Helicopter Charter UK

Helicopter charter is priced by flying hour, and the aircraft class is the main variable. As a guide, a light single typically starts from around £1,200 per hour, a light twin from around £2,500 per hour, and a VIP heavy twin from around £5,000 per hour. Landing fees, handling and any positioning flight to reach your departure point are additional. Because helicopters are usually based near where they work, a short local flight is often far better value than the hourly rate alone suggests. We will always quote the total cost of the trip, not the headline rate.

In most cases, yes. Landing at a private site in the UK requires the landowner's permission and a site survey by the operator, confirming that the approach and departure paths are clear, the surface is suitable and there are no obstructions or livestock concerns. The survey can often be completed from mapping and photographs, although a physical visit is sometimes needed for a first-time site. Give us the location and we will confirm whether it is workable, usually within the day.

For a routine transfer between established sites, 24 to 48 hours is comfortable and same-day is frequently possible. For major events such as Royal Ascot, Cheltenham, Goodwood and the Grand Prix, book several weeks ahead, because both the aircraft and the event helipad slots are finite and sell out. New private landing sites need a little longer to allow for the survey. We operate 24/7/365, so a late request is always worth making.

Between three and twelve, depending on the aircraft. A light single seats three or four, a light twin such as an AW109 or H135 seats five or six, a medium twin seats seven or eight, and a VIP heavy twin such as an AW139 seats up to twelve. Luggage capacity is the limiting factor more often than seats, because helicopters have modest baggage holds. Tell us what you are carrying when you enquire and we will size the aircraft accordingly.

A twin-engine helicopter can continue flying safely on one engine, which is why twins are specified for flights over congested areas such as central London, for extended flight over water, and for most corporate and VIP work. Singles are cheaper to operate and entirely appropriate for overland flights between rural sites. We will recommend a twin wherever the routing calls for one, and explain why.

Around fifteen minutes in the air from The London Heliport at Battersea to Farnborough Airport, against 60 to 90 minutes by road depending on traffic. Many of our clients use this transfer to connect directly onto a departing private jet, with the helicopter arriving airside so the move between aircraft takes minutes. We coordinate both legs as a single booking.

Usually, yes, although helicopters are more weather-sensitive than jets, particularly regarding low cloud and visibility at unlicensed sites, which are flown under visual flight rules. Twin-engine aircraft with instrument-rated crews have considerably more flexibility. We monitor the forecast ahead of every flight and will tell you early if a departure looks marginal, along with the alternatives: a different site, a revised time, or a car and a jet instead.

Yes. Ship to shore and shore to ship transfers require an operator approved for helideck operations and a crew current on that type of flying, and the vessel's helideck must be certified for the aircraft. We arrange these regularly in the Mediterranean and around the UK coast, working directly with the captain or the yacht's management company on timings and clearances.

Yes. We arrange rotary charter throughout Europe and worldwide, including cross-Channel sectors, Alpine transfers to the ski resorts, Mediterranean island and coastal work, and helicopter legs within a wider itinerary. As an independent broker we are not tied to any one fleet, so we source from operators local to the flight, which is usually both faster and better value than positioning an aircraft from the UK.

Yes. Every flight we arrange can be offset through our Carbon Responsible Programme, which combines Cool Earth rainforest protection, supported since 2009, with flight-specific verified offsets through 4AIR. Tick the carbon option when you enquire and we will include the offset figures with your quote, which corporate clients can use directly in ESG reporting.