Private jet charter from Birmingham Airport
Birmingham is open around the clock with one 3,052-metre runway, customs and immigration available at all hours, and three business aviation handlers: XLR Executive Jet Centre, which runs a private terminal, Signature and Blue City Aviation. It is a slot-coordinated airport, so every flight needs a cleared slot, which private jets arrange through one of the three FBOs. At night (23:30-06:00 local) only quieter aircraft can be scheduled, within an annual night quota.
- Longest runway
- 3,052 m
- Codes
- BHX · EGBB
- Business aviation handling
- 3 handlers
Did you knowBirmingham Airport, then called Elmdon Airport, was officially opened by the Duchess of Kent on 8 July 1939. In the Second World War it was used for flight testing and as a delivery base for Stirling and Lancaster bombers. Birmingham Airport: Our history
Travel guide: Flying with Dogs and Pets on a Private Jet.
One of 5 airports in our Cotswolds guide.
Charter a private jet from Birmingham Airport
Birmingham Airport is about 8 miles east of the city (airport figure), reached from junction 6 of the M42, and XLR puts the NEC about a five-minute drive away. It is open 24 hours, with customs and immigration at all hours and a 3,052 m runway, and private flights are handled by XLR, Signature or Blue City Aviation. Every flight needs a slot, which the FBO arranges, and between 23:30 and 06:00 only quieter aircraft can be scheduled.
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Independent UK charter broker since 2015 · Volairis Ltd, Companies House 09488748 · Member of The Air Charter Association
Popular private jet trips from Birmingham
Approximate flying times. Follow a trip for airports, aircraft and what to know there.
Verbier and Crans-Montana
Light or midsize jet
Birmingham to Verbier and Crans-Montana by private jetAlso: Ibiza (about 2h 30m), Zurich (about 1h 50m), Rome (about 2h 35m), Vienna (about 2h 15m), Los Angeles (about 11h 35m), Courchevel (about 1h 50m), Mykonos (about 3h 50m), Gibraltar (about 2h 50m).
What the private terminal is like at Birmingham
XLR runs a private terminal, the Business Aviation Centre on Terminal Road, with its own lounges and security screening. Birmingham Airport describes the building as built in 2011 and located on the west side of the airport. Blue City also works from the Business Aviation Centre. Signature lists its own passenger lounge on Terminal Road.
XLR Executive Jet Centre (XLR Birmingham)
The Business Aviation Centre, Terminal Road (B26 3QN). Private terminal with VIP lounges, crew facilities, private check-in and security screening, a 27,000 sq ft heated hangar and its own fuel team. Facilities available 24 hours on request. Part of Regional & City Airports (RCA). The building was built in 2011 on the west side of the airport and XLR took it over from Marshall in 2017 (Birmingham Airport).
Signature Flight Support
Terminal Road (B26 3FS). Passenger lounge, crew lounge, customs and immigration on site, de-icing. Hours 07:00-19:00 local, call-out on request.
Blue City Aviation
Independent handler based at Birmingham (offices in the Argosy Building). Offers VIP passenger handling from the Business Aviation Centre, including customs, immigration and security formalities, and has two fuel trucks available 24/7.
Customs at Birmingham, step by step
What happens on an international flight, in the order you meet it. We handle the paperwork with the operator.
- When you book, we ask for each passenger's passport details. The operator needs them for the General Aviation Report (GAR), which it submits itself.
- Every flight needs a slot before it operates. For private jets on the Elmdon Ramp, the FBO (XLR, Signature or Blue City Aviation) books it, and ground handling must be arranged before arrival.
- At XLR, check-in and security screening take place privately inside its own terminal. Signature lists customs and immigration on site, and Blue City Aviation handles customs and immigration formalities for its passengers. The UK AIP says international flights clear customs on the main stands unless agreed in advance, so the handler confirms where you clear when the flight is booked.
- Customs and immigration are listed as available 24 hours a day.
Which private jets can use Birmingham?
On runway length, every turboprop, very light jet, light jet, super light jet, midsize jet, super midsize, heavy jet, ultra long range and VIP airliner type is within it. The check below uses each type's published take-off distance at maximum weight, at sea level on a 15°C day. Heat, altitude, a wet runway and the operator's own rules can need more, so we confirm it for your aircraft and date.
