The short answer
Helicopter charter Derry-Londonderry uses City of Derry Airport at Eglinton, a 1,969 metre runway with a corporate aviation centre about 10 minutes by car from the city. Glasgow is about 50 to 60 minutes by helicopter and Liverpool about 80 to 100, with no road alternative across the sea. Send your date and weights for a quote.
Flying from Derry-Londonderry? Tell us where and when; we reply with options and a price for the whole aircraft.
Key facts
- Main site
- City of Derry Airport (EGAE), Eglinton, 1,969 m runway, all business jets up to airliner size
- Hours (checked 29 Sep 2026)
- Split daily hours, for example Monday 06:25 to 19:00 and 20:00 to 22:00; gaps on some mornings and weekend afternoons; aircraft must be airborne 15 minutes before closing
- Permission
- Prior permission required
- Customs
- By arrangement, 07:00 to 22:00, with advance notice
- Derry to Glasgow
- Helicopter about 50 to 60 minutes; no road link
- Derry to Liverpool
- Helicopter about 80 to 100 minutes; no road link
- Nearest other sites
- Belfast International Airport 40 nautical miles; Enniskillen Airport 42.3 nautical miles
Where Derry-Londonderry flights start and end
The map shows City of Derry 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. City of Derry Airport is at City of Derry Airport, Airport Road, Eglinton, Derry-Londonderry. Open it in Google Maps.
City of Derry Airport
Choose a place
Hover, or tap, a pin for the details
Sites that serve Derry-Londonderry
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.
City of Derry Airport EGAE / LDY
- Address
- City of Derry Airport, Airport Road, Eglinton, Derry-Londonderry
- Hours as published (checked 29 Sept 2026)
Mon 06:25–19:00 and 20:00–22:00; Tue–Thu 06:25–07:30, 08:30–19:00 and 20:00–22:00; Fri 06:25–19:00 and 20:00–22:00; Sat…
Mon 06:25–19:00 and 20:00–22:00; Tue–Thu 06:25–07:30, 08:30–19:00 and 20:00–22:00; Fri 06:25–19:00 and 20:00–22:00; Sat 06:25–07:30, 09:00–16:00 and 17:00–18:00; Sun 08:55–09:30, 12:00–18:45 and 19:30–22:00 (AIP, local). Out of hours on request and subject to availability. Aircraft must be airborne 15 minutes before closing unless otherwise arranged- Permission
- Prior permission required (PPR): we arrange it with your flight
- Customs
- By arrangement / prior notice (07:00–22:00 local)
- Runway
- 08/26 – 1,969 m × 45 m asphalt (grooved)
Why charter a helicopter to Derry-Londonderry?
Helicopter charter Derry-Londonderry saves time on two kinds of journey. Within Northern Ireland the roads from the north-west to Belfast are good but not fast. Across the water, every UK mainland trip is an air or sea journey. Glasgow is about 50 to 60 minutes by helicopter, Edinburgh about 65 to 80, Liverpool about 80 to 100, Manchester about 85 to 110 and Newcastle about 80 to 105. Our data holds no car time for these because of the sea crossing.
Charter-A Helicopter is the helicopter charter service of Charter-A Ltd, which has arranged private flights across the UK and Europe since 2011. For a team with a morning in the north-west and a meeting on the mainland in the afternoon, a direct charter is the only schedule that fits.
Journey times from City of Derry Airport
The nearest places first, with the helicopter time against the car, taken from our route data.
| To | Distance | Helicopter | By road | Typical saving |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glasgow | 105 nm (121 mi) | 50 to 60 min | No road link | Not applicable |
| Edinburgh | 140 nm (161 mi) | 65 to 80 min | No road link | Not applicable |
| Aintree Racecourse | 175 nm (202 mi) | 75 to 95 min | No road link | Not applicable |
| Liverpool | 183 nm (210 mi) | 80 to 100 min | No road link | Not applicable |
| Newcastle | 188 nm (216 mi) | 80 to 105 min | No road link | Not applicable |
| Manchester | 199 nm (229 mi) | 85 to 110 min | No road link | Not applicable |
| Leeds | 205 nm (235 mi) | 90 to 110 min | No road link | Not applicable |
| York Racecourse | 221 nm (255 mi) | 1 h 35 min to 2 h | No road link | Not applicable |
| Birmingham | 247 nm (284 mi) | 1 h 45 min to 2 h 10 min | No road link | Not applicable |
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.
City of Derry Airport
The airport at Eglinton has a 1,969 metre grooved runway and takes every business jet up to airliner size, but it is equally comfortable with a helicopter. A dedicated corporate aviation centre has a business lounge, hangarage and a chauffeur on request, and the city centre is about ten minutes away by car. Hours are split through the day, with gaps on some mornings and on weekend afternoons, and an aircraft must be airborne 15 minutes before the airport closes unless it has agreed otherwise.
Customs and immigration are by arrangement between 07:00 and 22:00, so international legs need notice. We manage the permission, the timing and the handling for you. For other Northern Ireland bases see Enniskillen and Fermanagh, County Down and Belfast.
Business, golf and events in the north-west
Derry-Londonderry is a walled city with a strong university, a technology and engineering base and a growing visitor economy; it was the first UK City of Culture in 2013. The Causeway Coast and Royal Portrush, which hosted the Open Championship in 2019 and 2025, lie along the coast to the east, and corporate groups use that to entertain clients. Our business helicopter charter page describes how those days are built and the golf by helicopter page covers the course side.
Landing at a golf club, hotel or country house is subject to landing permission and site suitability, and we agree it with the owner before you commit. Where a site cannot take a helicopter, we land at the airport and a car completes the journey; Executive Global Travel can arrange it.
Planning from the north-west
Tell us the date, the destination and each passenger's weight, and we book the landing and quote the whole aircraft. Arrive 10 minutes before departure and use soft bags where the hold is small. Irish Sea weather can change the timing, so we check the forecast the day before and on the morning. If the flight is cancelled because of the weather, you pay nothing.
The Northern Ireland region page covers the other bases, the airfield directory lists every site, and airport transfers by helicopter explains how to connect with a jet or an airliner. For jets, see Charter-Private-Jet.com.
Nearby airfields and heliports
Other sites close to City of Derry Airport, with the distance in nautical miles. Chips with a link open that site's own page.
Frequently asked questions
Which airport serves Derry-Londonderry?
City of Derry Airport at Eglinton, about 10 minutes by car from the city, with a 1,969 metre runway and a corporate aviation centre.
How long is a helicopter from Derry to Glasgow?
About 50 to 60 minutes. There is no road, so no car time exists.
Are there opening-hour gaps?
Yes. Daily hours are split, with gaps on some mornings and weekend afternoons, and aircraft must be airborne 15 minutes before closing. We plan inside the hours.
Do international flights need notice?
Yes. Customs and immigration are by arrangement between 07:00 and 22:00, and we arrange it.
Can you land at Royal Portrush or a hotel?
Often, subject to landing permission and site suitability. We ask the owner first and use the airport as the alternative.
What if the weather stops the flight?
If the flight is cancelled because of the weather, you pay nothing.
