The short answer
Helicopter charter Cotswolds flights use Cotswold Airport at Kemble, near Cirencester, or Gloucestershire Airport at Staverton, 14.2 nautical miles apart. Kemble to central London takes about 35 to 45 minutes by helicopter and 2 hours 6 minutes by road; Kemble to Birmingham about 25 to 35 minutes against 1 hour 44 minutes.
Flying from Cotswolds? Tell us where and when; we reply with options and a price for the whole aircraft.
Key facts
- Cotswold Airport
- The Control Tower, Kemble, Cirencester (EGBP / GBA); 1,972 m runway; jets accepted
- Kemble hours (as published, checked 29 Sep 2026)
- Tue to Sun 09:00 to 17:00; closed to the public on Mondays (movements by arrangement); prior permission by telephone at all times
- Kemble customs
- By arrangement with minimum notice periods; managed by the airport team
- Gloucestershire Airport
- Staverton, Cheltenham (EGBJ / GLO); weekdays 08:30 to 19:30; weekends 09:00 to 18:00 (winter) or 19:30 (summer)
- Staverton rules
- Strict prior permission with a slot system; handling mandatory over 3 tonnes and for international arrivals
- Weather
- Kemble may close in adverse weather, including snow
Where Cotswolds flights start and end
The map shows Cotswold Airport and the other sites that serve Cotswolds, 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. Cotswold Airport is at Cotswold Airport, The Control Tower, Cirencester, Gloucestershire. Open it in Google Maps.
Cotswold Airport (Kemble)
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Sites that serve Cotswolds
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.
Cotswold Airport (Kemble) EGBP / GBA
- Address
- Cotswold Airport, The Control Tower, Cirencester, Gloucestershire
- Hours as published (checked 29 Sept 2026)
Tuesday–Sunday 09:00–17:00; closed to the public on Mondays (movements by arrangement); out-of-hours arrivals and…
Tuesday–Sunday 09:00–17:00; closed to the public on Mondays (movements by arrangement); out-of-hours arrivals and departures and night flying by arrangement. Strictly PPR by telephone at all times- Permission
- Prior permission required (PPR): we arrange it with your flight
- Customs
- By arrangement / prior notice (minimum notice periods apply; immigration and customs managed by the airport team)
- Runway
- 08/26 – 1,972 m × 43 m asphalt (TORA 1,799 m)
Gloucestershire Airport (Staverton) EGBJ / GLO
- Address
- Gloucestershire Airport, Staverton, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire
- Hours as published (checked 29 Sept 2026)
Weekdays 08:30–19:30 local; Sat–Sun 09:00–18:00 (winter) / 09:00–19:30 (summer). Flights outside these hours subject to…
Weekdays 08:30–19:30 local; Sat–Sun 09:00–18:00 (winter) / 09:00–19:30 (summer). Flights outside these hours subject to ATC and fire service availability with surcharges – extension requests at least 24 hours ahead.- Permission
- Prior permission required (PPR): we arrange it with your flight
- Customs
- By arrangement / prior notice (as airport hours; GAR online; international arrivals must use a)
- Runway
- 08/26 – 1,432 m × 30 m asphalt (grooved); 03/21 – 980 m
Helicopter charter CheltenhamOfficial websiteOpen in Google Maps
Helicopter charter Cotswolds: two airports
Cotswold Airport at Kemble is on the Wiltshire and Gloucestershire border, 7 miles from Cirencester. It has a 1,972 metre runway, markets itself as the largest private airport in the UK and is used by fractional and charter jet companies. Opening hours are Tuesday to Sunday, 09:00 to 17:00, and it is closed to the public on Mondays, although movements can be arranged. Out-of-hours arrivals, refuelling and night flying are by arrangement, and all movements are strictly by prior permission by telephone. Kemble station in the village has trains to London Paddington in about 1 hour 20.
Gloucestershire Airport at Staverton lies between Cheltenham and Gloucester. It takes light and mid-size business jets and works well for the north Cotswolds and Cheltenham; see our Cheltenham page for its hours and rules.
