Data reports
UK Landing Fee Survey 2026
Median landing fees by aircraft weight band and airfield type, drawn from current fee data across the UK directory.
The median landing fee for a four-seat touring single (1,001kg to 1,500kg MTOW) across 56 UK aerodromes with a published fee schedule in the Airfield Atlas directory is £18.50.
We currently hold verified fee schedules for 61 of the 1,222 airfields in the directory — this survey covers those 61, not the whole of UK general aviation, and the figures below will move as more fields get added. Within that set, published fees range from £0 at Leeds East (EGCM), where the fee is waived against a minimum fuel uplift, up to £40.50 at Blackpool (EGNH) and £100 at Bedford Aerodrome (EGBF), a private test and events site rather than a typical GA field.
Below are the benchmarks from the 2026 survey, by aircraft weight band, runway surface, and fuel waiver terms.
Landing fee medians by aircraft weight band
UK aerodromes assess landing fees by Maximum Takeoff Weight (MTOW). The table below is the full distribution across every aerodrome with a verified fee schedule in the directory.
| Aircraft Weight Band | Sample Aircraft | Airfields with Data | Minimum Fee | Median Fee | Maximum Fee | Middle 50% Spread (Q1–Q3) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microlight (< 600kg) | Ikarus C42, Eurostar EV-97 | 17 airfields | £7.50 | £15.00 | £22.50 | £10.00 – £21.63 |
| Sub 1,000kg Single | Cessna 152, Van's RV-7 | 61 airfields | £0.00 | £15.00 | £100.00 | £12.00 – £20.00 |
| 1,001kg – 1,500kg Single | Piper PA-28, Cessna 172 | 56 airfields | £0.00 | £18.50 | £100.00 | £12.00 – £22.50 |
| 1,501kg – 2,000kg Single | Cirrus SR22, Beech Bonanza | 31 airfields | £5.00 | £21.63 | £55.00 | £15.00 – £25.80 |
| Twin / Multi-Engine | Piper Seneca, Beech Duchess | 33 airfields | £10.00 | £30.00 | £60.00 | £20.00 – £35.00 |
Two things stand out. Stepping up from a sub-1,000kg single to a 1,001–1,500kg single (broadly, a Cessna 152 to a PA-28 or 172) raises the median fee by about 23%, from £15 to £18.50. And a light twin's median fee is exactly double a small single's — £30 against £15 — which tracks with most tariffs charging by MTOW band rather than by engine count directly.
Free landings and fuel uplift waivers
Across the UK directory, select aerodromes waive landing fees for visiting aircraft:
Published free-landing aerodromes
- Leeds East Airport (EGCM): publishes a £0 fee for singles under 1,500kg, but its own PPR notes tie this to a minimum fuel uplift rather than a no-strings-attached free landing — confirm the current uplift threshold when you call.
- Nottingham City Airport (EGBN): £0 published landing fee when uplifting a minimum of 50 litres of aviation fuel.
Fuel uplift waiver thresholds
| Airfield Name | ICAO | Weight Band Covered | Standard Full Stop Fee | Minimum Fuel Uplift for 100% Fee Waiver |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Netherthorpe | EGNF | Sub 1,000kg & 1,001–1,500kg | £10.00 | 40 Litres (Avgas 100LL @ £1.96/L) |
| Nottingham City | EGBN | Sub 1,000kg & 1,001–1,500kg | £0.00 (with fuel) | 50 Litres |
| Fenland | EGCL | All bands up to Twin/Multi | £10.00 | 100 Litres |
Uplifting 40 litres of fuel at Netherthorpe covers the landing fee, saving £10.00 while filling your tanks at a competitive £1.96/L rate.
