The short answer
Helicopter charter Cambridge flights have used Cambridge City Airport on Newmarket Road, although the airport's site was sold in June 2026 and we confirm its status before every booking. London is about 25 to 30 minutes by helicopter, Norwich 25 to 35, Silverstone 25 to 30 and Newmarket 10 to 15 minutes. Stansted is the nearby alternative.
Flying from Cambridge? Tell us where and when; we reply with options and a price for the whole aircraft.
Key facts
- Site
- Cambridge City Airport, Newmarket Road, Cambridge
- Status
- Open, but the Cambridge East site including the airport was sold in June 2026 and the owner is due to vacate by mid-2029. We confirm operating status before booking
- Hours (as published, checked 29 Sep 2026)
- Monday to Friday 08:00 to 18:00; outside these hours on formal request; no air traffic service at weekends unless arranged
- Prior permission
- Strict, with 24 hours' notice; handling is mandatory over 2.7 tonnes
- Customs
- Remote clearance with Border Force, 24 hours' notice
- Nearest alternative
- London Stansted, 19.3 nautical miles away
- Flagship journey
- Cambridge to London in about 25 to 30 minutes by helicopter against 1 hour 48 minutes by road
Where Cambridge flights start and end
The map shows Cambridge City Airport, with range rings and the nearest cities. Pins with a page of their own are links.
The map draws a satellite picture, so it needs JavaScript and an internet connection. Cambridge City Airport is at Cambridge City Airport, Newmarket Road, Cambridge. Open it in Google Maps.
Cambridge City Airport
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Sites that serve Cambridge
Hours, permission and customs are the airport's or site's published information, checked 29 Sept 2026. We arrange permission and confirm times with your booking.
Cambridge City Airport EGSC / CBG
- Address
- Cambridge City Airport, Newmarket Road, Cambridge
- Hours as published (checked 29 Sept 2026)
- Mon–Fri 08:00–18:00 (local); Weekends: no air traffic service and no visiting aircraft unless arranged
- Permission
- Prior permission required (PPR): we arrange it with your flight
- Customs
- By arrangement / prior notice (remote customs clearance with UK Border Force; 24 hours' notice)
- Runway
- 05/23 – 1,964 m × 45 m asphalt (grooved)
What is the position at Cambridge City Airport?
For helicopter charter Cambridge flights, Cambridge City Airport, on Newmarket Road on the east side of the city, has a grooved asphalt runway of 1,964 metres and has long been the natural place for private flights to the city. It publishes weekday hours of 08:00 to 18:00, with other times considered on formal request, and no air traffic service at weekends unless arranged. Visitors must have prior permission with 24 hours' notice, and handling is mandatory for aircraft over 2.7 tonnes.
Its future is uncertain. Our airport library records that the Cambridge East site, including the airport, was sold in June 2026 and that the owner is due to leave by mid-2029. We say only what is confirmed: the airport is open today, and we check its operating status for your date before we confirm a booking.
Charter-A Helicopter is the helicopter charter service of Charter-A Ltd, which has arranged private flights across the UK and Europe since 2011, so a change of site is a normal planning task for us.
Journey times from Cambridge City Airport
The nearest places first, with the helicopter time against the car, taken from our route data.
| To | Distance | Helicopter | By road | Typical saving |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newmarket Racecourse | 8.6 nm (10 mi) | 10 to 15 min | 19 min (12 mi) | About the same |
| Silverstone | 45 nm (51 mi) | 25 to 30 min | 1 h 33 min (73 mi) | 1 h 05 min |
| London | 46 nm (53 mi) | 25 to 30 min | 1 h 48 min (64 mi) | 1 h 20 min |
| Norwich | 49 nm (57 mi) | 25 to 35 min | 1 h 26 min (65 mi) | 56 min |
| London Heathrow | 50 nm (58 mi) | 25 to 35 min | 1 h 33 min (72 mi) | 1 h 03 min |
| Epsom Downs | 56 nm (64 mi) | 30 to 35 min | 1 h 56 min (95 mi) | 1 h 23 min |
| Ascot Racecourse | 57 nm (66 mi) | 30 to 35 min | 1 h 47 min (80 mi) | 1 h 14 min |
| Oxford | 60 nm (68 mi) | 30 to 40 min | 2 h 01 min (98 mi) | 1 h 26 min |
| London Gatwick | 65 nm (75 mi) | 35 to 40 min | 1 h 55 min (97 mi) | 1 h 17 min |
| Birmingham | 72 nm (83 mi) | 35 to 45 min | 1 h 53 min (95 mi) | 1 h 13 min |
| Cheltenham Racecourse | 85 nm (97 mi) | 40 to 50 min | 2 h 37 min (132 mi) | 1 h 52 min |
| Goodwood | 88 nm (101 mi) | 40 to 55 min | 2 h 40 min (125 mi) | 1 h 52 min |
