A glimpse into the curious world of London's private jets

When the snow arrived in February, crippling transport infrastructure across the UK, one wealthy traveller decided he didn’t want to brave the chock-a-block M25 heading from Bedfordshire to Hampshire, so instead chartered a private jet to complete the 60-odd mile journey in a matter of minutes, from Luton Airport to Farnborough.

When an artist performing at Wembley and the O2 - at opposite ends of town - on the same evening discovered that the fastest way to cross London, by motorbike, was not covered by his insurance, he rented a jet that flew from City to Northolt. Piece of cake.

When the rich and famous leave the capital for the Continent or further afield, they are increasingly flying not from Heathrow or City, but from Biggin Hill or Farnborough, part of London’s growing network of smaller airports focused on executive travel.

Last year private jet use grew four per cent across Europe, with London the busiest city, registering more than 79,000 movements. Four of the top 20 busiest airports for private jets are dotted about the south-east.

I stand at Stapleford Aerodrome just inside the M25 when a Pilatus PC-12 arrives to transfer me to Biggin Hill, the private jet airport on the southern tip of Bromley, just a six-minute helicopter transfer from Battersea in central London. It is here, within sight of Canary Wharf on a clear day, that experienced the highest private jet growth rate from 2016 to 2017 of any airport in Europe, at 16.2 per cent, ranking it 10th busiest.

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The blue and silver turboprop lands without a whisper and within minutes, myself and Adam Twidell, founder of private charter firm PrivateFly, are on-board. Edwin Brenninkmeyer, ceo of Oriens Aviation, in charge of distributing the PC-12, is our pilot. After a change in the law last year allowed airlines and charter companies to fly single-engine turboprops commercially without restriction across Europe, the Pilatus aircraft, already popular in the US and able to land and take-off on short runways, is well-placed to offer “air taxi” services across the likes of London, Paris and Geneva.

As we taxi away from the “terminal” - in essence, a cafe - a crowd of engineering students based at Stapleford gather to admire the PC-12.

Without meaning to I’ve sat myself in the “alpha seat”, diagonally back from the pilot, so I watch Edwin steer our steed out above the clouds, south towards Biggin Hill. The flight would take minutes but for our detour over Southend and, before the seat belt sign would have gone off on an Easyjet flight, we’re on our approach just east of Croydon. We land with a tickle and the staff of Signature, which handles the FBO - or private jet terminal here - are out to greet us.

“A private jet offers its passengers time, control and discretion,” explains Andy Patsalides, marketing manager at Biggin Hill, as we complete the 20 paces from aircraft to gate.

I say "gate". The boarding area resembles closer a high-end hotel lobby, marbled floors, low-lighting over a thick desk. There’s no sign of Border Force, who are only called when needed. Through the double-doors and into the airport’s lounge, where the luxury accommodation feel is extended. Not a WH Smith in sight.

There is no need for departures to be as pleasant as it is as passengers rarely have time to sit down. They arrive at the door of the airport, where more often than not their pilot is waiting (two captains sit before me in the lounge killing time), at which point they are whisked through security if necessary and escorted to their waiting aircraft. Within minutes they’re in the air.

From the airport’s boardroom on the first floor I watch a couple arrive on helicopter transfer from Battersea. The pilot of their waiting private jet greets them, takes the woman’s handbag, and leads them to their plane, metres away. They’re gone in the time it would take to get through duty-free at any other airport.

This weekend promises to be a busy one for Biggin Hill, with the Monaco Grand Prix, Champions League Final in Kiev and bank holiday in the UK.

“Stag dos, weddings, sporting events, honeymoons,” says Adam Twidell, who founded Private Fly in an attempt to make the cost of corporate travel more transparent. “Honeymoons. You could spend the money on business class to the Maldives or private jet to the south of France.”

Figures from PrivateFly, which allows passengers to gain a quote online, something not possible 15 years ago, show that the age of private jet users is falling (from 41 in the first quarter of 2017 to 39 this quarter), while the percentage of passengers under 16 rose 50 per cent to 15 per cent. For every private jet hired for business purposes, three are hired for leisure. The average flight time taken on chartered jets is three hours, which would cover most of Europe from London.

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I ask if any celebrities have come through the airport recently and am reminded of the discretion so vital to private jet travellers. “Confidentiality is integral,” says Andy. “You’ll find that private jet pilots are very tight-lipped.”

From the boardroom window I see a young couple walking to another jet. Discretion may be key to some but the gentleman I watch is performing the duty of a Boyfriend of Instagram, filming his better half board.

“Biggin Hill is to London what Cannes is to the Cote d’Azur,” says Andy, highlighting another popular airport for private jets. London’s answer to Cannes has seen a surge in popularity in part because private aviation is being squeezed out of Luton and Stansted by the growth in low-cost airlines.

“It’s a shame and quite short-sighted of the airports,” says Adam, “but it is shows why we need these smaller airports.”

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Luton remains the busiest airport in London for executive travel, but thanks to the growth of Easyjet, Ryanair and Wizz at the Bedfordshire hub, as well as new seasonal restrictions on noise, growth is slowing. At the other end of the spectrum, London Southend has an opportunity to welcome more high-end travellers as the only 24-hour airport near London.

Biggin Hill has, too, managed to extend its hours, after consulting the local community. As a family-run airport, it prides itself on existing in harmony with surrounding residents, and promises to provide jobs on the air field. It is also home to a number of Spitfire in its Heritage Hangar, where it’s possible to have red letter flights on the renowned Second World War aircraft.

Private jet travel remains the natural choice of the wealthy - Biggin Hill last week welcomed guests flying in for the Royal Wedding, while the Premiership’s Transfer Deadline Day here is never free from arrivals - but Adam says the cost has not increased over the last 10 years and chartering an aircraft can sometimes be cost effective - in terms of time and money.

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“Skiing is a great example,” he says. “You can have your skis pre-loaded, leave your desk, arrive at the airport, walk onto the plane, fly into Sion and be on the slopes at Verbier within an hour.”

The experience is, unsurprisingly, different to an airline flight. The pilot is as much flying the plane as he is a butler, attending to the needs of the passengers. The planes are smart, comfortable and clean and leave whenever you are ready.

I depart Biggin Hill as many do, on a helicopter transfer back to London - six minutes to Battersea - and am shortly back at my desk. My, how the other half live, work and fly.