Private jet London to New York
Farnborough to Teterboro, westbound into the jet stream; a large-cabin jet flies it non-stop.
Farnborough Airport for private jets
The UK's only airport given over entirely to business aviation, in Hampshire, under an hour from central London by the airport's figure. Hours, weekend limits, the weight quota, the terminal and the routes flown from it, checked against the UK AIP.
Farnborough hours and rulesChecked against the UK AIP on 20 October 2026.
Photograph: Steve Lynes, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
- Codes
- FAB · EGLF
- Runway
- 2,440 m (8,005 ft)
- Weekdays
- 7 am to 10 pm
- Weekends
- 8 am to 8 pm
- Weight limit
- 80 tonnes
- By helicopter
- 12 minutes to London
Reviewed by The 0.1% Group private aviation team · Last checked
Where Farnborough Airport is
Farnborough is in north-east Hampshire, a mile north-north-west of Aldershot and about 32 miles from Mayfair in a straight line. It is the usual airport for the West End, Surrey and Berkshire: Ascot and Guildford are each about 25 minutes away by road.
It calls itself the UK's largest and only dedicated business aviation airport, and the UK AIP bars scheduled passenger flights, holiday charters and bulk freight, so the ramp, the terminal and the hangars serve private and corporate aircraft only. Britain's first powered flight took off here in 1908, and the Farnborough International Airshow has been held on the airfield since 1948. How it compares with Biggin Hill, Luton, Stansted and London City is in our guide to the private jet airports in London.
Getting to Farnborough Airport
The airport puts central London at under an hour by car and 12 minutes by helicopter. Heathrow, Windsor, Ascot and Guildford are all closer, which makes Farnborough the airport for a weekend in the country as much as a meeting in Mayfair.
Crew and staff travelling by train use Farnborough Main or North Camp, each about a mile away. Cars drive straight to the aircraft.
| From Farnborough to | By road | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Central London (Mayfair) | 40 miles | Under an hour, by the airport's figure |
| Heathrow Airport | 28 miles | About 40 minutes |
| Windsor | 21 miles | About 35 minutes |
| Ascot | 15 miles | About 25 minutes |
| Guildford | 13 miles | About 25 minutes |
| Oxford | 59 miles | About 1 hour 20 minutes |
| Central London by helicopter | By helicopter | 12 minutes, by the airport's figure |
Farnborough is about 32 miles from Mayfair in a straight line.
Road miles by the usual route. Drive times other than the airport's are our estimates outside the rush hour.
Farnborough and the other London airports
Farnborough lies south-west of London in Hampshire, the furthest of the five main airports from Mayfair but the closest to Surrey and Berkshire. Biggin Hill is on the south-eastern edge of Greater London, Luton and Stansted are to the north. The line is the straight-line distance to Mayfair.
FAB · EGLF · Farnborough, Hampshire
Farnborough opening hours, limits and customs
- from Mayfair
- 32 miles
- maximum aircraft weight
- 80 tonnes
- weekday hours
- 7 am–10 pm
Photograph: Steve Lynes, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Farnborough is open from 7 am to 10 pm on weekdays and from 8 am to 8 pm at weekends and on bank holidays, and closed on 25 and 26 December. The closing time is firm: an arrival must be within 12 miles of touchdown five minutes before it, and a departure must be airborne by it.
Farnborough in detail: permission, customs, noise and weekends
Every flight needs prior permission from Farnborough Airport Operations, and the flight plan may not be filed until it is granted. The airport's own handling is normally mandatory, so every passenger uses the same terminal. On a quiet evening the airport may close early, with a notice to pilots, so a late return is booked in advance, not assumed.
The planning permission caps the airport at 50,000 movements a year, no more than 8,900 of them at weekends. No aircraft may weigh more than 80 tonnes, and those between 50 and 80 tonnes share a quota of 1,500 movements a year, 270 at weekends. That covers the Global 7500 and the Boeing and Airbus business jets, within the quota.
Weekend and bank-holiday movements are restricted and carry a surcharge on top of the landing fee, with a minimum charge, and every aircraft pays an emissions levy.
Farnborough accepts only aircraft that meet ICAO Chapter 4 noise standards, a stricter bar than Biggin Hill's Chapter 3. Departures climb at the best rate to 3,000 ft on set noise routes, and auxiliary power units may run for an hour after arrival and an hour before departure, never late at night.
Customs, immigration and security screening are in the terminal, arranged for each flight, and a General Aviation Report is filed before every arrival from abroad; we file it.
