Private jet to Birmingham

Birmingham is the second-largest city in the UK and the centre of the West Midlands, a region of car plants, engineering suppliers, universities and professional firms. Most private flights here are business trips: exhibitors and buyers for the National Exhibition Centre (NEC), engineers visiting the Jaguar Land Rover works in Solihull and its suppliers, and teams meeting banks and law firms in the city centre. In March, Crufts at the NEC and the Cheltenham Festival bring a second kind of traffic.

Business jets land at Birmingham Airport in Solihull, east of the city, where the NEC halls begin about 2 km from the runway. The single 3,052 m runway takes everything from a light jet to a long-range Gulfstream or Global with full fuel, and private passengers use the Signature terminal, separate from the passenger building, with border control and customs on site. Our quote, prepared as a broker from offers by several operators, covers the flight, the slot, parking and the car to the hall.

Give us the route, the date, the hall or address and the group size; the reply comes with aircraft options and prices.

Reasons to fly privately to the Midlands

How long the flights take

Citation CJ3 times taken from the tables below, with taxi, climb and descent counted:

• London Farnborough: 0:42 h, Dublin: 0:57 h
• Amsterdam: 1:07 h, Brussels: 1:09 h, Paris Le Bourget: 1:11 h
• Düsseldorf: 1:20 h, Frankfurt: 1:34 h, Hamburg: 1:36 h
• Geneva: 1:45 h, Zurich: 1:47 h
• Munich: 1:58 h, Milan Linate: 2:03 h, Nice: 2:08 h
• Madrid: 2:21 h, Vienna: 2:25 h

Clocks in the UK run one hour behind CET, so a 07:00 departure from Frankfurt lands at about 07:35 local time, before most fairs open. Larnaca, almost 3,400 km away, is non-stop only in the Challenger 350 column, in 4:45 h. From New York a Global 7500 needs 6:32 h, and from Dubai 6:45 h.

Birmingham charter prices

One-way prices below cover the entire aircraft and assume it is based close to the departure airport. Handling, airport fees and passenger taxes are quoted separately. Each flight time belongs to the first aircraft in the row with a price.

From London, Dublin and the European hubs

The Farnborough row is a 42-minute domestic hop that only a UK operator may fly; it costs EUR 7,500 in a CJ3. Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris all cost EUR 9,000. Düsseldorf, the closest German trade fair city, costs EUR 9,500.

From Scotland, Jersey and other European cities

Many trips start in other car and engineering centres such as Cologne, Stuttgart, Turin and Gothenburg. This table uses the Pilatus PC-24, a light jet that also uses short runways, the Praetor 500 and the Gulfstream G280:

Long-haul to the Midlands

The 3,052 m runway lets long-range jets depart with full tanks, so the Midlands need no connection through London:

To East Midlands instead

For Nottingham, Derby or Leicester, or when Birmingham has no slot, East Midlands Airport costs about the same:

Most of the fare is flight time; the rest is the cost of moving the aircraft and crew to the departure point. On the inbound leg the tax comes from the departure country: about EUR 420 per passenger on a jet from France and EUR 12 from Austria; Italy charges EUR 100 per passenger up to 1,500 km and EUR 200 beyond, while German and Dutch airports add their own departure taxes. The UK charges nothing on arrival; on the way back, Air Passenger Duty is charged per passenger on aircraft of 5.7 t and more, at the higher rate on jets of 20 t or more with fewer than 19 seats and at the standard rate on lighter jets. All amounts appear in the quote.

Business jet price per flight hour

Heavy Jets from EUR 8,300 / hour

Light Jets from EUR 3,200 / hour

Ultra Long Range Jets from EUR 12,000 / hour

Super Midsize Jets from EUR 6,300 / hour

Very Light Jets from EUR 2,500 / hour

Long Range Jets from EUR 9,800 / hour

Midsize Jets from EUR 4,500 / hour

Turboprops from EUR 2,000 / hour

Worked examples

Per-passenger cost

Split across the group, the fare per traveller looks like this, before per-passenger taxes:

Price calculator

For a first figure on your own route, use the calculator below and add the hall or the address in the comment.

Birmingham Airport and the business aviation terminal

Birmingham Airport (BHX, EGBB) lies in the district of Solihull beside the M42 motorway, about 10 km south-east of the city centre in a straight line and 13 km by road. Its single runway, 15/33, is 3,052 m long. The airport and the control tower work 24 hours, with noise restrictions at night, and the airport is slot-coordinated, so a private flight books both a slot and a handling agent.

Private passengers use the Signature terminal beside the restored art deco Elmdon building, the airport's first terminal, well away from the holiday crowds. Border Force clears passengers inside, the car drives up to the aircraft, and a departure outside the terminal's normal hours is arranged on request when the flight is booked.

East Midlands and other alternatives

East Midlands Airport at Castle Donington, between Derby, Nottingham and Leicester, has a 2,893 m runway, works 24 hours and has border control on site. We use it for destinations in that part of England and when Birmingham has no slot. For Oxford and the Cotswolds, Oxford Airport is closer, and for larger groups heading north, Manchester is an option. The table measures distances in a straight line from the centre of Birmingham:

Choosing the aircraft

For two to six people on a sector of about an hour, light jets are the cheapest choice. Stand material and samples usually decide between a light and a midsize jet: tell us the number and size of the cases. The higher rate of Air Passenger Duty applies to jets of 20 t or more with fewer than 19 seats, such as the Challenger 650 and the Falcon 7X, so these also cost more in tax on the return.

