The short answer
Bristol to Oxford takes about 30 to 40 minutes by helicopter. By road it is 86 miles and at least 1 hour 59 minutes free-flowing, so the helicopter typically saves about 1 hour 24 minutes each way. Cotswold Airport at Kemble sits near the mid-point.
Quote Bristol to Oxford We reply with options and a price for the whole aircraft.
Key facts
- Distance
- 58.9 nautical miles (68 statute miles) in a straight line
- Helicopter time
- 30 to 40 minutes
- Car time
- At least 1 hour 59 minutes free-flowing, 86 miles by road
- Typical time saved
- About 1 hour 24 minutes each way
- Bristol end
- Bristol Airport, open 24 hours with customs on site
- Oxford end
- London Oxford Airport at Kidlington; Cotswold Airport at Kemble as the mid-point
- Return journey
- The same time applies in the other direction
Bristol to Oxford on the map
The dashed line joins the main airfield or heliport at each end, with a ring at the midpoint. Real flights follow the sites at each end and the weather on the day.
The map could not load just now. Bristol Airport to London Oxford Airport: about 59 nm in a straight line, 30 to 40 min by helicopter.
Helicopter against the car
Bristol to Oxford: the numbers
Bristol to Oxford by helicopter takes about 30 to 40 minutes, against at least 1 hour 59 minutes on the road.
The straight line is 58.9 nautical miles (68 statute miles). The road is 86 miles and 1 hour 59 minutes even when it flows freely, so the helicopter typically saves about 1 hour 24 minutes each way. There is no motorway between the two cities; the road runs through Swindon and the A420 or M4 and A34.
Likely departure and arrival sites
The sites we would normally use at each end, with the same figures worked out from the site itself.
| Site | Flying | Distance | Helicopter | By road |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City centre to city centre | Bristol to Oxford | 59 nm | 30 to 40 min | 1 h 59 min |
| Bristol Airport | to Oxford | 59 nm | 30 to 40 min | 1 h 59 min |
| London Oxford Airport | to Bristol | 59 nm | 30 to 40 min | 2 h |
Kemble in the middle
Cotswold Airport at Kemble is 30 nautical miles from Bristol and 29.2 from Oxford, almost exactly halfway along the line. It has a 1,972 metre runway and is open Tuesday to Sunday from 09:00 to 17:00, strictly by telephone prior permission. A stop at Kemble breaks a longer trip, serves a Cotswold client, or acts as the diversion if Oxford is under cloud. See helicopter charter Cotswolds.
Oxford Airport at Kidlington has a 1,526 metre runway and is open 06:30 to 22:30. See helicopter charter Oxford.
Who flies between Bristol and Oxford
Both cities host universities, research and technology businesses, and a stream of visiting directors. The helicopter links them without the A420 and Swindon. For hospitality, Cheltenham sits just north of the line; see Cheltenham, and London to Cheltenham gives the capital leg, and Badminton Horse Trials lie close to the line. Bath is a short drive from Bristol; see helicopter charter Bath.
A same-day plan
- Leave Bristol at 09:00, land at Oxford between 09:30 and 09:40.
- Meetings at a university or a research park.
- Leave Oxford at 16:30, land at Bristol between 17:00 and 17:10.
That is 1 hour to 1 hour 20 minutes in the air for the round trip. The same trip by car is at least 3 hours 58 minutes of driving, so the helicopter typically gives back about 2 hours 48 minutes across the day. Kemble is closed on Mondays, so check the day of the week. If the flight is cancelled because of the weather, you pay nothing.
Connecting with Silverstone and the Midlands
From Oxford, Silverstone is a short hop; see Silverstone, and Birmingham to Oxford gives the Midlands link. A car at the Bristol end can be arranged with Executive Global Travel.
If your trip starts in the capital, London to Oxford gives the other side of the picture, and a three-stop day from London to Oxford, Kemble and Bristol is a sensible way to see several clients without a night away.
Where the figures come from
For Bristol to Oxford the straight-line distance is 58.9 nautical miles. At a cruise of 135 knots that is about 26 minutes; we add 8 minutes for start-up, climb and the approach, which gives a block time of about 34 minutes, and we show it as a range, 10 per cent shorter to 12 per cent longer, rounded to the nearest five minutes. The road figure is the free-flowing time from a routing engine, so it is a floor. Real journeys on the day are usually slower. The other routes are on the UK helicopter routes page, and helicopter against car journey times explains the comparison.
Flying the other way
The figures are the same in both directions: Oxford to Bristol is 59 nm in a straight line and 30 to 40 minutes by helicopter. The car takes at least 1 hour 59 minutes (86 miles).
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to fly from Bristol to Oxford?
About 30 to 40 minutes by helicopter.
How long is the drive from Bristol to Oxford?
At least 1 hour 59 minutes for 86 miles, free-flowing. Real journeys are usually slower.
Is Kemble on the route?
It is almost exactly halfway, and is the usual stop or diversion.
Is there a motorway between Bristol and Oxford?
No. The road runs through Swindon, which is why the journey takes nearly two hours.
What happens if the weather stops the flight?
If the flight is cancelled because of the weather, you pay nothing.