In July of even-numbered years the Farnborough International Airshow takes over the airfield for a week, and the flying procedures change by notice. For that week we plan Biggin Hill, Luton or Stansted.
The FBO at Farnborough: one private terminal
There is one. Farnborough Airport runs the terminal, the ramp and the hangars itself, and its handling is normally mandatory, so at Farnborough the choice is the aircraft rather than the FBO.
The terminal
Cars drive to the aircraft, and customs, immigration and screening are in the building. The lounges are designed to feel like a private members' club, with a concierge, meeting rooms and free secure parking with electric-car charging. The airport cites first place in AIN's 2023 FBO survey.
Hangars and maintenance
Hangar space for visiting aircraft on prior notice, maintenance by Farnborough Engineering, and Jet A-1 and sustainable aviation fuel on the ramp.
Travelling with a pet
The terminal handles dogs, cats and ferrets under the Pet Travel Scheme, with a pet passport or animal health certificate and no quarantine. The rest is on our page on pet-friendly jet charter.
Farnborough's runway and the aircraft it suits
The runway, 06-24, is 2,440 m long and 45 m wide. Both thresholds are set in, so 1,800 m is available to land in either direction and 2,000 to 2,063 m to take off. That takes the ultra-long-range jets at the weights London's longest flights need, and our London route prices are quoted from Farnborough for that reason.
The limit here is weight, not length: 80 tonnes, with a shared quota above 50. Widebody VIP airliners are over the limit and go to Stansted.
Farnborough compared with the other London airports
Against Biggin Hill, Farnborough has the longer runway, 2,440 m against 1,806 m, the stricter noise rule and nothing but business aviation on the airfield; Biggin Hill is closer to the City and stays open later, until 11 pm on weekdays and 10 pm at weekends.
Luton and Stansted are the late options: both open through the night by slot, after Farnborough has closed at 10 pm on a weekday or 8 pm at a weekend. Stansted's 3,049 m runway also takes the VIP airliners over Farnborough's 80-tonne limit.
| Airport | From Mayfair | Aircraft | Customs | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 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 |
| 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 Farnborough?
Send us your route, date and time. We will check the hours and the weekend limits, book the terminal and propose the aircraft and price.
Popular private jet routes from Farnborough
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, quoted from Farnborough.
Private jet London to Dubai
A daytime departure from Farnborough; a late one moves to Luton or Stansted.
Private jet London to Geneva
Geneva, Sion or Chambéry from the West End side of London, the Alps by lunch.
Private jet London to Paris
Farnborough to Le Bourget for Surrey and Berkshire; Biggin Hill or London City for the City.
Private jet London to Los Angeles
Ultra-long-range non-stop to Van Nuys, under the 50-tonne line in a G650.
Private jet London to Tokyo
The longest flight we quote from London, non-stop in an ultra-long-range jet.
More destinations from Farnborough: Milan, Nice, Ibiza and Madrid.
Frequently asked questions
What are Farnborough Airport's opening hours?
7 am to 10 pm Monday to Friday, and 8 am to 8 pm at weekends and on bank holidays. It is closed on 25 and 26 December, and nothing may land or take off outside those hours.
Which FBOs are at Farnborough?
One. The airport runs its own terminal and handling, which is normally mandatory, so every private flight uses the same building, with customs, immigration and screening inside.
Is Farnborough Airport only for private jets?
Yes. The UK AIP bars scheduled passenger flights, holiday charters and bulk freight, and the airport describes itself as the UK's only dedicated business aviation airport.
What is the weight limit at Farnborough?
80 tonnes. Aircraft between 50 and 80 tonnes, the Global 7500 and the Boeing and Airbus business jets among them, share a quota of 1,500 movements a year, 270 of them at weekends.
How far is Farnborough from central London?
About 32 miles from Mayfair in a straight line and 40 by road. The airport puts central London at under an hour by car and 12 minutes by helicopter.
Can I land at Farnborough late at night?
No. It closes at 10 pm on weekdays and 8 pm at weekends, and an arrival must be within 12 miles of touchdown five minutes before closing. Later arrivals go to Luton or Stansted, which both ration night slots.
Farnborough or Biggin Hill?
Farnborough for the West End, Surrey and Berkshire, and for the largest jets. 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.
Sources: 6 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, Farnborough (EGLF) AD 2, AIRAC 1 October 2026
- Farnborough Airport: passengers and pets
- Farnborough Airport: about the airport
- Farnborough planning statement, November 2025 (movement and weight conditions)
- 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 Farnborough
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