FAQs

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.

We do not handle scheduled passenger services or inclusive tour charter flights. We also do not handle bulk freight services.

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.

All flights are ‘bona fide’ except those which are explicitly prohibited. The Airport reports on these flights to Rushmoor on a periodic basis.

Since granting of the CAA licence in 2003, annual business aviation flights have been as follows:

Market growth forecasts and supporting analysis undertaken by technical consultants will form part of the formal planning application.

This will form part of our formal planning application.

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.

Market growth forecasts and supporting analysis undertaken by technical consultants will form part of the formal planning application.

An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) will be submitted as part of the formal planning application.

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.

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).

An economic impact assessment of the Airport will be submitted as part of the planning application submission.

The local area for the purposes of the economic assessment was defined as Rushmoor, Hart and Surrey Heath.