Biggin Hill Airport Private Jet Charter Prices
Private Jet Charter to and from Biggin Hill Airport
Paramount Business Jets offers private jet charter flights and luxury airliner charters to and from Biggin Hill Airport. Historic London Biggin Hill Airport, which celebrated its 100th birthday in 2017, is a study in contrasts.
Aerial View of Biggin Hill Airport. Picture Source.
Once a busy Royal Air Force base that played an important role in the Battle of Britain during World War II, it is now an important London business gateway and one of the busiest business aviation airports in Europe.
Relics and memorials to the past remain, as the airport, located 12 miles southeast of the heart of London, develops into an important business center for aviation and technology.
The transformation of the airport has taken place over the past 40 years but speeded up in 2011 when it was selected by city officials as a Strategic Outer London Development Center because of its potential for business investment.
What is the airport code for Biggin Hill?
The ICAO airport code for Biggin Hill is EGKB; the IATA code is BQH.
Can I rent a private jet at Biggin Hill?
Whether coming into London on business, either at the airport itself or in the city, it’s easy to charter a private jet. Biggin Hill has quick and convenient access to the heart of London -- 6 minutes by helicopter, 15 minutes by train or 50 minutes by car or bus.
It is one of three airports within Greater London, along with London Heathrow and London City airports, but Biggin Hill is, by far, the favorite landing spot for chartered private jets and business jets.
Airport Information
Why is it a good idea to charter a private jet?
Passenger Terminal Biggin Hill Airport. Picture Source.
The skies above London Biggin Hill are filled only with private or chartered jets – or they soon will be. There are no scheduled commercial flights out of Biggin Hill. Commercial flights are forbidden. Its 1.1-mile asphalt north-south runway is used exclusively by business and general aviation jets, both chartered and privately operated to carry executives and A-list travelers. It also serves some miscellaneous operations like air ambulances.
Soon, there will be no student pilots in the skies above Biggin Hill. For 70 years, the airport has also included flight schools, but that will be coming to an end as it continues to put its main focus on business. The licenses for the flight schools have not been renewed because of safety issues of having too many planes flying in and around the airport.
The airport said the increase in private jet charter traffic has made flight patterns more complex, making it impossible to “maintain high safety standards to which the airport operates” if it allows flight schools to continue operations there.
In March of 2018, Will Curtis, airport managing director said, “We are really sad about having to do this. Flight schools are part of the airfield’s long tradition, but we have to put safety first.”
How easy is it to get into Biggin Hill on a business jet?
In 2010, Biggin Hill served flights to and from 750 destinations. That’s triple the number of all the other London area airports combined.
Biggin Hill is consistently listed as one of the 15 busiest business aviation airports in Europe and is the third busiest in the United Kingdom, behind Farnborough and Luton.
It knows it will never be a Heathrow or a Gatwick, but it doesn’t want to be. It wants to be a business aviation airport offering an alternative to large commercial airports for private and charter jets.
The airport continues to look at ways to improve the way it serves the growing market for business jets. It will offer shuttle services for travelers who want to charter a private jet.
Why is Biggin Hill more than just a runway?
RAF church and mock-up fighter plane at Biggin Hill Airport. Picture Source.
As one of Europe’s busiest business airports, Biggin Hill prides itself on being more than just a place where planes take off and land. It has attracted some 65 companies that employ 1,000 workers, many in highly skilled jobs in the aerospace industry.
Among the businesses it has attracted in its official role as the Strategic Outer London Development Center are General Dynamics, Rizon and is home base for Formula 1 and its air fleet. Hundreds of other aircraft and business jets are located at Biggin Hill.
And yet, it never forgets its place in history.
Biggin Hill Airport is divided into several different areas the airport calls “camps” in addition to the core airport operations area that includes a modern terminal, air traffic control tower and hangars. The south and west camps are areas with the potential for development, including more business headquarters or branch offices as well as more hangars.