Journey times from Cotswold Airport
The nearest places first, with the helicopter time against the car, taken from our route data.
| To | Distance | Helicopter | By road | Typical saving |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheltenham Racecourse | 15 nm (17 mi) | 15 to 15 min | 42 min (23 mi) | 27 min |
| Oxford | 29 nm (34 mi) | 20 to 25 min | 1 h 06 min (42 mi) | 43 min |
| Bristol | 30 nm (35 mi) | 20 to 25 min | 1 h 14 min (43 mi) | 51 min |
| Silverstone | 46 nm (53 mi) | 25 to 30 min | 1 h 36 min (67 mi) | 1 h 08 min |
| Birmingham | 49 nm (56 mi) | 25 to 35 min | 1 h 44 min (71 mi) | 1 h 14 min |
| Southampton | 51 nm (58 mi) | 25 to 35 min | 1 h 42 min (81 mi) | 1 h 12 min |
| Cardiff | 51 nm (58 mi) | 30 to 35 min | 1 h 52 min (81 mi) | 1 h 19 min |
| Ascot Racecourse | 54 nm (62 mi) | 30 to 35 min | 1 h 30 min (74 mi) | 57 min |
| London Heathrow | 61 nm (70 mi) | 30 to 40 min | 1 h 42 min (87 mi) | 1 h 07 min |
| Goodwood | 69 nm (79 mi) | 35 to 45 min | 2 h 17 min (114 mi) | 1 h 37 min |
| Epsom Downs | 71 nm (81 mi) | 35 to 45 min | 2 h 03 min (100 mi) | 1 h 23 min |
| London | 71 nm (82 mi) | 35 to 45 min | 2 h 06 min (99 mi) | 1 h 26 min |
| London Gatwick | 77 nm (88 mi) | 40 to 45 min | 2 h 18 min (118 mi) | 1 h 35 min |
| Cambridge | 89 nm (102 mi) | 45 to 55 min | 2 h 54 min (137 mi) | 2 h 04 min |
| Newmarket Racecourse | 97 nm (112 mi) | 45 to 55 min | 3 h 01 min (145 mi) | 2 h 11 min |
| Manchester | 102 nm (117 mi) | 50 to 60 min | 3 h 09 min (141 mi) | 2 h 14 min |
| Liverpool | 104 nm (120 mi) | 50 to 60 min | 3 h 15 min (159 mi) | 2 h 20 min |
| Aintree Racecourse | 113 nm (130 mi) | 55 to 65 min | 3 h 16 min (167 mi) | 2 h 16 min |
| Leeds | 133 nm (153 mi) | 60 to 75 min | 4 h (190 mi) | 2 h 52 min |
| Norwich | 137 nm (158 mi) | 60 to 75 min | 4 h 09 min (198 mi) | 3 h 01 min |
| York Racecourse | 141 nm (162 mi) | 65 to 80 min | 3 h 53 min (192 mi) | 2 h 40 min |
| Newcastle | 203 nm (233 mi) | 90 to 110 min | 5 h 42 min (276 mi) | 4 h 02 min |
Times from Gloucestershire Airport
| To | Distance | Helicopter | By road | Typical saving |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheltenham Racecourse | 3.9 nm (4 mi) | 10 to 10 min | 13 min (6 mi) | About the same |
| Oxford | 32 nm (36 mi) | 20 to 25 min | 1 h 10 min (45 mi) | 47 min |
| Birmingham | 37 nm (43 mi) | 20 to 25 min | 1 h 11 min (57 mi) | 48 min |
| Bristol | 37 nm (43 mi) | 20 to 25 min | 1 h 09 min (52 mi) | 46 min |
| Silverstone | 44 nm (51 mi) | 25 to 30 min | 1 h 40 min (70 mi) | 1 h 12 min |
| Cardiff | 53 nm (61 mi) | 30 to 35 min | 1 h 43 min (82 mi) | 1 h 10 min |
| Ascot Racecourse | 63 nm (72 mi) | 30 to 40 min | 1 h 45 min (87 mi) | 1 h 10 min |
| Southampton | 64 nm (74 mi) | 35 to 40 min | 1 h 57 min (93 mi) | 1 h 19 min |
| London Heathrow | 68 nm (79 mi) | 35 to 45 min | 1 h 57 min (100 mi) | 1 h 17 min |
| London | 78 nm (90 mi) | 40 to 50 min | 2 h 21 min (112 mi) | 1 h 36 min |
| Epsom Downs | 79 nm (91 mi) | 40 to 50 min | 2 h 17 min (113 mi) | 1 h 32 min |
| Goodwood | 82 nm (94 mi) | 40 to 50 min | 2 h 32 min (127 mi) | 1 h 47 min |
| London Gatwick | 86 nm (99 mi) | 40 to 50 min | 2 h 33 min (131 mi) | 1 h 48 min |
| Manchester | 88 nm (101 mi) | 40 to 55 min | 2 h 35 min (119 mi) | 1 h 47 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.
