Heathrow - why biz jets?
 

Delayed for hours out of EGLL / LHR this week this week, I wonder why they allow small biz jets to operate. What's the deal: big money, government passengers or else?

Why are they allowed to operate into LHR?

They pay the landing fee and acquire a slot from HAL/ACL.

Gummint types tend to use neighbouring Northolt. Only a guess, but I expect private flights into LHR are made mostly to connect with long-haul - there must be more convenient (and cheaper, but that's probably not a huge factor if you're in a biz-jet) alternatives for reaching London.

Most biz jets left Heathrow more than ten years ago(longer?). The money to be made from the big boys was greater and their main customers would (I reckon) have been keen to snap up the slots and funnel lots of loverly pax through the shopping malls/terminals.

I doubt it was the "little" bizjets that caused your delay.

From memory it takes at least 24 hours notice to book that slot and lots of penalties for missing it. (time and possible financial penalties for breaking an airport slot).

Bizjets prefer to use any where else than LHR or LGW. Northolt's got it's own set of unique hassles and can be difficult to get slots into there as well.
Farnborough can be a problem too although I haven't operated out of there in ages. (Great FBO though). Biggin Hill's not the biggest and that leaves Luton.

If the pax want to use LHR for a connecting flight, then they do although they are advised of the possible pitfalls.

Could have been due to weather. Storms caused havoc on a couple of the days last week.