Fee rankings: 1,001kg to 1,500kg touring singles
The table below is the full fee comparison for standard four-seat touring aircraft (Piper PA-28, Cessna 172, Robin DR400) across every aerodrome we hold a verified fee schedule for.
| Airfield Name | ICAO | Surface | Published Landing Fee | Sourced Fuel Uplift Waiver |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leeds East | EGCM | Paved | £0.00 | Tied to a minimum fuel uplift, per operator |
| Nottingham City | EGBN | Paved / Grass | £0.00 | Waived with 50L fuel |
| North Coates | EGYO | Grass | £5.00 | None |
| Sandtoft | EGCF | Paved | £5.00 | None |
| Fenland | EGCL | Grass | £10.00 | Waived with 100L fuel |
| Netherthorpe | EGNF | Grass | £10.00 | Waived with 40L fuel |
| Brimpton | EGLP | Grass | £10.00 | None |
| Seething | EGSJ | Grass / Hard | £10.00 | None |
| Little Gransden | EGMJ | Grass | £10.00 | None |
| Old Sarum | EGLS | Grass | £10.00 | None |
| Sturgate | EGCS | Paved | £10.00 | None |
| Crowfield | EGSO | Grass | £10.00 | None |
| Sherburn-in-Elmet | EGCJ | Paved / Grass | £12.00 | None |
| Carlisle | EGNC | Paved | £12.00 | None |
| Henstridge | EGHS | Grass | £12.00 | None |
| Beccles | EGSM | Hard / Grass | £12.50 | None |
| Dunkeswell | EGTU | Paved | £15.00 | None |
| Sleap | EGCV | Paved | £15.00 | None |
| Compton Abbas | EGHA | Grass | £15.00 | None |
| Old Warden | EGTH | Grass | £15.00 | None |
| Earls Colne | EGSR | Paved / Grass | £15.00 | None |
| Fife | EGPJ | Paved | £15.00 | None |
| Full Sutton | EGNU | Grass | £15.00 | None |
| Manchester Barton | EGCB | Grass | £16.67 | None |
| Bodmin | EGLA | Grass | £17.00 | None |
| Shobdon | EGBS | Paved | £18.00 | None |
| Cranfield | EGTC | Paved | £19.00 | None |
| Turweston | EGBT | Paved | £20.00 | None |
| Cotswold / Kemble | EGBP | Paved | £20.00 (£12 T&G) | None |
| Sywell | EGBK | Paved / Grass | £20.00 | None |
| Caernarfon | EGCK | Paved | £20.00 | None |
| Bembridge | EGHJ | Paved | £20.00 | None |
| Clacton | EGSQ | Grass | £20.00 | None |
| Stapleford | EGSG | Paved / Grass | £20.00 | None |
| Goodwood | EGHR | Grass | £24.00 | None |
| Sandown | EGHN | Grass | £25.00 | None |
| Perranporth | EGTP | Hard | £25.00 | None |
| Duxford | EGSU | Paved / Grass | £26.60 | None |
| Gloucestershire | EGBJ | Paved | £28.00 (£14 touch-and-go) | None |
| Headcorn | EGKH | Grass | £30.00 | None |
| Elstree | EGTR | Paved | £30.00 | None |
| Blackbushe | EGLK | Paved | £30.00 | None |
| Wolverhampton | EGBO | Paved | £32.40 | None |
| Redhill | EGKR | Grass / Paved | £33.60 | None |
| Perth / Scone | EGPT | Paved | £38.30 | None |
| Blackpool | EGNH | Paved | £40.50 | None |
| Bedford | EGBF | Paved | £100.00 | Specialized test site |
Minimizing landing fee costs
- Target fuel waiver aerodromes: Scheduling fuel stops at Netherthorpe or Nottingham City eliminates landing charges.
- Review runway surface pricing: Paved aerodromes like Sleap (£15.00), Dunkeswell (£15.00), Kemble (£20.00), and Turweston (£20.00) offer landing fees equal to or lower than major grass aerodromes.
- Check weight band cut-offs: If operating aircraft under 1,000kg (such as a Cessna 152 or Van's RV-7), confirm if the aerodrome applies a reduced sub-1,000kg tariff — worth roughly £3.50 off the median compared with the 1,001–1,500kg band above it.
Check the Airfield Atlas directory for the current fee schedule, weight bands and fuel waiver terms before every cross-country flight — 61 fields are covered so far, with more added as we verify them.