Ground handling is mandatory. The runway is 3,052 m, with 3,004 m declared for take-off in both directions and landing distances of 2,581 m on runway 15 and 2,450 m on runway 33. Between 23:30 and 06:00 aircraft with a noise quota count above 1 cannot be scheduled, and late-evening and night departure slots are referred to the airport for approval. Flight plans must include a standard 15-minute taxi time.
| Aircraft class | On this runway |
|---|---|
| Turboprop 5–8 seats · take-off 730–1,000 m · Pilatus PC-12 NGX | Yes |
| Very light jet 4–5 seats · take-off 630–1,100 m | Yes |
| Light jet 6–7 seats · take-off 960–1,200 m · Embraer Phenom 300E | Yes |
| Super light jet 7–8 seats · take-off 820–1,350 m | Yes |
| Midsize jet 8–9 seats · take-off 1,100–1,660 m · Cessna Citation XLS+ | Yes |
| Super midsize 9–10 seats · take-off 1,400–1,600 m · Bombardier Challenger 350 | Yes |
| Heavy jet 12–14 seats · take-off 1,430–1,780 m · Dassault Falcon 7X | Yes |
| Ultra long range 13–19 seats · take-off 1,700–1,970 m · Bombardier Global 7500 | Yes |
| VIP airliner 18–50+ seats · take-off 1,500–2,100 m | Yes |
Worth knowing before you fly
- Birmingham is open 24 hours with customs at all hours, but between 23:30 and 06:00 local only aircraft with a noise quota count of 1 or less can be scheduled, and night slots come from a limited annual quota. Check a late return against the aircraft's noise rating before committing.
- Every flight needs a slot. For private jets on the Elmdon Ramp the FBO books it, so the handler (XLR, Signature or Blue City Aviation) is chosen when the slot is requested.
- Signature works 07:00-19:00 local with call-out outside those hours, and XLR says its facilities can open 24 hours on request. For an early or late flight, ask for out-of-hours handling when booking.
- For events at the NEC or Resorts World Arena, XLR puts them about a five-minute drive from its terminal.
Events Birmingham serves
From our events calendar: what the airport is used for, and the transfer to the venue on an ordinary day.
Cheltenham Festival
About 1 hour 15 minutes by road.
Private jets to the Cheltenham FestivalOperating information
For business and private flights. Details change, so we check them again for your date.
Airport
| Opening hours | Aerodrome, customs and immigration, air traffic control, fuel, handling, security and de-icing are all listed as H24 in the UK AIP. Signature's FBO hours are 07:00-19:00 local, with call-out available on request. XLR says access to its Birmingham facilities is available 24 hours on request. |
|---|---|
| Prior permission | The AIP does not use the term PPR for Birmingham, but the effect is similar. ACL says all flights must have a cleared slot before operating, and the AIP requires ground handling to be arranged before arrival. ACL advises operators using the Elmdon Ramp to arrange slots through one of the three FBOs (Blue City Aviation, XLR or Signature). ACL works 08:30-17:00 local on weekdays; at other times the Birmingham Airport Control Centre deals with short-notice ad hoc requests only. Except in an emergency, diversions are accepted only subject to stand availability, and off-loading and turnaround may be significantly delayed. |
| Customs and immigration | Customs and immigration are H24 (UK AIP). The AIP says that, unless agreed in advance, aircraft on international flights must clear customs on Stands 1-86. Signature lists customs and immigration on site. Blue City Aviation says it takes care of customs, immigration and security formalities for VIP passengers, working from the Business Aviation Centre. XLR offers private check-in and security screening inside its FBO, and notes that submitting the General Aviation Report (GAR) is the aircraft operator's job, not the handler's. |
| Slots | Coordinated airport (IATA Level 3 since 26 March 2017, ACL). All flights must have a cleared slot before operating. Business jets using the Elmdon Ramp arrange slots through Blue City Aviation, XLR or Signature. ACL's seasonal declarations refer late-evening and night departure slots to the airport for approval: 21:30-04:55 UTC in winter 2026/27, and 22:00-04:30 UTC in summer 2027. |
| Noise and night restrictions | Night period 23:30-06:00 local under the airport's Night Flying Policy. No aircraft with a noise quota count (QC) above 1 may be scheduled in that period (ACL Local Rule 1). The AIP says aircraft with a noise classification of 93 EPNdB or more may not be scheduled at night, but may operate in exceptional circumstances with the Airfield Duty Manager's prior approval. Night movements count against annual movement, departure and QC limits, and ad hoc night slots that do not fit within the seasonal limits draw on a limited night quota pool. Night departures above 83 dB(A) at the monitors 6.5 km from start of roll are penalised. Pilots are asked to avoid reverse thrust, especially 23:00-07:00 local. |
| Aircraft parking | No business-jet parking limits are published. Business aviation uses the Elmdon Ramp (ACL). The AIP says marshalling is mandatory on the Elmdon Apron and parking there is under marshaller guidance only. Hangar space for visiting aircraft is by arrangement with XLR (AIP), which has a 27,000 sq ft heated hangar; Birmingham Airport described XLR's facility in 2017 as having multiple large parking ramps. |
| De-icing | Available H24 (UK AIP), by arrangement with the handling agents. Signature lists de-icing among its services. |
| Other restrictions | Ground handling is mandatory and must be arranged before arrival. Aircraft that cannot talk to ATC by radio are not accepted. Flight plans must include Birmingham's standard 15-minute taxi time. APUs must be shut down on arrival where fixed ground power is available and not restarted until 30 minutes before departure, and they may not run on the aprons 23:00-06:00 local unless the aircraft landed before 23:30. Training by jets over 5,700 kg needs prior approval. ACL lists planned night runway closures for maintenance from 2 November to early December 2026; check for your date. From the 26 November 2026 AIRAC, a ground handler must be present at every start-up on the Elmdon Apron. |
Runways
| 15/33 | 3,052 m, asphalt (grooved) |
|---|
By road
| Birmingham | About 8 miles east of the city (airport figure); from junction 6 of the M42 via the A45 |
|---|---|
| NEC and Resorts World Arena | 5-minute drive (XLR figure) |
| Villa Park | 20 minutes (XLR figure) |
| Warwick Racecourse | 25 minutes (XLR figure) |
| Silverstone | 55 minutes (XLR figure) |
Airports near Birmingham
Wellesbourne Mountford
Wolverhampton Halfpenny Green
More airport guides nearby: Turweston Aerodrome, Gloucestershire Airport, Manchester Airport, London Luton Airport, Hawarden Airport.
