London Biggin Hill Airport Launches Helicopter Shuttle

London Biggin Hill Airport (Stand 515) announced at MEBA 2014 the launch of the London Heli Shuttle, connecting Biggin Hill with London Heliport in Battersea. The service is being operated by Castle Air using a dedicated fleet of six-passenger AgustaWestland AW109 helicopters.

For £2,300 ($3,584) plus tax, including a door-to-door chauffeur car service, the heli shuttle will whisk travelers between the two points in six minutes, saving as much as two hours per day over a round-trip transfer by ground vehicle, and offering what Biggin Hill suggests is the shortest time from touchdown into central London from any business aviation airport.

Service will also be available to and from Vanguard Helipad on the Isle of Dogs, offering easy access to Canary Wharf, the O2 arena, the ExCel exhibition center and London City Airport. With a dedicated point-of-entry and pre-approved clearances service at Biggin Hill, passengers can literally step from their arriving aircraft on to the helicopter. Castle Air’s large fleet can cater for last-minute bookings, making the service highly flexible. All three FBOs at the airfield have welcomed the addition of the helicopter service, which can be booked directly or via the FBOs.

“The London Heli Shuttle will enable our customers to gain more control over their time and ensures that their transit to and from London is as efficient as possible,” said Robert Walters, the Biggin Hill airport’s business development director. “We want our customers to make London Biggin Hill Airport their gateway of choice for access to and from London and the South East.”

Biggin Hill is seeing a growth in traffic, particularly from the United States. Middle East traffic volume remains constantly high, and some of the airport’s 65 aviation tenant companies are looking to expand their Middle East business further. Among them is the Dassault service center Jets, which is expanding and renewing approvals from Middle East authorities.

Following government assurance of a long-term business aviation future at Biggin Hill, and in recognition of its growth potential to handle greater traffic in the years to come, the airport is investing in developments such as GPS approaches being installed at each end of the runway, in place of the ILS that is installed at only one end. The GPS approaches are expected to be ready for operation in around 12 to 18 months.

In the meantime, Biggin Hill is awaiting the full outcome around the end of January of a public consultation to extend its operating hours. The airport has applied to operate from 06:30 to 23:00 on Monday to Saturday (extended from 07:30-21:00), and 08:00 to 23:00 on Sundays and public holidays (extended from 09:00-20:00). The extra hours will allow Biggin Hill to better compete for the early-morning transatlantic arrivals, and for the late-evening Middle East departures.