Private jets at London Stansted Airport
Stansted has a 3,049-metre runway and several private terminals, including Harrods Aviation, Universal Aviation and Inflite, about 35 miles from central London. Every flight needs a slot and prior permission, and night flights are tightly limited, so very late or very early schedules should be checked before booking.
- Longest runway
- 3,049 m
- Codes
- STN · EGSS
- Business aviation handling
- 4 handlers
One of six airports in our London guide.
Business aviation handling
Harrods Aviation runs two FBOs (The Brompton for private aviation and The Knightsbridge for heads of state), Universal Aviation and Inflite The Jet Centre have their own terminals and lounges, and private flights from abroad clear customs in the Business Aviation Terminal.
Harrods Aviation (The Brompton and The Knightsbridge)
Two FBOs in the airport's Business Centre: The Brompton for private aviation and The Knightsbridge for heads of state flights. Aircraft up to Boeing 747-8, with 13,000 sq m of ramp and 6,600 sq m of hangar space. Open 24 hours, subject to the 23:00-07:00 local night slot restriction.
Universal Aviation (UK)
Universal House, Building 130. Open 24 hours. Separate departure and arrival lounges, crew lounge, business centre, showers and meeting rooms; customs and immigration and hangarage listed among services.
Inflite The Jet Centre
FBO with lounges, crew facilities, 24-hour ramp service and on-site fuel. Heated hangars and hard standing for aircraft up to Boeing 737.
Diamond Hangar
Listed in the AIP as an executive and private aircraft handler. The airport describes it as a south-side hangar with FBO facilities and an EASA Part 145 maintenance organisation.
Worth knowing before you fly
- Night access is the main constraint. Harrods describes a ground night slot curfew of 23:00-07:00 local, and any night slot comes from a limited quota pool, so a late return should be planned with a firm slot or timed to land before 23:00.
- Routine customs cover is 07:30-21:30 local. Outside those hours the handler has to arrange it and extra charges may apply, and night arrivals must notify customs by 21:00 local.
- The long runway (3,049 m) and large FBO hangars (Harrods lists aircraft up to a Boeing 747-8) mean Stansted can take the largest business jets and bigger VIP airliners.
- Planned overnight runway closures (01:45-05:45 local on Sunday and Monday nights, November to March) rule out very early arrivals on those nights.
Operating information
For business and private flights. Details change, so we check them again for your date.
Airport
| Opening hours | The UK AIP lists the aerodrome, air traffic control, handling, security and de-icing as H24, with operations subject to the prior approval of the Stansted Airport Ltd CEO. Fuel is H24 on the southside stands; northside fuelling is not H24 and out-of-hours fuelling must be booked in advance. The AIP says the FBOs are normally available 06:00-22:00 local and at other times by arrangement. Harrods Aviation lists 24 hours, 'subject to ground night slot curfew: 23:00 to 07:00 local'. Universal Aviation lists 24 hours. Inflite offers a 24-hour ramp service. |
|---|---|
| Prior permission | PPR is needed at least 4 hours before the movement. General aviation operators must send it through their handling agent, giving aircraft type, registration and operator, point of origin, ETA/ETD and the nominated handling agent. |
| Customs and immigration | The AIP lists customs and immigration as H24, but routine cover is 07:30-21:30 local. Outside those hours, cover is arranged through the nominated handling agent and extra charges may apply. Movements between 23:00 and 07:00 local need notice to customs by 21:00 local. Private flights arriving from abroad clear customs at the Designated Customs Clearance Office in the Business Aviation Terminal. Universal Aviation lists customs and immigration among its services. |
| Slots | Fully coordinated (IATA Level 3, ACL). Every business and general aviation movement needs a slot in advance. Ad hoc slots come from ACL Mon-Fri 09:00-17:00 local (UK AIP), or from Stansted Airside Operations at other times; the AIP warns availability in peak periods is likely to be extremely limited. Night slots need quota: an ad hoc night slot is requested within 5 days of the flight and comes from a limited pool, subject to night quota. |
