Biggin Hill Airport

London Biggin Hill Airport, long associated with its key role in WW2, is now much more famous with business aviation fliers as the most convenient and efficient way of accessing London.

Situated just 12 miles from the heart of the capital, passengers can reach their final destination easily and quickly by road or by helicopter transfer to Battersea Heliport.

The airport handles a wide variety of aircraft – from the smallest single-engined private Piper up to jets of various sizes including Gulfstream, Embraer, Boeing, Cessna and Bombardier.

London Biggin Hill is dedicated to business aviation operators, their executive clients and aircrew. This is the core business of the airport. It also scores highly with owners and operators who value the location and range of owners’ facilities available.

Maintenance facilities are excellent and the comprehensive fuel services are competitively priced. Secure hangarage is available - and opening hours are convenient and practical.

Click on the buttons above to find out all you need to know. You will soon see why so many informed businesses and individuals make Biggin Hill first choice as their London aviation base.

History

Over the past 40 years, this famous Airport has steadily changed from being a busy RAF base into a commercial regional airport. The historic ties are remembered annually at the international Biggin Hill Air Show. A summary of the history since it opened in 1917 as a communications base is as follows:-

1920s Commenced flying.

1930s Existing north-east south-west runway opened.

1940s Battle of Britain air station with Spitfires and Hurricanes.

1950s Front line RAF Station with squadrons of jet fighters.

1960s Following closure of Croydon Airport, started as a civil airport with HM Immigration and Customs Port of Entry, with light aircraft training and some commercial passenger and cargo flights.

1970s Acquired by Bromley Council from the RAF for £480,000 in total (£3,342,000 at today’s prices) with a commitment to remain open as an airport. Light aircraft, flying training and commercial passenger and cargo flights increased.

1980s Operated by the Council as a civil airport with up to 200,000 light aircraft flights per annum. Commercial, scheduled and/or charter passenger flights permitted.

1988 The Council introduced Airports UK, an airport management company, in a bid to increase revenues, but under a legal clause in their agreement, the Council banned them from permitting scheduled passenger flights altogether. Charter flights were still permitted and members of the public still had the freedom to buy tickets to fly on them.

1990s With financial pressure to invest more and more ratepayers’ money to meet repairs and operating costs, the Council reversed its decision on scheduled flights in 1991 and actively supported new passenger services. The first regular flights on which the public could buy tickets were to Carlisle and Le Touquet, with services to Manchester, Paris and many other cities planned.

1994 Unfortunately the measures to increase regular public transport flights did not resolve the financial difficulties of the Airport quickly.

The Council was then prevented by Government policy from spending more ratepayers’ money on repairs, equipment and running costs, so it sold the Airport business ‘as a going concern’ to London Biggin Hill Airport Limited (BHAL). The Airfield was leased for 125 years, on condition that all future costs and repairs would be borne by BHAL, with rent and a share of the profits going to the Council each year.


Source: http://www.bigginhillairport.com