The short answer
Helicopter charter Swansea clients should know that Swansea Airport's aerodrome licence was suspended in August 2026, so we do not promise landings there. We fly from Cardiff Heliport or Cardiff Airport, from Haverfordwest Airport in Pembrokeshire, or from an agreed private site. From Haverfordwest, Cardiff is about 35 to 40 minutes by helicopter and London 80 to 100.
Flying from Swansea and West Wales? Tell us where and when; we reply with options and a price for the whole aircraft.
Key facts
- Swansea Airport
- Fairwood Common, Swansea. Licence temporarily suspended (25 Aug 2026); public-transport flights cannot currently be accepted. Status confirmed before any quote
- Alternative 1
- Cardiff Heliport in Cardiff Bay (09:00 to 18:00 daily) or Cardiff Airport at Rhoose (24 hours, customs on site)
- Alternative 2
- Haverfordwest Airport, Fishguard Road, 08:30 to 17:00 daily; light jets only; prior permission
- Hours checked
- 29 September 2026
- Distance, Swansea Airport to Cardiff Airport
- About 30 nautical miles, 20 to 25 minutes by helicopter against 1 hour 23 minutes by road
- Haverfordwest to Cardiff
- About 35 to 40 minutes by helicopter against 2 hours 10 minutes by road
- Private sites
- Possible, subject to landing permission and site suitability
Where Swansea and West Wales flights start and end
The map shows Swansea Airport and the other sites that serve Swansea and West Wales, 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. Swansea Airport is at Swansea Airport, Fairwood Common, Swansea. Open it in Google Maps.
Swansea Airport
Choose a place
Hover, or tap, a pin for the details
Sites that serve Swansea and West Wales
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.
Swansea Airport EGFH / SWS
- Address
- Swansea Airport, Fairwood Common, Swansea
- Hours as published (checked 29 Sept 2026)
Mon–Sun 09:00–17:00 local; licensed fire cover Friday, Saturday and Sunday only (09:00–16:00 winter / 09:00–18:00…
Mon–Sun 09:00–17:00 local; licensed fire cover Friday, Saturday and Sunday only (09:00–16:00 winter / 09:00–18:00 summer for aircraft requiring a licensed aerodrome); out of hours on request- Permission
- Prior permission required (PPR): we arrange it with your flight
- Customs
- By arrangement / prior notice
- Runway
- 04/22 – 1,351 m × 30 m concrete; 10/28 – 857 m asphalt (unlicensed)
Haverfordwest Airport EGFE / HAW
- Address
- Haverfordwest Airport, Fishguard Road, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire
- Hours as published (checked 29 Sept 2026)
- 08:30–17:00 local Mon–Sun; out of hours available on request (advance permission and indemnity required)
- Permission
- Prior permission required (PPR): we arrange it with your flight
- Customs
- By arrangement / prior notice
- Runway
- 03/21 – 1,486 m × 45 m asphalt (displaced thresholds); 09/27 – 1,035 m asphalt
Helicopter charter PembrokeshireOfficial websiteOpen in Google Maps
Can you land a helicopter at Swansea Airport?
Not at present. Swansea Airport at Fairwood Common, on the Gower side of the city, had its aerodrome licence temporarily suspended in August 2026 while improvements are made. While that continues, charter flights that need a licensed aerodrome cannot be accepted, and we do not plan landings there. This status can change, so we check the airport's position again before we quote and before we confirm.
That is why helicopter charter Swansea enquiries are handled differently from those for most cities. We tell you the options at the start rather than after you have planned your day around a landing that may not happen.
