luton, where every movement needs an ACL slot.

The AIP gives the weekday hours in UTC, 0630 to 2300 in winter and 0530 to 2200 in summer: 06:30 to 23:00 local time all year, since British Summer Time is UTC+1. Weekends and bank holidays run from 08:00 to 22:00 local. Nothing moves outside those hours. Before any international arrival, a General Aviation Report must reach Border Force.

Border Force's list of aerodromes also shows Biggin Hill as police-designated. A charter to or from Jersey, Guernsey or Dublin therefore needs no separate approval from a police examining officer.

1,806 m of runway, 1,555 m to land on runway 03

The runway measures 1,806 m by 45 m and was resurfaced in spring and summer 2025, when 60 new centreline lights were installed. Declared distances tell another story. The runway 03 threshold is displaced by 251 m, which leaves 1,555 m for landing, against 1,670 m on runway 21; the take-off runs are 1,781 m and 1,670 m. The AIP publishes a runway slope of 1.13% and warns that the landing distance remaining can be hard to judge because of the runway profile.

Until recently, runway 03 had no instrument approach at all, so arrivals in that direction were flown visually. A satellite-based approach, authorised by the CAA as a trial, opened to all suitably equipped operators on 30 April 2026, which makes those arrivals less dependent on the weather, as the airport's trial page explains.

A Citation Mustang or a Phenom 300 uses Biggin Hill without discussion. For a heavy jet, we check landing performance on runway 03 at the planned weight and in the forecast wind before confirming. The handling agent accepts aircraft up to Boeing 737 or Airbus A320 size, larger ones on request, and only aircraft meeting ICAO Chapter 3 noise standards or better are admitted.

Two FBOs, one of them sharing its building with Border Force

Visiting aircraft above 6,001 kg must use a handling agent. The airport lists two full-service FBOs, Biggin Hill Executive Handling, run by the airport itself and co-located with UK Border Force, and Jetex London, both with direct ramp access for cars and for helicopters.

The AIP counts a passenger terminal and two VIP lounges, and a hotel, The Landing, stands on the airport. Our piece on the role of an FBO describes what the handler takes off your hands, from catering to the car at the foot of the steps.

Dogs and cats through SkyPets, with 24 hours' notice

Biggin Hill runs its own pet reception, SkyPets, approved by DEFRA. The aircraft operator must hold prior approval to use it, and the documents must reach the SkyPets team at least 24 hours before arrival.

The government's list of approved charter routes for pets, updated on 11 September 2026, names Biggin Hill for some 470 charter operators. We check that the chosen operator is one of them. Our article on animals travelling by private jet explains why the cabin, rather than the hold, changes everything for them.

Private jet hire between London and Paris, Nice or Luxembourg: example prices

These example prices apply to London as a whole, with no airport specified. Paris to London costs, for example, €6,500 one way in a Citation Mustang, four seats, for 1h00; with 5 to 7 passengers, a light jet such as the Phenom 300 is charged at its category's hourly rate, from €4,000 per hour. Nice to London costs €15,500 in a Phenom 300, seven seats, for 1h50. From our Luxembourg office, London costs €7,500 in a Citation Mustang, four seats, for 1h15.

Anything else is priced by the hour: from €3,500 in a very light jet and €4,000 in a light jet, with the full grid on our charter prices page. To see Biggin Hill beside the other eight fields, open our nine London airports side by side; for a larger aircraft west of London, our Farnborough guide sets out the weight limits.

Frequently asked questions

Do you need a slot to fly a private jet into Biggin Hill?

No. Biggin Hill is not slot-coordinated. Each movement needs prior permission, booked on the airport's form at least 30 minutes before departure or arrival. A filed flight plan also counts as the request.

What is the latest a private jet can land at Biggin Hill?

23:00 on weekdays and 22:00 at weekends and on bank holidays, local time, all year. The AIP publishes these hours in UTC, one hour earlier in summer, and permits no movement outside them.

Is Biggin Hill's runway long enough for a large business jet?

It is 1,806 m long, with 1,670 m available for landing on runway 21 and 1,555 m on runway 03. Light and midsize jets use it routinely; for a heavy jet, landing performance at the actual weight and wind is checked before the flight is confirmed.

How long does it take to reach the City from Biggin Hill?

About six minutes by helicopter to the London Heliport, according to the airport, then a car; by rail, trains from Orpington reach London Bridge in 18 minutes, while Bromley South is 16 minutes from Victoria for the West End.

 

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