Private jet to Great Britain

Great Britain, with England, Scotland and Wales, forms the United Kingdom together with Northern Ireland, and private flights reach all four nations. Most trips from the continent to Great Britain still enter through the London airports, but many go straight to the regions: Manchester and Birmingham for football, fairs and industry, Edinburgh and the Scottish fields for golf and shooting, Cardiff for rugby, Belfast for business and the Antrim coast.

Three things set the country apart from its neighbours. It is outside the EU and Schengen, so every passenger needs a passport and, for most visitors, an Electronic Travel Authorisation. Legs between two British airports may only be flown by a UK operator. And dogs and cats can arrive only with an approved operator at an approved airport. We act as a broker, comparing operators from the continent and the UK, and the quote already reflects these rules.

Tell us the route, the dates and the passengers in the form below, and we send aircraft options with the airport that suits your address.

Why fly privately to the four nations

Flight times to Great Britain from the continent

Times for a Citation CJ3 light jet, taken from the price tables, including taxi, climb and descent:

Edinburgh is closer to Amsterdam and Hamburg than many people expect: 1:26 h and 1:44 h in a light jet, about as long as Geneva - Farnborough at 1:33 h. Vienna - Edinburgh is the long sector of the main table at 2:44 h. Inside the kingdom nothing is far: London - Edinburgh takes 1:37 h and London - Belfast 1:34 h in a turboprop, and a jet does it in a little over an hour. From New York the flight takes about 7 h, from Dubai the same.

What a private flight to the UK costs

Each price is for the whole aircraft, one way, with an aircraft available near the departure airport, plus handling, parking and passenger taxes. The flight time is that of the first aircraft in the row. Rows go to different British airports to show prices beyond London.

From the European hubs

Paris - Farnborough is the cheapest international row at EUR 8,500 in a Citation CJ3, Brussels - Cardiff EUR 9,500. Outside London the prices hardly change: Frankfurt - Manchester is EUR 10,500, against EUR 10,000 for Geneva - Farnborough.

Within the UK and to the Crown Dependencies

Domestic legs are flown by UK operators only. Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man are Crown Dependencies outside the UK, and for these routes we confirm the operator for each booking.

A turboprop is the economical choice here: Manchester - Cardiff and Isle of Man - Manchester cost EUR 6,500 in a Pilatus PC-12, and an aircraft under 5.7 t pays no Air Passenger Duty.

From Ireland, Scandinavia and central Europe

Long-haul flights

All three types fly these sectors non-stop. Scotland is the part of Great Britain closest to North America: Toronto - Edinburgh takes 6:47 h in a Challenger 650.

Prices depend on the season, the weekday and the position of the nearest free aircraft: many jets are based around London, so a flight from the capital to the regions rarely needs a long positioning leg. Every departure from a UK airport pays Air Passenger Duty: none on aircraft under 5.7 t such as the PC-12, the standard rate of the distance band on most jets, and the higher rate on jets of 20 t or more with fewer than 19 seats. Departures from airports in the Highlands and Islands, such as Inverness, Stornoway, Kirkwall and Sumburgh, are exempt. Flights from France pay about EUR 420 per passenger on a jet (about half on a turboprop), from Italy EUR 100 per passenger up to 1,500 km and EUR 200 beyond, from Austria EUR 12 per passenger, and from Germany, Norway and the Netherlands their own departure taxes. All of it is listed 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

Three trips worked through

Price per person

Divide the whole-aircraft price by the number of travellers to see the cost per seat. Light jet prices from the main table:

Calculator

For an airport that is not in the tables, the calculator gives an estimate in a few seconds:

Airports and business aviation terminals

Business aviation in the UK is spread over many airports. The choice depends on the address, the hours and the aircraft: several fields close in the evening, and a few take only certain types.

Islands with their own rules

Jersey and Guernsey in the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea are Crown Dependencies with their own governments, customs and pet rules. Their runways, 1,706 m on Jersey, 2,110 m on the Isle of Man and shorter on Guernsey, suit turboprops, light and midsize jets. All three keep daytime hours, so a late return is arranged in advance. Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands belong to the Common Travel Area with the UK, but the operator still files a General Aviation Report for these flights.

Which aircraft for a British trip

Short runways narrow the choice in a few places. London City takes only types and crews approved for the steep approach, Dundee and the Channel Islands suit light and midsize jets, and Belfast City is better for light and midsize aircraft than for heavy ones. Catalogue pages: turboprops, light jets, midsize jets.

The British year, month by month

Business traffic runs all year, and the events calendar decides when aircraft, slots and parking run short. May, June and September offer the best weather with fewer peak dates than July. Empty Legs are most frequent in summer, when jets return from the Mediterranean and from Scotland, and in the ski season, when aircraft shuttle between the London airports and the Alps.