| Southampton | 95 nm (109 mi) | 45 to 55 min | 2 h 35 min (130 mi) | 1 h 45 min |
| Manchester | 113 nm (130 mi) | 50 to 65 min | 3 h 32 min (171 mi) | 2 h 34 min |
| York Racecourse | 114 nm (132 mi) | 55 to 65 min | 3 h 01 min (161 mi) | 2 h 01 min |
| Bristol | 118 nm (136 mi) | 55 to 70 min | 3 h 39 min (178 mi) | 2 h 36 min |
| Leeds | 120 nm (138 mi) | 55 to 70 min | 3 h 14 min (164 mi) | 2 h 11 min |
| Liverpool | 129 nm (149 mi) | 60 to 75 min | 3 h 38 min (189 mi) | 2 h 30 min |
| Aintree Racecourse | 137 nm (157 mi) | 60 to 75 min | 3 h 40 min (197 mi) | 2 h 32 min |
| Cardiff | 139 nm (160 mi) | 65 to 80 min | 4 h 13 min (220 mi) | 3 h |
| Newcastle | 183 nm (210 mi) | 80 to 100 min | 4 h 50 min (245 mi) | 3 h 20 min |
Helicopter figures are typical block times: distance at 135 knots plus 8 minutes, shown as a range. Road figures are free-flowing road times, a floor that real journeys rarely beat. Distances are in a straight line. Figures from our UK route data, checked 29 Sep 2026.
Which other sites can serve Cambridge?
London Stansted is 19.3 nautical miles from Cambridge and takes jets and helicopters 24 hours a day; see helicopter charter Stansted. Luton is 28 nautical miles away, covered at helicopter charter Luton. Sywell Aerodrome near Northampton is 36 nautical miles away but is open to visitors at weekends only, as explained on the Northampton page.
A helicopter can also land at a suitable private site such as a research campus, a college sports ground or an estate, subject to landing permission and site suitability. Send us the address and we will ask.
How much time does a helicopter save from Cambridge?
London is the headline: about 25 to 30 minutes by helicopter and 1 hour 48 minutes by road. Norwich takes about 25 to 35 minutes against 1 hour 26 minutes. Silverstone is 25 to 30 minutes against 1 hour 33 minutes, and Heathrow 25 to 35 minutes against 1 hour 33 minutes.
Ascot, at 30 to 35 minutes, is 1 hour 47 minutes by car, Gatwick 35 to 40 minutes against 1 hour 55, and Birmingham 35 to 45 minutes against 1 hour 53. Newmarket is only 10 to 15 minutes by helicopter and 19 minutes by road, a small saving, but traffic on race days makes the helicopter appealing. Road times are free-flowing minimums. For the capital see the London page, and for the central landing the London Heliport in Battersea.
Why do people charter helicopters in Cambridge?
Cambridge has one of Europe's densest clusters of science and technology companies. The Cambridge Science Park, the Biomedical Campus around Addenbrooke's Hospital, which is also the home of a global pharmaceutical headquarters, and the technology firms on the city's edge generate investor visits, board meetings and supplier trips to London, Oxford and Silverstone's engineering cluster. A helicopter turns the A14 into a short flight; see business helicopter charter.
The other draw is racing. Newmarket, the home of British flat racing, is a few miles from the city. Read helicopter charter to Newmarket for how a race day works, and horse racing by helicopter for the general approach. For the wider area see East of England and Norwich.
Booking a Cambridge helicopter
Give us the date, the route and the passenger weights. We check the airport's status, arrange permission and send timings. Arrive 10 minutes before departure with luggage in soft bags where the hold is small. Landing at a private site is subject to landing permission and site suitability.
If the flight is cancelled because of the weather, you pay nothing. For guidance on cost read the helicopter hire price guides.
Nearby airfields and heliports
Other sites close to Cambridge City Airport, with the distance in nautical miles. Chips with a link open that site's own page.
Frequently asked questions
Is Cambridge City Airport closing?
The site was sold in June 2026 according to our airport library, and the owner is due to leave by mid-2029. It is open for now. We confirm its status before each booking.
What are the opening hours at Cambridge City Airport?
Monday to Friday 08:00 to 18:00, with other times on formal request and no air traffic service at weekends unless arranged. Checked on 29 September 2026.
How far is Stansted from Cambridge?
About 19 nautical miles by air. A helicopter can link the two quickly if you are connecting to a scheduled or private flight.
How long is Cambridge to Newmarket by helicopter?
About 10 to 15 minutes, against 19 minutes by road in free-flowing traffic.
Can I land at a Cambridge college or science park?
Only with the owner's permission and a suitable site. We ask, and never promise a permission that has not been granted.