Journey times from Swansea Airport
The nearest places first, with the helicopter time against the car, taken from our route data.
| To | Distance | Helicopter | By road | Typical saving |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardiff | 30 nm (34 mi) | 20 to 25 min | 1 h 23 min (47 mi) | 1 h |
| Bristol | 52 nm (60 mi) | 30 to 35 min | 2 h 11 min (92 mi) | 1 h 38 min |
| Cheltenham Racecourse | 77 nm (88 mi) | 40 to 45 min | 2 h 28 min (114 mi) | 1 h 45 min |
| Birmingham | 100 nm (115 mi) | 45 to 60 min | 3 h 05 min (152 mi) | 2 h 12 min |
| Oxford | 103 nm (119 mi) | 50 to 60 min | 3 h 20 min (153 mi) | 2 h 25 min |
| Southampton | 109 nm (126 mi) | 50 to 65 min | 3 h 39 min (175 mi) | 2 h 41 min |
| Liverpool | 113 nm (130 mi) | 50 to 65 min | 4 h 11 min (175 mi) | 3 h 13 min |
| Silverstone | 117 nm (135 mi) | 55 to 65 min | 3 h 46 min (176 mi) | 2 h 46 min |
| Aintree Racecourse | 120 nm (138 mi) | 55 to 70 min | 4 h 17 min (184 mi) | 3 h 14 min |
| Manchester | 124 nm (143 mi) | 55 to 70 min | 4 h 29 min (214 mi) | 3 h 26 min |
| Ascot Racecourse | 127 nm (147 mi) | 60 to 70 min | 3 h 27 min (168 mi) | 2 h 22 min |
| Goodwood | 133 nm (152 mi) | 60 to 75 min | 4 h 14 min (208 mi) | 3 h 06 min |
| London Heathrow | 135 nm (155 mi) | 60 to 75 min | 3 h 39 min (181 mi) | 2 h 31 min |
| Epsom Downs | 144 nm (165 mi) | 65 to 80 min | 4 h (194 mi) | 2 h 47 min |
| London | 146 nm (168 mi) | 65 to 80 min | 4 h 04 min (193 mi) | 2 h 51 min |
| London Gatwick | 148 nm (170 mi) | 65 to 85 min | 4 h 16 min (212 mi) | 3 h 01 min |
| Cambridge | 161 nm (186 mi) | 70 to 90 min | 4 h 42 min (244 mi) | 3 h 22 min |
| Leeds | 162 nm (186 mi) | 70 to 90 min | 5 h 19 min (235 mi) | 3 h 59 min |
| Newmarket Racecourse | 170 nm (196 mi) | 75 to 95 min | 4 h 49 min (252 mi) | 3 h 24 min |
| York Racecourse | 178 nm (204 mi) | 80 to 95 min | 5 h 17 min (278 mi) | 3 h 49 min |
| Norwich | 208 nm (239 mi) | 90 to 110 min | 5 h 56 min (305 mi) | 4 h 16 min |
| Newcastle | 223 nm (257 mi) | 1 h 35 min to 2 h | 7 h 06 min (362 mi) | 5 h 18 min |
Times from Haverfordwest Airport
| To | Distance | Helicopter | By road | Typical saving |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardiff | 66 nm (76 mi) | 35 to 40 min | 2 h 10 min (96 mi) | 1 h 32 min |
| Bristol | 88 nm (101 mi) | 40 to 55 min | 2 h 58 min (141 mi) | 2 h 10 min |
| Cheltenham Racecourse | 107 nm (124 mi) | 50 to 60 min | 3 h 14 min (157 mi) | 2 h 19 min |
| Liverpool | 119 nm (136 mi) | 55 to 70 min | 4 h 23 min (193 mi) | 3 h 20 min |
| Aintree Racecourse | 123 nm (142 mi) | 55 to 70 min | 4 h 29 min (203 mi) | 3 h 26 min |
| Birmingham | 124 nm (143 mi) | 55 to 70 min | 3 h 52 min (195 mi) | 2 h 49 min |
| Manchester | 134 nm (154 mi) | 60 to 75 min | 4 h 43 min (205 mi) | 3 h 35 min |
| Oxford | 135 nm (155 mi) | 60 to 75 min | 4 h 07 min (203 mi) | 2 h 59 min |
| Southampton | 145 nm (167 mi) | 65 to 80 min | 4 h 26 min (224 mi) | 3 h 13 min |
| Silverstone | 147 nm (169 mi) | 65 to 80 min | 4 h 33 min (226 mi) | 3 h 20 min |
| Ascot Racecourse | 162 nm (186 mi) | 70 to 90 min | 4 h 14 min (217 mi) | 2 h 54 min |
| Goodwood | 168 nm (194 mi) | 75 to 95 min | 5 h 02 min (258 mi) | 3 h 37 min |
| London Heathrow | 169 nm (194 mi) | 75 to 95 min | 4 h 26 min (230 mi) | 3 h 01 min |
| Leeds | 171 nm (197 mi) | 75 to 95 min | 5 h 31 min (254 mi) | 4 h 06 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.
