Private jet London to Paris
Biggin Hill to Le Bourget, the airport for Paris business; from the City it is usually the quicker London airport to reach.
Biggin Hill Airport for private jets
Inside Greater London, about 14 miles from the City, with Border Force in the terminal and a six-minute helicopter to Battersea. Hours, permission, the two private terminals and the routes flown from it, checked against the UK AIP.
Biggin Hill hours and rulesChecked against the UK AIP on 20 October 2026.
Photograph: HawkeyeUK, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Codes
- BQH · EGKB
- Runway
- 1,806 m (5,925 ft)
- Weekdays
- 6.30 am to 11 pm
- Weekends
- 8 am to 10 pm
- Border Force
- Whenever the airport is open
- To Battersea
- Six minutes by helicopter
Reviewed by The 0.1% Group private aviation team · Last checked
Where Biggin Hill Airport is
Biggin Hill is in the London Borough of Bromley, on the south-eastern edge of Greater London, about 14 miles from Mayfair and the City in a straight line. It is the usual airport for the City, Canary Wharf and Kent, unless the aircraft is approved for London City's steep approach, and the airport's helicopter shuttle reaches The London Heliport at Battersea in six minutes.
It was RAF Biggin Hill, a Battle of Britain fighter station, and some of the wartime buildings still stand beside the taxiway. Today it has two private terminals, Bombardier's service centre and hangar space for visiting aircraft. How it compares with Farnborough, Luton, Stansted and London City is in our guide to the private jet airports in London.
Getting to Biggin Hill Airport
Jetex puts central London at under 50 minutes by car, and the airport's helicopter shuttle reaches The London Heliport at Battersea in six minutes, with a car waiting at the London end. For Kent and Sussex it is the closest of the London airports.
Crew and staff travelling by train use Bromley South or Orpington, the nearest stations.
| From Biggin Hill to | By road | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Central London (Mayfair) | 18 miles | Under 50 minutes, by Jetex's figure |
| The City (Bank) | 21 miles | About 50 minutes to an hour |
| Canary Wharf | 19 miles | About 45 minutes to an hour |
| Sevenoaks | 13 miles | About 25 minutes |
| Royal Tunbridge Wells | 28 miles | About 45 minutes |
| Gatwick Airport | 25 miles | About 45 minutes |
| The London Heliport, Battersea | By helicopter | Six minutes |
Biggin Hill is about 14 miles from Mayfair in a straight line.
Road miles by the usual route. Drive times other than Jetex's are our estimates outside the rush hour; a weekday morning into the City takes longer.
Biggin Hill and the other London airports
Biggin Hill sits on the south-eastern edge of Greater London. Farnborough is south-west in Hampshire, Luton and Stansted are to the north, and London City is in the Docklands. The line is the straight-line distance to Mayfair.
BQH · EGKB · Bromley, south-east London
Biggin Hill opening hours, permission and customs
- from Mayfair
- 14 miles
- by helicopter to Battersea
- 6 minutes
- weekday hours
- 6.30 am–11 pm
Photograph: HawkeyeUK, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Biggin Hill opens at 6.30 am and closes at 11 pm on weekdays, and runs from 8 am to 10 pm at weekends and on public holidays. Nothing may land or take off outside those hours, and every movement needs the airport's prior permission.
Biggin Hill in detail: permission, customs, noise and weekends
Prior permission is booked on the airport's form at least 30 minutes before departure or arrival, and a filed flight plan counts as the request. We arrange it with the handling when we confirm the aircraft.
UK Border Force is available whenever the airport is open, and passengers clear customs and immigration in the private terminal. Every international arrival files a General Aviation Report before it lands; we file it. A flight from abroad that would land after 11 pm on a weekday, or 10 pm at a weekend, goes to Luton or Stansted instead.
The airport sits close to houses, and its rules show it. Only aircraft that meet ICAO Chapter 3 noise standards or better are accepted, jets leave on set noise routes with a speed limit until they have turned away from the town, and every flight is tracked. Auxiliary power units may run for no more than 30 minutes without the airport's consent, and the penalty charges for leaving the routes go to local good causes.
Weekend hours are shorter than weekday hours but longer than Farnborough's: 8 am to 10 pm on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, against 8 am to 8 pm at Farnborough.
Handling is compulsory for visiting aircraft over 6 tonnes, which takes in almost every business jet, and the ground equipment covers aircraft up to Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 size, larger by request. Jet A-1 and sustainable aviation fuel are both on the airfield, and there is hangar space for visiting aircraft.
Biggin Hill FBOs: two private terminals
Two companies handle passengers at Biggin Hill, and we choose between them for each flight. Signature has left the airport, and Bombardier's service centre maintains aircraft rather than handling passengers.
Biggin Hill Executive Handling
The airport's own terminal, with Border Force in the building, two VIP lounges, and cars and helicopters able to reach the aircraft on the ramp.
Jetex London
A 1,900 m² private terminal in Hangar 510, the building Signature used to occupy, in full operation since January 2023. Lounges, a cigar lounge, boardrooms and shower suites, with Border Force and customs on site.
Biggin Hill's runway and the aircraft it suits
The runway, 03-21, is 1,806 m long and 45 m wide. The distance available to take off is 1,781 m on runway 03 and 1,670 m on runway 21, and to land 1,555 m and 1,670 m. Light, midsize and super-midsize jets use it with room to spare, and Jetex says most aircraft can leave without payload or range limits, transatlantic flights included.
