The Agusta A109 Grand: our primary charter helicopter for up to 6 passengers

If you ask our operations desk which helicopter they would put on a typical UK charter — a director to a meeting, a family to the races, a couple to a wedding — the answer, more often than not, is the Agusta A109 Grand. It is the aircraft we reach for first, and it has been the backbone of UK executive helicopter charter for two decades. This is why.

The A109 Grand carries up to six passengers in a leather-trimmed VIP cabin, plus the pilot. That capacity is the sweet spot for private charter: it covers the overwhelming majority of trips — a couple, a family, a board of four or five — without the cost of moving up to a larger machine. Our A109 (G-XUMA) is finished in tan diamond-stitched leather with four-point harnesses and Bose noise-cancelling headsets, so conversation at cruise is easy.

For groups of seven to nine, we step up to the Airbus H145; for a five-seat budget option, the Eurocopter AS355 Twin Squirrel is the value choice. If you are weighing the A109 against the H145 specifically, we compare them head to head in A109 Grand vs H145.

The Grand cruises at around 155 knots — roughly 180 mph — which makes it one of the quicker light twins in the charter market. Retractable landing gear cuts drag and, just as importantly, gives the aircraft a clean, understated profile on the ground. For principals who would rather not be photographed stepping out of a car, arriving by A109 at a private landing site is about as low-key as high-end travel gets.

Twin-engine matters. Everything we charter has two engines and a valid CAA Air Operator Certificate — so a single engine issue is a non-event, not an emergency. We do not operate single-engine aircraft. More on how this shapes cost in what determines helicopter charter cost.

• Executive transfers — city to meeting and back the same day, avoiding motorway time. See helicopter transfers.
• Race meetings and events — Royal Ascot, Silverstone, Goodwood and Cheltenham are core A109 work. Full list on the events page.
• Private-jet connections — the short hop from a business-jet airport into central London. The A109 is the aircraft on most Luton, Farnborough and Biggin Hill to Battersea transfers.
• Weddings and country-house arrivals — landing at a private site with the landowner's permission. See can helicopters land at private sites.

Helicopter charter is priced per flying hour, not per mile, with a minimum charge and any positioning and landing fees on top. As a guide, an A109 day-return within England typically runs from a few thousand pounds; a short jet-to-city transfer such as Biggin Hill to Battersea lands around £4,500 all-in. The honest way to price your trip is a real quote — the numbers move with route, timings and landing fees. See our 2026 helicopter hire prices guide for worked examples, or request a quote and we will come back the same business day.

For longer UK and European legs, or larger groups, our sister company handles fixed-wing: Charter-A arranges private jet charter from the same airports our helicopters serve. A common pattern is jet for the long leg, A109 for the final hop into the city. And for central-London helicopter charter specifically, Battersea Helicopter is the dedicated Battersea Heliport operation within the group.

The A109 Grand is the default for a reason — fast, discreet and right-sized for up to six. Tell us your route and party size and we will confirm it is the right aircraft, or recommend the one that is. Request a quote or browse the full fleet.