What are the alternatives for Swansea?
The nearest dependable sites are in Cardiff. Cardiff Heliport in Cardiff Bay opens 09:00 to 18:00 daily, and Cardiff Airport at Rhoose runs 24 hours with customs on site. Measured from the Swansea airfield, Cardiff is about 30 nautical miles, roughly 20 to 25 minutes by helicopter against 1 hour 23 minutes by road, so a car transfer between Swansea and Cardiff is part of the plan. See helicopter charter Cardiff.
To the west, Haverfordwest Airport in Pembrokeshire is about 36 nautical miles from Swansea Airport. It opens 08:30 to 17:00 daily, takes light jets and helicopters, and requires prior permission by online form. It suits the Pembrokeshire coast and Milford Haven, where the energy and port industries are based.
What are the journey times from West Wales?
From Haverfordwest, Cardiff is about 35 to 40 minutes by helicopter and 2 hours 10 minutes by road. Bristol is 40 to 55 minutes against 2 hours 58 minutes, and Cheltenham 50 to 60 minutes against 3 hours 14 minutes. Birmingham is 55 to 70 minutes against 3 hours 52 minutes.
London is typically 80 to 100 minutes by helicopter and 4 hours 51 minutes by road. Liverpool is 55 to 70 minutes and over four hours on the road. Road times are free-flowing minimums. If you are heading to the capital, see our London page and the London Heliport in Battersea.
Why would Swansea organisations charter a helicopter?
Swansea is home to a large government agency, a major university campus at Bay Campus, and a port and industrial belt stretching to Port Talbot. Pembrokeshire has the Milford Haven Waterway with its energy terminals. Senior staff, inspectors and investors often need to be in Cardiff, Bristol or London the same day, and the roads west of Cardiff are slow. See business helicopter charter and secure helicopter transport for moving people discreetly.
Sport adds events. The Liberty Stadium hosts Swansea City and the Ospreys, and Cardiff's Principality Stadium is close. For the wider country see the Wales region page, and Chester for North Wales.
How we book a Swansea charter
Send us date, start point, destination and passenger weights. We tell you the site, any road transfer and the permission needed. Landing at a house, hotel or business site near Swansea is subject to landing permission and site suitability, and we do not promise a permission that has not been given. Arrive 10 minutes before departure, with luggage in soft bags where the hold is small.
If the flight is cancelled because of the weather, you pay nothing. Transfers by road can be arranged through exec-chauffeur.com.
Nearby airfields and heliports
Other sites close to Swansea Airport, with the distance in nautical miles. Chips with a link open that site's own page.
Frequently asked questions
Is Swansea Airport open for helicopters?
Its aerodrome licence was temporarily suspended in August 2026, so we do not plan charter landings there. We confirm the latest position before any quote.
What is the nearest alternative to Swansea Airport?
Cardiff Heliport and Cardiff Airport, about 30 nautical miles east, and Haverfordwest Airport in Pembrokeshire to the west.
Can a helicopter land at a private site near Swansea?
Possibly, with the landowner's permission and a suitable site. It is not a promise until permission is given.
What are the opening hours at Haverfordwest?
08:30 to 17:00 daily, with out-of-hours movements on request after advance permission and an indemnity. Checked on 29 September 2026.
Can I fly from West Wales to London by helicopter?
Yes, typically 80 to 100 minutes from Haverfordwest, against nearly five hours by road.
