Three miles from Canary Wharf and five from the City, with a single terminal you can cross in a few minutes. The catch is the airport's own rules: a steep approach that limits the aircraft, and a curfew that closes it for twenty four hours across the weekend.
The airport
Flights are not permitted from 12:30 on Saturday until 12:30 on Sunday, a curfew that has stood for decades. Weekday and Sunday afternoon operations end in the evening. Your operator plans within those hours.
The two things to check first
London City sits on a short runway surrounded by tall buildings, so aircraft descend at 5.5 degrees instead of the usual 3. That is classed as a steep approach, and both the aircraft type and the operator need a specific approval to fly it. Plenty of business jets hold one: smaller Cessna and Hawker types have used the airport for years, and larger aircraft have been added over time, with the Falcon 6X and Bombardier's Global 8000 among the recent approvals. Many others do not. Your operator will tell you in one sentence whether your aircraft can use it.
Then there is the clock. The Saturday lunchtime to Sunday lunchtime closure is absolute, and it catches people out more often than the approach does. A Friday night arrival is easy. A Saturday afternoon one is not possible, and the aircraft goes to Luton, Biggin Hill or Stansted instead. If the plan is still fluid, tell us both options and we will hold the car accordingly rather than start again on the day.
Journey times
| To | Quiet roads | Busy periods |
|---|---|---|
| Canary Wharf | 10 to 20 minutes | 20 to 35 minutes |
| City of London | 20 to 30 minutes | 30 to 50 minutes |
| Mayfair and the West End | 30 to 45 minutes | 45 to 75 minutes |
| Knightsbridge and Belgravia | 35 to 50 minutes | 50 to 80 minutes |
| Shoreditch and Spitalfields | 20 to 30 minutes | 30 to 45 minutes |
| Greenwich | 15 to 25 minutes | 25 to 40 minutes |
| Heathrow | 60 to 80 minutes | 85 to 125 minutes |
Realistic ranges, not promises. The route west depends on the Blackwall and Rotherhithe tunnels and on the Limehouse Link, all of which can stop dead without warning. Charges for the river crossings and for the central London zones are included in your quote.
Private Jet Centre
A separate terminal with its own security and its own entrance, timed to the tail number.
Main terminal
One of the fastest arrivals in London. Your chauffeur is in the hall before you reach it.
Practicalities
Onward
Request a quote
Private Jet Centre or main terminal, the date and time, and the tail or flight number if you have it. We reply with a clear price including the forecourt charge and any river or zone charges. Nothing is booked or charged online.
Prefer to talk? +44 2030 048300 or WhatsApp, at any hour.
Questions people ask
Only if the type and the operator both hold a steep approach approval for the 5.5 degree glideslope. Your operator will confirm it. If not, Luton, Biggin Hill and Stansted are the usual alternatives and we will quote the drive from any of them.
From 12:30 on Saturday to 12:30 on Sunday, yes. Sunday afternoon and evening operate normally.
Usually 10 to 20 minutes on quiet roads. It is the shortest airport run in London, which is most of the reason people fly here.
Yes. See the London City Jet Centre for how that works.
They are included in the price we quote you, along with the forecourt charge.