Not sure which aircraft fits the group and the luggage? Request a call and we will go through it with you.

Fair and events calendar

Business travel here has no strong season. These recurring events decide when slots, parking and hotels near the airport run short:

From late autumn to early spring, morning fog can delay a flight, so the operator files an alternate airport and we leave time between landing and the first meeting.

From the airport to the halls and the city

Empty Legs around the Midlands

An Empty Leg is a sector an aircraft flies without passengers, for example on its way back to base, which the operator sells at a lower price. Directions that come up regularly:

Because departure times follow the operator's own schedule, Empty Legs work for visitors with free days around a fair rather than for the opening morning. Mail the route and your possible dates to empty-legs@jets.flights; suitable sectors are forwarded when operators release them.

Dogs, cats and Crufts

Dogs and cats fly in the cabin with their owners once the operator has agreed. For arrivals in Great Britain the rules go further than inside the EU:

• Microchip implanted before the rabies vaccination.
• First rabies vaccination at least 21 days before arrival; all dates entered in the EU pet passport.
• EU pet passport, accepted in Great Britain.
• A vet treats dogs against tapeworm 1-5 days before the landing; cats need no treatment.
• Arrival only by an approved route, with an operator and an airport approved for pets; not every operator holds this approval. Birmingham appears among the approved arrival airports published by the UK government.
• Up to five animals under the pet rules, unless they travel to a show or a competition.

If the rules are not met, the animal can be quarantined for up to four months, with the owner paying, so we check the operator's approval before choosing the aircraft.

Passports, samples and taxes

Before the fair: what to prepare

• Passport and approved ETA for every passenger, children included.
• Passenger list with passport numbers, sent the day before.
• Hall number at the NEC or the address of the plant, office or hotel.
• Return time, so that late terminal hours are booked in advance.
• Number and size of sample cases, stand material and golf bags.
• Customs paperwork for trade samples and display goods.
• Dog for Crufts or a visit: microchip, rabies vaccination, pet passport, tapeworm treatment 1-5 days before arrival.
• Billing company and its VAT number.

How to book a flight to Birmingham

1. Send the route, the date, the number of passengers, the hall or address and the planned return time.
2. We check the slot and the terminal hours, and suggest East Midlands if the Birmingham slot is not available.
3. The offer lists two to four aircraft with the operator, cabin photos, hold size and the whole-aircraft price.
4. After signature and payment we take the passport and ETA details and arrange the car to the NEC or the city.
5. Arrive at the terminal 20-30 minutes before take-off; on landing, the driver goes from Signature straight to the hall.

Our team

Charlotte McKinney

Commercial Director

charlotte.m@jets.flights

Henry Richter

Head of Aviation Department and Data Protection Officer

henry.r@jets.flights

Emma Miller

Director of Development

emma.m@jets.flights

Liam Bishop

Senior Aviation Consultant

liam.b@jets.flights

Oliver Davis

Aviation Consultant

oliver.d@jets.flights

Anna Laurent

Aviation Consultant

anna.l@jets.flights

Frequently asked questions about flights to Birmingham

• • What does a private jet to Birmingham cost?

  • From EUR 7,500 one way for a light jet from Farnborough, and from EUR 9,000 from Amsterdam, Brussels or Paris, for the whole aircraft. Handling and passenger taxes come on top.

• • How far is the airport from the NEC?

  • About 2 km. A car takes a few minutes from the business aviation terminal to the hall, or you can use the free Air-Rail Link and the covered walkways from Birmingham International station.

• • Can the aircraft wait while we are at the fair?

  • Yes. If you land in the morning and leave in the evening, only crew waiting time is added; for several days we compare parking with a positioning flight.

• • Which terminal do private jets use?

  • The Signature terminal next to the old Elmdon building, separate from the passenger terminal, with border control and customs on site.

• • Is a late return after the fair possible?

  • Yes. The airport works 24 hours with noise rules at night, and the business aviation terminal extends its hours when this is booked in advance.

• • Where do we land if there is no slot?

  • At East Midlands, about 54 km north-east, which is open 24 hours and has a 2,893 m runway. We give the transfer time in the quote.

• • How long is the flight from Frankfurt?

  • 1:34 h in a Citation CJ3 and about 1:27 h in a Challenger 350. On UK clocks you land 27-34 minutes after the Frankfurt departure time.

• • Do EU passengers need an ETA?

  • Yes, plus a passport, since ID cards are not accepted for most EU visitors. Apply at least three working days before the flight.

• • Can we bring a dog to Crufts by private jet?

  • Yes. The dog sits in the cabin on an approved operator and route, with chip, rabies vaccination, pet passport and a tapeworm dose 1-5 days before landing; start the paperwork weeks ahead.

• • Are there Empty Legs to Birmingham?

  • Yes, mostly from Dublin, Edinburgh, Benelux and the London area. Send the route and possible dates to empty-legs@jets.flights.

• • Which aircraft suits a fair team of eight with samples?

  • A midsize jet such as the Citation XLS+ or Praetor 500 seats eight to nine and has more hold space than a light jet. With a lot of stand material, a super midsize is safer.