Questions
Is there a private terminal at Birmingham Airport?
Yes. XLR runs a private terminal, the Business Aviation Centre on Terminal Road, with its own lounges and security screening. Birmingham Airport describes the building as built in 2011 and located on the west side of the airport. Blue City also works from the Business Aviation Centre. Signature lists its own passenger lounge on Terminal Road.
What are Birmingham Airport's opening hours for private flights?
Aerodrome, customs and immigration, air traffic control, fuel, handling, security and de-icing are all listed as H24 in the UK AIP. Signature's FBO hours are 07:00-19:00 local, with call-out available on request. XLR says access to its Birmingham facilities is available 24 hours on request.
Can I clear customs at Birmingham Airport on a private flight?
Customs and immigration are H24 (UK AIP). The AIP says that, unless agreed in advance, aircraft on international flights must clear customs on Stands 1-86. Signature lists customs and immigration on site. Blue City Aviation says it takes care of customs, immigration and security formalities for VIP passengers, working from the Business Aviation Centre. XLR offers private check-in and security screening inside its FBO, and notes that submitting the General Aviation Report (GAR) is the aircraft operator's job, not the handler's.
What size of private jet can use Birmingham?
The longest runway is 3,052 m. Going by each type's published take-off distance at maximum weight: every turboprop, very light jet, light jet, super light jet, midsize jet, super midsize, heavy jet, ultra long range and VIP airliner type is within it. Ground handling is mandatory. The runway is 3,052 m, with 3,004 m declared for take-off in both directions and landing distances of 2,581 m on runway 15 and 2,450 m on runway 33. Between 23:30 and 06:00 aircraft with a noise quota count above 1 cannot be scheduled, and late-evening and night departure slots are referred to the airport for approval. Flight plans must include a standard 15-minute taxi time. The operator confirms performance for your aircraft, load and date.
Which events do people fly to Birmingham for?
On our events calendar: Cheltenham Festival (about 1 hour 15 minutes by road). Slots and parking fill early on event dates, so book as soon as your plans are firm.
How long is a private flight from Birmingham to Geneva?
About 1 hour 40 minutes in a light or midsize jet. Actual times depend on the aircraft, winds and routing.
How long is a private flight from Birmingham to Nice?
About 2 hours 5 minutes in a light or midsize jet. Actual times depend on the aircraft, winds and routing.
Can I fly into Birmingham with my dog or cat?
Yes, on a private charter. Birmingham is on the government's approved list for pets arriving on charter flights, but approval belongs to each operator for each airport, so we choose an operator approved for Birmingham. Your pet needs a microchip, a rabies vaccination and the right certificate, and dogs need tapeworm treatment. Our guide to flying with pets has the details.
What are the fees for a private jet at Birmingham?
Our quotes include landing and handling fees, along with fuel, crew and taxes. What the airport and handler charge depends mainly on the aircraft's size and the time of day. Out-of-hours, de-icing and special event fees can be extra, and we tell you which could apply before you book.
Can we have catering on a private flight from Birmingham?
Yes. Tell us what you would like when you book and the operator orders it for the flight. Depending on the operator and region it is either included or charged separately, and we tell you which before you book.
Checked 13 November 2026 from the UK AIP and published airport, government and handler information (aurora.nats.co.uk, xlrjetcentres.com, signatureaviation.com, acl-uk.org, bluecityaviation.co.uk, birminghamairport.co.uk, corporate.birminghamairport.co.uk). Not for operational use; we confirm everything for your flight.
