Farnborough Airport is one of the UK’s leading business aviation airports, and also serves military, royal and charter flights, as well as medical repatriation and specialised time-sensitive logistics flights.
FAQs
On this page you will find answers to some of the questions we are asked most often.
1. What sort of flights take place at Farnborough Airport?
2. Are there any commercial flights from the Airport?
We do not handle scheduled passenger services or inclusive tour charter flights. We also do not handle bulk freight services.
3. What are you consulting on?
We are seeking your views on our proposals to submit a planning application to amend the Airport’s:
- Existing annual flight limit from 50,000 to 70,000 flights per year to meet the market demand for flights by 2040
- Existing annual non-weekday (i.e. weekends and public holidays) flight limit from 8,900 to 18,900 flights per year, maintaining the same percentage of non-weekday flights as exists today
- Operating hours on non-weekdays from 8am-8pm to 7am-9pm to reduce congestion at either end of the day
- Restricted aircraft weight category from 50-80 tonnes to 55-80 tonnes, and increase the related amount of annual flights allowed within this category, to accommodate modern aircraft which are slightly heavier.
Note that each ‘flight’ is either a landing or a departure.
The proposed increases in flying activity at Farnborough Airport are not expected to be achieved until 2040, but it is essential we consult on the changes now so that we can start to plan and invest for the long term.
We also understand that we need to find a balance between safeguarding and increasing the economic benefit of the Airport versus its environmental impact.
As a result, we are also seeking your feedback on:
- Our new Sustainability Fund
- Enhancements to our Sound Insulation Grant Scheme
- Enhancements to our Community Environmental Fund
4. How can I get involved with the plans?
Our consultation window has now closed whilst we consider and review your feedback and prepare our planning application. To be kept up to date on the planning application, please sign up to our mailing list at the bottom of this page.
5. Can I visit the Airport?
Unfortunately due to security we are unable to permit individual visits or tours of the Airport. However, you are welcome to contact us to see if we could arrange a tour for your group, school or organisation.
We have recently opened our community facility called the Nexus, which is a hub designed to bring people and information together. It offers state-of-the-art facilities to support improved knowledge sharing and communication, with emphasis on forging improved links between the airport and its local community.
Benefitting from the latest conferencing and events technology, including simultaneous in-room and virtual live-stream presentation capabilities, the Nexus offers a dynamic and inspiring space for groups of up to 50 people to engage, collaborate and learn.
As well as providing a high-tech centre to host community and educational events, the Nexus will be used as a primary learning and development centre for employees of the Farnborough Airport Company, as well as being available for third party hire.
6. What if my question hasn’t been answered here?
If you still have questions, please get in touch with a member of the consultation team using the details below.
Email: Contact@FarnboroughAirport2040.com
Phone: 0808 164 6061
7. How do I complain about an existing issue?
Complaints relating to Airport operations should be submitted using the following contact methods:
Email: complaints@farnboroughairport.com
Phone: 01252 526001
Online: https://webtrak.emsbk.com/fab
Post: The Sustainability Manager
Farnborough Airport Ltd
Farnborough Airport
Farnborough
GU14 6XA
8. What does the license issued by central government and/or Rushmoor Council have to say about recreational flights from Farnborough since, judgementally, the high level of weekend flying indicates high recreational use?
The Airport is subject to a S106 Agreement which places planning conditions upon the types and number of flights the Airport can handle. All flights are permitted except those which are explicitly prohibited. Those flights which are prohibited are:
- Scheduled passenger flights.
- Inclusive tour charters.
- Bulk freight services.
All other flights are permitted. This includes business aviation, government, royal and military flights, the Farnborough flying club, and any other flights not specifically prohibited, for example Farnborough International Airshow flights.
As part of the Airport’s planning conditions, business aviation flights have additional restrictions limiting the number of flights and the size of aircraft. Business aviation flights for the purposes of the planning conditions are any ‘commercial’ flights that are not explicitly prohibited.
Non-weekday business aviation flight levels are broadly the same as weekday flight levels.