| Noise and night restrictions | Night period 23:00-07:00 local, with a core night quota period of 23:30-06:00 local in which government movement and quota count (QC) limits apply (winter 2026/27: 5,600 movements and 3,310 quota points). Aircraft rated QC2 or above without historic slots are not permitted in the core night period. Departure noise limits are 89 dBA by day and 84 dBA at night, with charges for exceeding them. Reverse thrust should be avoided 23:30-06:00 local where safe. APUs face strict limits, with night use (23:31-05:59 local) only after notifying Airside Operations. |
| Aircraft parking | No public limit on business-jet parking is published. FBO figures: Harrods lists 13,000 sq m of ramp and 6,600 sq m of hangar; Inflite offers heated hangarage and hard standing for aircraft up to Boeing 737. The AIP says hangar space is by arrangement with local companies. ACL's winter 2026/27 declaration adds a northside stand restriction for three simultaneous Code E and F aircraft. |
| De-icing | Available H24 by arrangement with local companies (UK AIP). The handler enters de-icing requirements into A-CDM. Remote de-icing (when snow is falling and settling) is only available to operators with a prior agreement with Stansted Airport Ltd. |
| Other restrictions | Training is prohibited. A-CDM is in use: crews must be ready at their target off-block time (TOBT, plus or minus 5 minutes), or the aircraft may lose its place in the departure sequence after TOBT plus 6 minutes. Planned diversions need handling arranged in advance. Planned full runway closures run 01:45-05:45 local on Sunday and Monday nights from 8-9 November to 20-21 December 2026 and from 10-11 January to 21-22 March 2027, with none over Christmas and New Year. |
Runways
| 04/22 | 3,049 m, asphalt (grooved) |
|---|
By road
| Central London | 35 miles (Harrods Aviation and Inflite figures); just off the M11 at junction 8/8a |
|---|---|
| Canary Wharf | 34 miles (Inflite figure) |
| West End | 37 miles (Inflite figure) |
| Cambridge | 30 miles (Inflite figure) |
Flying times
| To | Distance | Light or midsize jet |
|---|---|---|
| Manchester | 127 nm | About 35 min |
| Paris | 195 nm | About 45 min |
| Geneva | 410 nm | About 1h 15m |
| Nice | 568 nm | About 1h 35m |
| Ibiza | 783 nm | About 2h 05m |
| Marrakech | 1,271 nm | About 3h 15m |
| Mykonos | 1,367 nm | About 3h 25m |
| Dubai | 2,948 nm | Long-range jet |
| New York | 3,010 nm | Long-range jet |
Nearby airports
More airport guides nearby: Farnborough Airport, Manchester Airport, Leeds Bradford Airport, Hawarden Airport, Amsterdam Schiphol Airport.
Questions
Is there a private terminal at London Stansted Airport?
Yes, several. Harrods Aviation runs two FBOs (The Brompton for private aviation and The Knightsbridge for heads of state), Universal Aviation and Inflite The Jet Centre have their own terminals and lounges, and private flights from abroad clear customs in the Business Aviation Terminal.
What are London Stansted Airport's opening hours for private flights?
The UK AIP lists the aerodrome, air traffic control, handling, security and de-icing as H24, with operations subject to the prior approval of the Stansted Airport Ltd CEO. Fuel is H24 on the southside stands; northside fuelling is not H24 and out-of-hours fuelling must be booked in advance. The AIP says the FBOs are normally available 06:00-22:00 local and at other times by arrangement. Harrods Aviation lists 24 hours, 'subject to ground night slot curfew: 23:00 to 07:00 local'. Universal Aviation lists 24 hours. Inflite offers a 24-hour ramp service.
Can I clear customs at London Stansted Airport on a private flight?
The AIP lists customs and immigration as H24, but routine cover is 07:30-21:30 local. Outside those hours, cover is arranged through the nominated handling agent and extra charges may apply. Movements between 23:00 and 07:00 local need notice to customs by 21:00 local. Private flights arriving from abroad clear customs at the Designated Customs Clearance Office in the Business Aviation Terminal. Universal Aviation lists customs and immigration among its services.
Checked 20 October 2026 from the UK AIP and published airport, government and handler information (aurora.nats.co.uk, harrodsaviation.com, universalaviation.aero, inflitejetcentre.co.uk, stanstedairport.com, acl-uk.org). Not for operational use; we confirm everything for your flight.
