The short answer
Helicopter charter Islay lands at Islay Airport at Glenegedale, a 1,550 metre runway with prior permission required at least three hours ahead. Glasgow is about 30 to 40 minutes by helicopter and Edinburgh about 45 to 60, with no road alternative. Hours are short, so we plan the day inside them. Send your date and weights for a quote.
Flying from Islay? Tell us where and when; we reply with options and a price for the whole aircraft.
Key facts
- Main site
- Islay Airport (EGPI), Glenegedale, 1,550 m runway, usable take-off run about 1,408 m, light jets only
- Hours (checked 29 Sep 2026)
- Airfield Mon to Fri 08:30 to 18:40, Sat 08:30 to 13:40, Sun 12:15 to 16:55; terminal closed 11:30 to 15:00 on weekdays; extensions by arrangement
- Permission
- Strictly prior permission, at least 3 hours ahead through the airport's online form
- Fuel
- Fuelling by prior arrangement; no jet fuel listed, so jets plan to carry their own
- Islay to Glasgow
- Helicopter about 30 to 40 minutes; no road link
- Islay to Edinburgh
- Helicopter about 45 to 60 minutes; no road link
- Nearest other site
- Campbeltown Airport, 24.4 nautical miles away
Where Islay flights start and end
The map shows Islay Airport and the other sites that serve Islay, 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. Islay Airport is at Islay Airport, Glenegedale, Isle of Islay. Open it in Google Maps.
Islay Airport
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Hover, or tap, a pin for the details
Sites that serve Islay
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.
Islay Airport EGPI / ILY
- Address
- Islay Airport, Glenegedale, Isle of Islay
- Hours as published (checked 29 Sept 2026)
Airfield Mon–Fri 08:30–18:40, Sat 08:30–13:40, Sun 12:15–16:55, and by arrangement. Terminal Mon–Fri 07:30–11:30 and…
Airfield Mon–Fri 08:30–18:40, Sat 08:30–13:40, Sun 12:15–16:55, and by arrangement. Terminal Mon–Fri 07:30–11:30 and 15:00–18:40, Sat 07:30–10:00, Sun 14:30–17:00. by prior arrangement- Permission
- Prior permission required (PPR): we arrange it with your flight
- Customs
- By arrangement / prior notice
- Runway
- 12/30 – 1,550 m × 30 m asphalt (grooved); usable TORA about 1,408 m
Campbeltown Airport EGEC / CAL
- Address
- Campbeltown Airport, Machrihanish, Kintyre, Argyll
- Hours as published (checked 29 Sept 2026)
Airfield Mon–Fri 08:20–17:40; Sat closed; Sun 16:50–18:00 (May–Sep), and by arrangement. Terminal Mon–Fri 07:45–11:45…
Airfield Mon–Fri 08:20–17:40; Sat closed; Sun 16:50–18:00 (May–Sep), and by arrangement. Terminal Mon–Fri 07:45–11:45 and 13:45–17:45; closed weekends. PPR – arrival/departure times may be allocated- Permission
- Prior permission required (PPR): we arrange it with your flight
- Customs
- No
- Runway
- 11/29 – 1,412 m × 30 m asphalt (grooved) – the licensed civil runway, not the full ex-RAF length
Helicopter charter ArgyllOfficial websiteOpen in Google Maps
Glasgow to Islay in half an hour
Helicopter charter Islay covers 62.6 nautical miles from Glasgow in a straight line, which our data turns into a helicopter block time of about 30 to 40 minutes. Edinburgh is about 45 to 60 minutes and Newcastle about 70 to 90. There is no car time because the island is across the sea. The comparison with the scheduled aeroplane is about control rather than speed: a charter leaves when you are ready and lands where you have agreed.
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 Islay we plan a straight line, a fuel margin and an alternative site on the mainland, because Atlantic weather can be changeable. See helicopter charter Glasgow for the usual departure point.