Empty Legs to and from the UK

An Empty Leg is a flight without passengers that the operator sells at a reduced price. Great Britain produces many of them: a large number of business jets are based around London, and every one-way trip leaves an aircraft to return home.

The operator owns the date and time and may cancel the leg if its original booking moves. Send the route and the days you could travel to empty-legs@jets.flights, and we pass on offers that fit.

Bringing a dog or cat to Great Britain

On a private jet the animal travels in the cabin beside you, but the British rules are stricter than those in the EU and affect the choice of operator and airport:

• Microchip, implanted before the rabies vaccination.
• Rabies vaccination at least 21 days before arrival for a first vaccination.
• EU pet passport, or the health document required in the country of departure; up to five animals.
• Tapeworm treatment for dogs by a vet 1-5 days before arrival; cats are exempt, and dogs coming directly from Ireland, Finland, Malta or Norway do not need it.
• Arrival only with an operator approved to carry pets into Great Britain and at an approved airport. Farnborough, Biggin Hill, Luton, Stansted, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds Bradford, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Cardiff are on the list; London City is not.

If the papers or the arrival airport are wrong, the animal can be placed in quarantine for up to four months. We check the operator's approval before confirming the aircraft.

Passports, permits, customs and taxes

Checklist before departure

• Passport for every passenger and an ETA where required, checked before the flight.
• Full names, dates of birth and passport numbers no later than 24 hours before take-off, needed for the General Aviation Report.
• The address in the UK, so we can choose between London, the regional airports and Scotland.
• Return time checked against the closing hours of Farnborough, Biggin Hill, Belfast City or the Scottish handlers.
• Pet documents, the tapeworm treatment time and the operator's approval.
• Golf bags, guns for shooting (with UK permits) or sports kit declared in advance.

How booking works

1. Send the route, the address, the dates and the passengers. Mention pets, golf bags or shotguns straight away.
2. We pick the airport by address and hours and check slots, parking and, for a foreign operator, the permit lead time.
3. You receive several aircraft options with prices, flight times and the British taxes on each leg.
4. You sign the charter contract and pay; we book the handler, the car or the helicopter.
5. We collect passport and ETA details, the operator files the General Aviation Report, and a manager follows the flight until you land.

Frequently asked questions about flights to the UK

• • How much does a private jet to Great Britain cost?

  • From Paris to Farnborough a Citation CJ3 costs EUR 8,500, from Geneva EUR 10,000. Short domestic hops start at EUR 6,500 by turboprop. Prices are for the whole aircraft, one way, plus fees and taxes.

• • Which London airport should I choose?

  • Farnborough for the West End and Surrey, Biggin Hill for the City with a helicopter, Luton for late arrivals, London City for Canary Wharf with an approved aircraft. The London page compares them in detail.

• • Can I fly directly to Manchester, Edinburgh or Cardiff?

  • Yes. All three are open around the clock and have border control for international flights, so there is no need to go via London.

• • Do EU citizens need an ETA for a private flight to Great Britain?

  • Yes. Every visa-free visitor needs a passport and an ETA, also on a private jet. Irish citizens are exempt.

• • Can a European operator fly me from London to Edinburgh?

  • No. A leg between two British airports must be flown by a UK operator. A European operator can fly you into the UK and out again.

• • What is Air Passenger Duty?

  • The UK departure tax. Aircraft under 5.7 t are exempt, most jets pay the standard rate of the distance band, and jets of 20 t or more with fewer than 19 seats pay a higher rate. It is listed in the quote.

• • Can my dog fly into the UK on a private jet?

  • Yes, with an approved operator at an approved airport such as Farnborough, Manchester or Edinburgh. It needs a microchip, rabies vaccination and a vet's tapeworm treatment 1-5 days before landing.

• • How long is the flight from Paris or Amsterdam?

  • Paris - Farnborough takes 0:59 h and Amsterdam - Edinburgh 1:26 h in a light jet.

• • Are there night restrictions?

  • Farnborough closes at 22:00 on weekdays and 20:00 at weekends, Belfast City at 21:30. Luton, Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Cardiff and Belfast International are open 24 hours.

• • Are Empty Legs available from London?

  • Often, because many jets are based around London. Typical directions are the Mediterranean in summer and the Alps in winter; write to empty-legs@jets.flights.

• • Can I combine England and Scotland on one trip?

  • Yes. London - Edinburgh takes 1:37 h by turboprop, and the domestic leg is flown by a UK operator. See our Scotland page for the airports in the north.