9. What statistics can the Airport provide to support the bona fide business nature of flights undertaken from Farnborough?
All flights are ‘bona fide’ except those which are explicitly prohibited. The Airport reports on these flights to Rushmoor on a periodic basis.
10. Can the Airport provide historical annual usage figures going back to the start of business flying from FA?
Since granting of the CAA licence in 2003, annual business aviation flights have been as follows:
2003 16,188 | 2009 22,779 | 2015 24,248 | 2021 25,747 |
2004 17,175 | 2010 23,511 | 2016 24,322 | 2022 32,598 |
2005 18,469 | 2011 22,977 | 2017 26,233 | |
2006 21,365 | 2012 23,017 | 2018 29,958 | |
2007 26,507 | 2013 22,754 | 2019 31,561 | |
2008 25,504 | 2014 23,944 | 2020 19,729 |
11. What evidence can the Airport provide of a 2040 demand of 70,000 flights pa?
Market growth forecasts and supporting analysis undertaken by technical consultants will form part of the formal planning application.
12. What evidence can the Airport provide of the economic benefit figures quoted in its published material?
This will form part of our formal planning application.
13. Please explain the Airport’s statement: No additional flight numbers are expected to arise as a result in the change to operating hours on non-weekdays when an increase of 112% is being proposed.
The increase in flights on non-weekdays is due to overall market demand, not due to the extension of the operating hours. The growth is the same on non-weekdays as it is on weekdays, it is not greater which would be the case if the extension of the operating hours was increasing flight numbers.
14. What evidence does the Airport have to support the claims it makes about the need to increase non-weekday flying?
Market growth forecasts and supporting analysis undertaken by technical consultants will form part of the formal planning application.
15. Has the Airport produced an environmental impact report for the new proposals?
An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) will be submitted as part of the formal planning application.
16. What are current and predicted (for 2040): a) Passenger load factors b) Mix between leisure and business c) Mix of short haul vs long haul flights.
a) In 2019 we handled 94,500 passengers and there were 31,560 flights.
b) It is not possible to precisely distinguish between business and leisure flying. Analysis of origin/destination data, peak season holiday travel patterns, and specific details around the aircraft owner/operator types, as well as evidence from essential flying behaviour during Covid, suggest that the large amount of flights from the Airport are either directly or indirectly related to business and corporate activity.
c) Circa 90% are short-haul flights.
Our base assumption is that we are not forecasting a material change in any of these metrics by 2040, although the increasing trend for more fuel-efficient aircraft with potentially longer ranges may increase connectivity options from the Airport.
Further, our proposals could create opportunities to consolidate flights at the Airport which would in turn reduce the need for aircraft positioning. This would have a beneficial impact on the overall number of passengers per flight as well as having an environmental benefit.
17. Can the Airport confirm that their Net Zero calculations do NOT take into account the emissions of the actual aircraft landing/taking off from the airport and that the calculations are limited to movements of support vehicles etc based at the airport and do not include the taxiing movements made by aircraft moving from runway to terminal and vice versa?
Our carbon emission forecasts on which we are consulting and which will form part of our planning application, are consistent with the UK Government’s Jet Zero strategy and include all emissions including those from aircraft landing/taking-off and taxiing.
For those emissions within our direct control (Scopes 1 & 2), we have committed to being Net Zero by 2030 or sooner. These exclude emissions from landing/taking-off and taxiing of aircraft as we do not have direct control over these emissions.
However, we are planning some airfield improvements which will help reduce these emissions, as well as encouraging our operators to use Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF).
18. The £470m of GVA (Gross Value added) in the local economy each year by 2040, how is this calculated?
An economic impact assessment of the Airport will be submitted as part of the planning application submission.
19. The geographical area referred to as ' local economy' is this just Rushmoor or wider? If so, over what area?
The local area for the purposes of the economic assessment was defined as Rushmoor, Hart and Surrey Heath.
Contact Us
If you have any questions or comments please contact us using:
Email: Contact@FarnboroughAirport2040.com
Phone: 0808 164 6061