Journey times from Islay 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 | 63 nm (72 mi) | 30 to 40 min | No road link | Not applicable |
| Edinburgh | 99 nm (113 mi) | 45 to 60 min | No road link | Not applicable |
| Newcastle | 161 nm (185 mi) | 70 to 90 min | No road link | Not applicable |
| Aintree Racecourse | 176 nm (202 mi) | 75 to 95 min | No road link | Not applicable |
| Liverpool | 184 nm (212 mi) | 80 to 100 min | No road link | Not applicable |
| Leeds | 193 nm (222 mi) | 85 to 105 min | No road link | Not applicable |
| Manchester | 197 nm (227 mi) | 85 to 105 min | No road link | Not applicable |
| York Racecourse | 207 nm (238 mi) | 90 to 110 min | No road link | Not applicable |
Times from Campbeltown Airport
| To | Distance | Helicopter | By road | Typical saving |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glasgow | 50 nm (57 mi) | 25 to 35 min | 3 h 04 min (129 mi) | 2 h 34 min |
| Edinburgh | 84 nm (97 mi) | 40 to 50 min | 4 h (178 mi) | 3 h 15 min |
| Newcastle | 139 nm (160 mi) | 65 to 80 min | 6 h 20 min (288 mi) | 5 h 07 min |
| Aintree Racecourse | 152 nm (174 mi) | 70 to 85 min | 7 h 03 min (349 mi) | 5 h 45 min |
| Liverpool | 161 nm (185 mi) | 70 to 90 min | 7 h 22 min (362 mi) | 6 h 02 min |
| Leeds | 169 nm (194 mi) | 75 to 95 min | 7 h 13 min (337 mi) | 5 h 48 min |
| Manchester | 173 nm (199 mi) | 75 to 95 min | 7 h 28 min (360 mi) | 6 h 03 min |
| York Racecourse | 183 nm (210 mi) | 80 to 100 min | 7 h 08 min (346 mi) | 5 h 38 min |
| Birmingham | 227 nm (261 mi) | 1 h 40 min to 2 h | 8 h 40 min (436 mi) | 6 h 50 min |
| Cheltenham Racecourse | 247 nm (285 mi) | 1 h 45 min to 2 h 10 min | 9 h 13 min (469 mi) | 7 h 15 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.
Islay Airport: the facts
The airport has a 1,550 metre grooved asphalt runway with a usable take-off run of about 1,408 metres. That is enough for light jets such as the Citation and Phenom class, subject to a performance check, but the airport lists no jet fuel and jets should plan to carry their own. For helicopters and turboprops it is straightforward. Hours are weekday daytime with a closure in the middle of the day at the terminal, a Saturday morning and a Sunday afternoon. Large flocks of geese use the island between October and March, which pilots plan for.
Foreign-arrival notice depends on origin: none for direct departures to the EU, four hours for direct arrivals from the EU, twelve for the Channel Islands and twenty-four for other non-EU airports. A handling agent is on the airfield, and we deal with them. The nearest other site, Campbeltown in Argyll, is 24.4 nautical miles away.
Who flies to Islay on business
Islay is known for its distilleries, and brand and trade visits are a large part of corporate demand: owners, buyers and directors who need to see a site and be back by evening. The island also has farms, wind and renewable energy, fishing and the ferry links to Jura and the mainland. Our business helicopter charter page explains how a group trip is planned, and the dining by helicopter page covers lunch and dinner destinations for client groups.
We only fly business and corporate groups. If your day includes a distillery visit, a lunch or a meeting at an estate house, tell us and we plan around it. Landing at a private site is subject to landing permission and site suitability, and we agree it first. A car at Glenegedale is worth booking, and Executive Global Travel can do it.
Timing a day trip
The practical limit is the clock. A weekday trip works best with an early outbound leg so you have the working day on the island and a return before the airfield closes in the evening. At weekends the windows are shorter, so we ask for an extension if you need it and confirm before you rely on it.
Arrive 10 minutes before departure, supply weights and use soft bags. We watch the forecast on the day before and on the morning. If the flight is cancelled because of the weather, you pay nothing. See also the Scotland region page, the Scottish airfield directory and Prestwick for jets on the Ayrshire coast.
Nearby airfields and heliports
Other sites close to Islay Airport, with the distance in nautical miles. Chips with a link open that site's own page.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the flight from Glasgow to Islay?
About 30 to 40 minutes by helicopter. There is no road, so there is no car time to compare.
Can a business jet land on Islay?
Light jets can, subject to a performance check, but no jet fuel is listed so they plan to carry their own. Helicopters and turboprops are the natural fit.
Why does the airport have short hours?
It is a small island airport with a weekday daytime schedule and shorter weekends. We plan inside the published window or ask for an extension.
What is the geese issue?
Large flocks use the island from October to March. Pilots plan for it and it is one reason we keep a margin.
Can I land at a distillery or estate?
Often, subject to landing permission and site suitability. We ask the owner first.
What if the weather cancels the flight?
If the flight is cancelled because of the weather, you pay nothing.
