Airports & Airfields in the UK

Finding airports and airfields in the UK

The UK has around forty commercial airports, from Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Stansted, Edinburgh and Birmingham with flights worldwide down to regional airports such as Exeter, Norwich, Inverness and Newquay with domestic and holiday routes, and several hundred licensed and unlicensed airfields: former RAF stations, flying club fields, gliding sites, microlight strips, helicopter bases and private strips, many with a flying school, a café and a hangar of vintage aircraft. Together they are where people fly from, learn to fly, take a pleasure flight, watch aircraft, and where business aviation, air ambulances, flying doctors and freight operate.

For passengers, the useful things about an airport are its routes and airlines, how to get there by rail, coach and car, parking from on-site short stay to meet-and-greet and off-site park-and-ride, lounges, security fast-track and the terminal's facilities; for anyone wanting to fly themselves, the airfield's flying school and clubs matter, with trial lessons from about half an hour in a two-seater, private pilot's licence courses, gliding, microlights and helicopters, and pleasure flights over the local area. Airfields welcome visitors to their cafés and viewing areas, hold open days and fly-ins, and some host museums, air shows and warbird flights.

The listings here show each airport's and airfield's flights and operators, transport and parking, flying schools and clubs, pleasure flights, facilities, opening hours and contact details, so you can see what is nearby, what flies from it, and where people in your town go to fly, learn or watch.

What airports and airfields offer

Passenger flights: scheduled and charter airlines, domestic, European and long-haul routes, terminal facilities, lounges, security fast-track, assistance for passengers with reduced mobility and family services.

Getting there and parking: rail, coach and bus links, taxis and drop-off, short- and long-stay car parks, meet-and-greet and valet, off-site park-and-ride, and electric charging.

Learning to fly: trial lessons, private pilot's licence courses in aeroplanes, helicopters, microlights and gliders, night and instrument ratings, ground school and flying clubs with aircraft to hire.

Experiences: pleasure flights and sightseeing tours, helicopter flights, aerobatic and warbird flights, gift vouchers, air shows, fly-ins and open days, and museums and viewing areas with cafés.

General and business aviation: private and business jet terminals and charter, aircraft parking, hangarage, fuel, maintenance, air taxi, freight and the emergency and survey flying that runs from smaller airfields.

Before you fly, park or book a lesson

• Check the airport's own site for terminal, security waiting times and what you can carry; arrive two hours before a short-haul flight and three for long-haul.
• Book parking in advance; drive-up rates at the barrier can be three times the pre-booked price, and off-site park-and-ride is cheapest.
• Compare a train or coach to the airport with the taxi and the parking; for one person it is usually cheaper, for a family often not.
• For a trial lesson, ask the aircraft type, the flying time in the air rather than the whole session, and whether it counts towards a licence.
• Pleasure flights depend on the weather; book a date but expect it to move, and check the voucher's validity.
• At small airfields, phone ahead before visiting; hours vary, and some are private with no public access.

What airport services and flying cost in the UK

As a rough guide, on-site long-stay parking pre-booked costs £8 to £20 a day at a regional airport and £15 to £35 at the big London airports, off-site park-and-ride £5 to £12 a day, meet-and-greet £12 to £40 a day, and short-stay £4 to £8 an hour; a lounge £25 to £45 per person and fast-track security £5 to £10; an airport taxi from a nearby town £25 to £80. A 30-minute trial flying lesson in a light aircraft is £120 to £250 and an hour £200 to £400, a helicopter trial lesson £200 to £400, a private pilot's licence £10,000 to £15,000 over 45 hours or more, a gliding trial flight £80 to £150, and a helicopter pleasure flight £50 to £150 per person for 10 to 20 minutes; aircraft hire for licensed pilots is £150 to £250 an hour.

Pre-booking a fortnight's parking at £120 rather than paying £300 at the barrier is the cheapest upgrade of the holiday.