The short answer
Helicopter charter at Prestwick runs from Glasgow Prestwick Airport on the Ayrshire coast, open 24 hours with customs on site. Glasgow is about 15 to 20 minutes by helicopter against about 47 minutes by road, and Edinburgh about 25 to 35 minutes against 1 hour 28 minutes. Request a quote with your date and weights.
Flying from Prestwick? Tell us where and when; we reply with options and a price for the whole aircraft.
Key facts
- Main site
- Glasgow Prestwick Airport (EGPK), Prestwick KA9 2PL, 2,987 m runway, jet capable
- Hours (checked 29 Sep 2026)
- Administration, customs and immigration, air traffic, fuelling, handling, security and de-icing all 24 hours
- Permission
- Handling is mandatory for all aircraft; we arrange it with your booking
- Customs
- On site, 24 hours; international passengers presented to Border Force by the handling agent
- Prestwick to Glasgow
- Helicopter about 15 to 20 minutes; car about 47 minutes
- Prestwick to Edinburgh
- Helicopter about 25 to 35 minutes; car about 1h28
Where Prestwick flights start and end
The map shows Glasgow Prestwick 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. Glasgow Prestwick Airport is at Aviation House, Glasgow Prestwick Airport, Prestwick KA9 2PL. Open it in Google Maps.
Glasgow Prestwick Airport
Choose a place
Hover, or tap, a pin for the details
Sites that serve Prestwick
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.
Glasgow Prestwick Airport EGPK / PIK
- Address
- Aviation House, Glasgow Prestwick Airport, Prestwick KA9 2PL
- Hours as published (checked 29 Sept 2026)
- H24 – AD administration, customs & immigration, health & sanitation, ATS, security and de-icing all H24 (UK AIP AD 2.3)
- Permission
- Check before you fly: we confirm it with your booking
- Customs
- Yes – on site
- Runway
- 12/30 – 2,987 m × 45 m, concrete/asphalt (92 m wide paved surface incl. shoulders); 02/20 – 1,906 m × 45 m asphalt
What Prestwick offers a helicopter charter
Prestwick has one of the longest runways in Scotland at 2,987 m, a second runway of 1,906 m, and it runs 24 hours a day with customs, handling, fuelling and de-icing all available round the clock. Glasgow Prestwick Airport is therefore a strong choice when you need a late or very early start, or an international leg with a clean customs arrival. Handling is mandatory for every aircraft and is arranged through a handling agent on the airfield, which also presents international passengers to Border Force.
No slot coordination is published for general aviation. Jet circuit training is not permitted between 19:00 and 08:00 for noise abatement, which does not affect charter arrivals and departures. If you are flying in by jet, see charter-private-jet.com for the jet side.
Journey times from Glasgow Prestwick 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 | 23 nm (26 mi) | 15 to 20 min | 47 min (35 mi) | 29 min |
| Edinburgh | 49 nm (56 mi) | 25 to 35 min | 1 h 28 min (69 mi) | 58 min |
| Newcastle | 103 nm (118 mi) | 50 to 60 min | 3 h 32 min (157 mi) | 2 h 37 min |
| Aintree Racecourse | 134 nm (154 mi) | 60 to 75 min | 4 h 14 min (218 mi) | 3 h 06 min |
| Leeds | 141 nm (162 mi) | 65 to 80 min | 4 h 25 min (207 mi) | 3 h 12 min |
| Liverpool | 144 nm (165 mi) | 65 to 80 min | 4 h 33 min (231 mi) | 3 h 20 min |
| Manchester | 152 nm (175 mi) | 70 to 85 min | 4 h 40 min (229 mi) | 3 h 22 min |
| York Racecourse | 153 nm (175 mi) | 70 to 85 min | 4 h 20 min (215 mi) | 3 h 02 min |
| Birmingham | 208 nm (240 mi) | 90 to 115 min | 5 h 51 min (305 mi) | 4 h 08 min |
| Cheltenham Racecourse | 233 nm (268 mi) | 1 h 40 min to 2 h 05 min | 6 h 24 min (338 mi) | 4 h 31 min |
| Silverstone | 241 nm (277 mi) | 1 h 45 min to 2 h 10 min | 6 h 43 min (353 mi) | 4 h 45 min |
| Oxford | 249 nm (286 mi) | 1 h 45 min to 2 h 15 min | 6 h 53 min (363 mi) | 4 h 53 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.
Prestwick to Glasgow, Edinburgh and Newcastle
Glasgow is about 15 to 20 minutes by helicopter against 47 minutes by road, so a Glasgow meeting is an easy hop; see Glasgow. Edinburgh takes about 25 to 35 minutes against 1 hour 28 minutes. Newcastle is about 50 to 60 minutes against 3 hours 32 minutes, Leeds about 65 to 80 minutes against 4 hours 25 minutes, and Manchester about 70 to 85 minutes against 4 hours 40 minutes. Liverpool is about 65 to 80 minutes against 4 hours 33 minutes.
Those road times are free-flowing floors. For the whole network, see UK helicopter routes and times.
Golf, racing and business in Ayrshire
The Ayrshire coast is serious golf country, with Prestwick Golf Club (the original home of The Open), Royal Troon, which hosted The Open in 2024, and Turnberry. Hospitality days are the usual reason clients arrive here; see golf by helicopter for how arrival works at a club. Landing at a golf club or hotel is subject to landing permission and site suitability, and we agree it with the venue before we quote.
Ayr Racecourse is nearby, and our horse racing by helicopter page covers racing arrivals more generally. For business, Prestwick works as a quiet second option when Glasgow Airport is congested, and for estate days see shooting by helicopter.
Booking from Prestwick
Tell us who is travelling, with weights, and where you want to land. We confirm the helicopter, the handling and the timings. Arrive 10 minutes before departure and use soft bags where the hold is small. If the flight is cancelled because of the weather, you pay nothing. Atlantic weather on the coast can move quickly, so we check it the morning of the flight.
If you are weighing Prestwick against Glasgow Airport, the question is usually timing and convenience rather than distance. Prestwick is 22.8 nautical miles from Glasgow Airport, and a client coming from Ayrshire, Dumfries and Galloway or the south-west of Scotland will often find the coast easier to reach than the city. Our team looks at where you start, where you finish and when, and recommends one site or the other. We will also tell you plainly when the better answer is a different airfield altogether, such as Cumbernauld for the central belt or Edinburgh for the east.
See also the Scotland region page, Edinburgh and the Scottish airfield directory. For cost guides, see Helicopter Hire Prices.
Nearby airfields and heliports
Other sites close to Glasgow Prestwick Airport, with the distance in nautical miles. Chips with a link open that site's own page.
Frequently asked questions
Is Prestwick Airport open 24 hours?
Yes. Administration, customs and immigration, air traffic, fuelling, handling and security are all published as 24 hours.
How far is Prestwick from Glasgow by helicopter?
About 15 to 20 minutes, against about 47 minutes by road.
Can I fly to Turnberry or Royal Troon?
Both are close to Prestwick. Landing at a golf club or hotel is subject to landing permission and site suitability, and we ask the venue first.
Is handling compulsory?
Yes, for every aircraft. We book it as part of the charter.
Does Prestwick have customs?
Yes, on site 24 hours.
