Air

Arriving & Travelling by by Air

There are about 100 licensed airports in England, but only a handful of these are equipped for long-haul traffic. The largest is London's Heathrow, the world's busiest international airport and one of Europe's central routing points for international air travel. It is served by most of the world's leading airlines with direct flights from nearly all the major cities. The other major international airports include Gatwick, Stansted, Manchester, Glasgow, Newcastle, Birmingham and Edinburgh. Smaller airports  such as London City, Bristol, Norwich and Cardiff have daily flights to European destinations.

The Majority of England's largest and best known airports are run by the British Airports Authority - the rest are owned by a local authority or are in private hands. All BAA airports offer up-to-date facilities, including 24-hour banking, shops, cafes, hotels and restaurants. Security is strict at all English airports and it is important never to leave baggage unattended.

If you are starting your visit in London, flights to Gatwick, Heathrow or Stansted are equally convenient. But if you plan to visit northern England, there are an increasing number of flights going to Birmingham, Newcastle and Manchester, while for Scotland you can fly to Glasgow or Edinburgh. Heathrow has four terminals and some others have two. Before you fly, check with the airport from which terminal your flight leaves. During severe weather conditions in the winter months, your flight may be diverted to another airport. If this happens, the airline will organize transportation back to your original destination.

British Airways has flights' to nearly all the world's important destinations, Other British international airlines include Virgin Atlantic, with routes to the USA and the Far East, and British Midland, which flies to Western Europe. The main American airlines offering scheduled services to Britain include Delta, US Air and American Airlines. From Canada, the main carrier is Air Canada. From Australasia, the national carriers Qantas and Air New Zealand vie with many Far Eastern rivals.

England imposes an airport tax on all departing passengers - currently £10 for domestic and EC routes, and £20 for non-EC and long-haul flights.

Most of the larger airports lie some way from city centres, but transport to and from them is efficient. Every airport has taxis and coaches and these are the most convenient form of door-to-door travel, but they are also expensive and can be slow if there is traffic congestion

Heathrow and Newcastle are both linked to the centre of the city by the Underground.  These are efficient, quick and cheap. Manchester, Stansted, Gatwick and Heathrow have regular express trains which are not too expensive and are a reliable method for travelling into the heart of the city, National Express Coaches provide direct connections from major airports to many British destinations. They have a regular service between Gatwick and Heathrow.

Air travel within England

England's size means that internal air travel only makes sense over longish distances, where it can save a great deal of time for example, London to Scotland, or to one of the many offshore islands. Air fares can be expensive, but if you book well ahead, fares can be up to three times cheaper than if you just turn up at the airport - although you are still always guaranteed a seat. The British Airways shuttle flights that operate between London and cities such as Glasgow, Edinburgh and Manchester are extremely popular with business travellers. At peak times of the day, flights leave every hour, while at other times there is usually a flight every two hours, Bad weather can cause delays or diversions during the winter months. Even on domestic flights, security is stringent, and you should never leave your bags unattended,

AIRLINE NUMBERS

Air Canada           Tel:0800 8712 7786
Air New Zealand    Tel:0800 028 4149 
American Airlines   Tel:0845 7789 789
British Airways      Tel:0870 850 9850.
British Midland       Tel:0870 6070 555
Qantas                Tel:0845 7747 767
Virgin Atlantic        Tel:0870 380 2007