The RAF Biggin Hill, located in a small enclave on the airport’s western edge, is the headquarters of the 2427 Squadron of the Air Training Corps. Other historic buildings on the airport grounds are:
- St. George’s Chapel of Remembrance, a memorial to those who died flying from Biggin Hill.
- Other vacant old red-brick RAF buildings in the north camp, including the 1932 Sergeant's Mess, the 1926 Airmen's Institute, the 1931 Station Headquarters and several barracks.
- Restoration projects are ongoing at Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar, which was founded in 2011 to house the restoration of a Spitfire, a single-engine British fighter plane. Of course, the restoration didn’t stop at one fighter plane. There is now an entire squadron of restored fighter planes in the hangar. Visitors can watch the complex process of rebuilding one of the famous planes. Lucky – and wealthy – visitors can also fly in a Spitfire. The cost? About $4,000.
The east camp has been set aside as a place for aviation-related activities, museums or historical centers. There is also an industrial/business center that provides space for high-quality businesses.
The airport is working on a hotel and leisure hub in which a new boutique hotel will be located. The airport got the approval to go ahead with construction in late 2017.
The hotel, which is expected to be used mostly by arriving pilots and crew members, will have 54 rooms, a restaurant, lounge and a gym. It will also be a place that operators and engineers can stay when in town to work on aircraft at Biggin Hill.
“The hotel is a key part of the equation to ensure that London Biggin Hill continues on its journey to become one of the best equipped and most easily accessible business aviation airports in the world,” Robert Walters, business development director, said on the London Biggin Hill Airport’s website.
What events are held at Biggin Hill Airport?
Air Charter Expo
Biggin Hill Airport is located – as its name implies – on a hill about one mile north of the town of Biggin Hill in London’s Bromley Borough. Leaves Green, a small village is adjacent to the airport.
Its annual Festival of Flight, which replaced, on a smaller two-day scale, the Biggin Hill International Air Fair last held in 2010, will celebrate 100 Years of the RAF on Aug. 18-19, 2018. The airport promises it will be “an unforgettable weekend at the scene of one of the world’s most famous battlefields – the skies above Biggin Hill.”
The Air Charter Expo is also held at Biggin Hill every alternate year.
Biggin Hill is best known for its frontline role in the Battle of Britain in World War ll. However, it’s also the place where the process of identifying and intercepting enemy aircraft and radio communication was developed.
The festival will also look to the future as it unveils its proposal to build London Aerospace & Technology College, hoping to inspire the younger generation to pursue a career in aviation.
Biggin Hill has a sister in the U.S.
In 2013, Biggin Hill entered into a transatlantic initiative to team up with Teterboro Airport in Bergen County, N.J.
Teterboro is within 12 miles of the financial and business centers of New York City just as Biggin Hill is within 12 miles of the financial and business centers of London. A kinship was born as the two airports realized -- as international gateway airports -- that they face the same challenges as they support and develop business aviation. They thought they could learn from each other, especially when it comes to customer service, communication and safety and security.
In fact, Biggin Hill is now attracting the private aviation industry to the airport as Teterboro has already done.
Biggin Hill’s aim is to become the high-tech hub of south London, adding high-tech companies and jobs to its grounds.
Biggin Hill through the years
When Biggin Hill opened in 1917, it was a testing park for wireless air to ground communication systems. It was also a London air defense base equipped with Bristol fighters, the famous jets with bright red roosters painted on their fuselages.
Biggin Hill is best known for its role during the Battle of Britain in World War ll when 453 Biggin Hill-based pilots downed 1,400 enemy aircraft.
Here is its history, according to the airport’s website:
- 1920s: Commenced flying.
- 1930s: Existing runway opened.
- 1940s: Battle of Britain air station with Spitfires and Hurricanes.
- 1950s: Frontline RAF Station with squadrons of jet fighters.
- 1960s: Following closure of Croydon Airport, started as a civil airport with HM Immigration and Customs Port of Entry, with light aircraft training and some commercial passenger and cargo flights.
- 1970s: Acquired by Bromley Council from the RAF for $670,000 (about $5 million today) with a commitment to remain open as an airport. Light aircraft, flight training, commercial passenger and cargo flights increased.