Helicopter and road times from Kemble
Typical helicopter block times against free-flowing road times:
- Kemble to Cheltenham: about 15 minutes, against 42 minutes by road.
- Kemble to Oxford: about 20 to 25 minutes, against 1 hour 6 minutes.
- Kemble to Bristol: about 20 to 25 minutes, against 1 hour 14 minutes.
- Kemble to Silverstone: about 25 to 30 minutes, against 1 hour 36 minutes.
- Kemble to Birmingham: about 25 to 35 minutes, against 1 hour 44 minutes.
- Kemble to central London: about 35 to 45 minutes, against 2 hours 6 minutes.
For the full picture see helicopter against car journey times. Our Oxford and Bristol pages cover the other end.
Why the Cotswolds suits helicopter charter
Rural estates, country-house hotels and village venues are rarely near a station or motorway, so the last twenty miles of a car journey take as long as the first fifty. A helicopter avoids that, and many houses have a lawn or paddock that can be used with the owner's permission, subject to landing permission and site suitability.
Polo is part of the Cotswold calendar: our polo by helicopter page covers how corporate hosts reach matches. Many estates in the region also run organised game days; read shooting by helicopter for how guns, cartridges and weights are handled lawfully. Racing at Cheltenham is described on the Cheltenham event page.
Business travel in the region
Gloucestershire and Wiltshire have engineering, technology and professional-services businesses outside the big cities. Directors visiting a plant, a bank meeting in Bristol or a board day in London can all fit in one day; see business helicopter charter and same-day business trips. A Kemble arrival by jet followed by a helicopter to an estate is a common request. For the jet use Charter Private Jet, and for the car on the ground Executive Global Travel.
How booking works
Send us your date, passengers, weights and destination. We confirm that the airport you want is open on your day, apply for permission and send one quote. Arrive 10 minutes before departure; soft bags where the hold is small. If the flight is cancelled because of the weather, you pay nothing. Because Kemble can close in snow and is shut on Mondays to the public, we always suggest an alternative at quote stage. More in the South West England region guide.
Nearby airfields and heliports
Other sites close to Cotswold Airport, with the distance in nautical miles. Chips with a link open that site's own page.
Frequently asked questions
Is Cotswold Airport open on Mondays?
It is closed to the public on Mondays, though movements can be arranged. Opening hours are Tuesday to Sunday, 09:00 to 17:00.
Can I take a jet into Kemble?
Yes. The 1,972 metre runway handles jets and the airport is used by fractional and charter companies.
How long is a helicopter from Kemble to London?
About 35 to 45 minutes, against 2 hours 6 minutes by road.
Does Kemble have customs?
Customs and immigration are by arrangement with minimum notice periods, managed by the airport team.
Can the airport close in bad weather?
Yes, Kemble may close in adverse weather including snow. We plan an alternative at quote stage.
Which airport is better for Cheltenham?
Gloucestershire Airport at Staverton is 3.9 nautical miles from the racecourse; Kemble is about 15 minutes away by helicopter.