The margin narrows for the largest jets at full fuel. A Gulfstream G650 at maximum weight needs 1,786 m to take off by its published figure, so for the longest flights in the largest cabins we compare Farnborough, with 2,440 m, before we choose.
Biggin Hill compared with the other London airports
Against Farnborough, Biggin Hill is closer to the City, Canary Wharf and Kent, opens earlier on weekdays and closes an hour later, two hours later at weekends. Farnborough has the longer runway, 2,440 m against 1,806 m, and suits the West End, Surrey and Berkshire.
London City is closer still, but only for aircraft certified for its 5.5° approach, and it closes from Saturday lunchtime to Sunday lunchtime. Luton and Stansted are the airports for a landing after 11 pm, by night slot.
| Airport | From Mayfair | Aircraft | Customs | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| London Biggin Hill Airport BQH | About 14 miles; under 50 minutes by car, or six minutes by helicopter to Battersea | Most business jets; 1,806 m runway | Border Force in the terminal, during opening hours | The City, Canary Wharf, Kent |
| Farnborough Airport FAB | About 32 miles; under an hour to central London by car, by the airport's figure | Up to 80 tonnes; above 50 tonnes within a yearly quota | Border Force on site, during opening hours | Mayfair, Knightsbridge, Surrey, Berkshire |
| London Luton Airport LTN | About 27 miles; north of London on the M1 | Large cabins included; a slot for every flight | Around the clock at Signature | North London, Hertfordshire, late flights |
| London Stansted Airport STN | About 30 miles; about 45 minutes to the City and Canary Wharf, by the airport's figure | Every size, including VIP airliners; 3,049 m runway | Around the clock; notice by 9 pm for night arrivals | VIP airliners, the City, Cambridge |
| London City Airport LCY | About 8 miles; three miles from Canary Wharf, five from the City | Only types certified for a 5.5° approach | By arrangement, notice by 2 pm the day before | The City and Canary Wharf, short European flights |
Distances are straight-line from Mayfair; drive times are indicative. The same comparison, with an airport finder, is in our guide to the private jet airports in London.
Flying from Biggin Hill?
Send us your route, date and time. We will confirm the hours, book the terminal and propose the aircraft and price.
Popular private jet routes from Biggin Hill
Each route page has the flight time, the airports at both ends, the aircraft that suit it and an indicative price for the whole aircraft.
Private jet London to Geneva
Geneva, Sion or Chambéry for the Alps; a light or midsize jet is enough from Biggin Hill.
Private jet Paris to London
Into Biggin Hill for the City and Canary Wharf, with Border Force in the terminal.
Private jet London to Dubai
A super-midsize or large-cabin jet non-stop; leave before 11 pm on a weekday.
Private jet London to New York
A large-cabin jet to Teterboro; at full fuel we compare Farnborough's longer runway.
More destinations from Biggin Hill: Nice, Ibiza, Milan and Geneva.
Frequently asked questions
What are Biggin Hill Airport's opening hours?
6.30 am to 11 pm Monday to Friday, and 8 am to 10 pm on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. No aircraft may land or take off outside those hours.
Does Biggin Hill have customs for private flights?
Yes. UK Border Force is available whenever the airport is open, and passengers clear in the private terminal. A General Aviation Report is filed before every international arrival; we file it.
Which FBOs are at Biggin Hill?
Two: Biggin Hill Executive Handling, the airport's own terminal, and Jetex London, in full operation since January 2023 in the hangar Signature used to occupy. Signature no longer operates there.
How far is Biggin Hill from central London?
About 14 miles in a straight line and 18 by road. Jetex puts central London at under 50 minutes by car, and the helicopter shuttle to Battersea takes six minutes.
Can large private jets use Biggin Hill?
Most can. The runway is 1,806 m long and the airport handles aircraft up to Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 size, larger by request. For the heaviest long-range departures at full fuel we compare Farnborough or Stansted.
How much notice does Biggin Hill need?
The airport needs its prior permission at least 30 minutes before arrival or departure. The notice a flight needs in practice depends on the aircraft and crew; tell us the time and we will say what is possible.
Biggin Hill or Farnborough?
Biggin Hill for the City, Canary Wharf and Kent, and for later departures: it closes at 11 pm on weekdays and 10 pm at weekends. Farnborough for the West End, Surrey and Berkshire, and for the largest jets.
Sources: 7 official pages, checked 20 October 2026
Reviewed by The 0.1% Group private aviation team. Runway, hours, customs, noise rules and FBO operators checked against these pages on 20 October 2026. Operating rules change; we reconfirm them with the airport and the handler for every flight.
- UK AIP, London Biggin Hill (EGKB) AD 2, AIRAC 1 October 2026
- London Biggin Hill Airport: FBOs
- London Biggin Hill Airport: heli shuttle
- Jetex London Biggin Hill
- Jetex: Jetex London opens at Biggin Hill, 30 January 2023
- GOV.UK: general aviation reporting guidance, June 2026
- Office for National Statistics boundaries (map), Open Government Licence v3.0; contains OS data, Crown copyright and database right 2025
A private jet from Biggin Hill
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