- 1980s: Operated by the Council as a civil airport with up to 200,000 light aircraft flights a year. Commercial, scheduled and/or charter passenger flights permitted.
- 1988: The Council introduced Airports UK, an airport management company, in a bid to increase revenues, but under a legal clause in their agreement, the Council banned them from permitting scheduled passenger flights altogether. Charter flights were still permitted, and members of the public still had the freedom to buy tickets to fly on them.
- 1990s: With financial pressure, the Council reversed its decision on scheduled flights in 1991 and actively supported new passenger services. The first regular flights on which the public could buy tickets were to Carlisle and Le Touquet, with services to Manchester, Paris and many other cities planned.
- 1994: Unfortunately, the measures to increase regular public transport flights did not resolve the financial difficulties of the airport and commercial flights were once again discontinued. The airport business was sold to London Biggin Hill Airport Limited (BHAL). The airfield was leased for 125 years, on condition that all future costs and repairs would be borne by BHAL, with rent and a share of the profits going to the Council each year.
Runway information
FBOs at Biggin Hill Airport, EGKB, BQH
METAR Weather
Traveling frequently from Biggin Hill Airport?
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Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to stop for customs when I fly on a private jet?
Passengers on all international private charter flights will have to stop at customs. In certain countries, you may have to go through customs at a specific port of entry; for example, you must stop in Tahiti to perform customs checks en route to Bora Bora. You’ll also need to stop at the first port of entry when entering the U.S. from Mexico.
How much rest does the crew need before they can depart again?
Crew members are required to have a 10-hour rest period within each 24-hour cycle. The maximum duty day is 14 hours and must be followed by a 10-hour rest period at their hotel. When scheduling a flight, operators usually account for 12 hours of rest instead of 10. These extra two hours allow the crew time to get to their hotel, rest for the required time, and return to the airport.
How long does a fuel stop for a private jet flight take?
The average fuel stop takes 45–60 minutes. To speed up fuel stops, the operator, or pilots may call ahead, so a fuel truck is waiting for the aircraft on arrival. For smaller jets, a fuel stop can take as little as 30 minutes.
Will my private jet charter use the same airport as a commercial airline?
No. When you charter a private jet, you generally fly into a private airport. However, you could access the same airports as a commercial airline if you request to do so or if there are no private airport options. However, using a large mainstream airport like Los Angeles International or London Heathrow is often a bad choice for private jets, as flying to a smaller regional private airport is much faster and often makes for a more luxurious experience.
Is the age of an aircraft a safety factor?
Aircraft age is not a safety factor. However, if the aircraft is older and hasn’t been refurbished properly, it may cause flyers some inconvenience, such as overheating, faulty air conditioning, or faulty plumbing in the lavatory.
How much luggage am I allowed to bring on a private jet?
As a rule of thumb, each seat on a light or midsize jet equates to one passenger and one item of luggage. Each item of luggage is considered to be the standard 23 kilograms, or about 50 lbs. Large jets are designed for long-range trips, which typically involve longer stays, so you can carry more than one item of luggage per person.
Are there aircraft that are wheelchair accessible?
There are many aircraft that are wheelchair accessible. Most of them are large jets or above and have a straight aisle. If the jet has a zigzag aisle – like the Falcon 900 – it will be difficult to maneuver the wheelchair onboard the aircraft. You’ll also need the right type of wheelchair; many motorized wheelchairs won’t fit and can’t be collapsed. If this is the case, you’ll need a smaller, temporary wheelchair. Some aircraft operators have smaller wheelchairs that can be used. Please speak with your Paramount private jet expert to review your aircraft options.
Can I fly with large sums of cash?
Yes, you can. This is a common occurrence for many private jet clients. You can fly with up to $5 million in cash as long as you declare that cash when coming through customs. For domestic trips, there’s no limit and no need to declare it.
Which private jets come with flight attendants?
In the United States, large jets and above are required to have flight attendants onboard; in Europe, flight attendants are used on midsize jets and above. Flight attendants require their own seats. Larger jets and above have a jump seat near the cockpit for the flight attendant to use, meaning the attendant generally stays out of the cabin.
Which airports offer ramp access, allowing the client to drive their car right up to their private jet?
Private jet clients can often have a limo drive them right up to the private jet, or even drive their own car to the plane. That said, different airports have different policies, and some may not offer ramp access. Please speak with your Paramount Aviation Advisor to review your options for a given trip.
Do private jets come with Wi-Fi?
Many private jets do have Wi-Fi, and it’s increasingly available free of charge on U.S. domestic flights. On international flights, prices range from $3.00-$8.50 USD per megabyte used. This means that opening up social media sites that are rich in images and videos could quickly cost you $20 – and downloading a feature-length movie could cost thousands!
When is on-demand private jet charter better than buying a block of hours?
Private jet charter can be a lot cheaper than buying a block of hours for a one-way flight, as you can access floating fleets or an empty leg to reduce the cost. With a block of hours, the price covers a round trip. If you only fly one-way, you are effectively paying double.
What is a carbon-neutral flight?
Every aircraft burns jet fuel and emits a certain amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere. This can be offset via one of several carbon offset programs that allow private jet clients to purchase a certain number of carbon credits to offset the emissions from their flights. A carbon-neutral flight is one that offsets the carbon emissions it uses via a formal process.
Can I have a flexible departure time for my private jet flight?
Yes, it is possible to have a flexible departure when flying privately. Operators typically offer a 30-minute to two-hour window, but you can request a longer window as long as it doesn’t interfere with the maximum crew duty day or their next scheduled flight. Please confirm with your Paramount Aviation Advisor at the time of booking your jet.
When should I hire a Boeing Business Jet?
Boeing Business Jets (BBJs) have unique amenities that extend far beyond sheer size and are often equipped with 1-2 bedrooms and 2-3 bathrooms (one more of those bathrooms may even offer stand-up showers.) These airliner-based executive aircraft also feature tall or ‘stand-up’ cabins that are also longer and wider than more typical corporate aircraft.
How soon can I have a private jet ready from the time I call in the request?
Generally speaking, with as little as 4 hours of notice. However, we have had wheels up in as little as 32 minutes from the time our client called us to book the flight and had them in the air. It depends on a few factors, such as how long it takes for the pilots to arrive at the airport (generally, there is a 2-hour call-out time for the pilots), and whether the aircraft is ready to go at the airport with no repositioning needed. Our Jet Card members enjoy faster booking since they have funds on account and can confirm a flight with a simple email.
Can I access my luggage while in flight?
On most private jets, you will be able to access your luggage during the flight. That’s because luggage and passengers are situated on the same level. This is in contrast to commercial airlines, where checked luggage is stored in a cargo hold. On large private jets, luggage is often stored in a compartment behind the lavatory, which means easy access to your bags.
When are private jet charter landing and takeoff slots applicable?
A landing or takeoff slot is simply a small window of time in which your aircraft is scheduled to fly in or out of the airport. You will need a landing and takeoff slot if you fly to a high-density airport in the United States or one that is hosting a special event with a significant number of aircraft arriving and departing. If you’re flying internationally, you will need a landing and takeoff slot for all major European cities. Please check with your Paramount Aviation Advisor at the time of booking for a specific route.
What kind of in-flight catering is available on a private jet?
Other than the standard snacks and drinks, you can order local cuisine options for your catering on board. In short, anything that doesn’t need to be cooked can be ordered; hot food must be precooked and then warmed on board.
Can I bring pets with me on private jet flights?
Of course! Just let us know in advance. The majority of the operators and aircraft owners allow pets onboard. In some cases, a small cleaning fee may apply. That said, there are specific requirements that must be met when traveling with your pet, including making sure that all documentation and vaccination records for your pet(s) are correct and up-to-date. Dogs and cats must also be at least eight weeks old and weaned when traveling within the U.S.
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