Offshore parking at Aberdeen
Aberdeen Airport offers a special daily parking rate for offshore workers flying from its heliport terminals.
It is one of the things that makes Aberdeen different from every other UK airport we cover. Crews heading to the North Sea can park at Long Stay or the Park and Depart car park, with no need to book in advance.
Who qualifies
The rate applies to offshore workers flying from all four heliports: Bristow, CHC, OHS and NHV.
Validation on return proves you flew offshore. Anyone else pays the standard rates or books ahead.
Where to park
Long Stay suits Bristow users; the Park and Depart car park suits those flying from the OHS terminal.
Park and Depart is close enough for OHS users to walk to their terminal. Long Stay is near the Bristow heliport and linked to the main terminal by bus.
The rates
The airport advertises offshore parking from £4.00 a day.
Its offshore page also lists daily rates that fall for trips of more than ten days, for example £5.70 a day beyond ten days. The figures differ between the airport's pages, so check the rate at validation.
How it works
Turn up, park, fly, validate.
- Drive in. Number plate recognition opens the barrier.
- Park. Long Stay or Park and Depart.
- Fly offshore. From your heliport.
- Validate on return. At Travelex landside or a heliport validation point.
- Drive out. The barrier reads your plate.
Offshore rate or pre-booking
For most crew rotations, the offshore rate is simple and good value.
For a leisure trip from the main terminal, pre-booking Long Stay with our code is usually the cheaper route. Our code does not apply to the offshore rate, which is charged by the airport.
Security
The airport says its car parks hold the Police Scotland Safe Car Park Award, with CCTV and regular patrols.
The airport also lists Park Mark certification for its offshore car parks.
Winter rotations
Two or three weeks in a North East winter take a toll on a parked car.
Leave the car with a healthy battery, fuel and screenwash, and keep a scraper inside. On return, allow time to clear frost before driving.
Being dropped off instead
A lift to the heliport avoids parking altogether.
The airport's free hour in Long Stay suits family members dropping off a crew member. See our Aberdeen drop-off and pick-up guide.
Electric cars on rotation
A long rotation and an electric car need planning.
The airport's chargers in Short Stay and Priority are for shorter stays. Arrive with enough charge for the drive home after a long trip.
Our view
For offshore crews, the airport's rate is the obvious choice.
No booking, a short walk or bus, and validation on return. For a holiday from the main terminal, book Long Stay ahead with our code instead.
The four heliport terminals
Bristow, CHC, OHS and NHV all operate from the airport site.
Each serves different offshore installations and operators. Your employer or travel coordinator will tell you which terminal to use; choose the car park closest to it.
Validation in detail
Validation proves you flew offshore and unlocks the rate.
On return, validate at Travelex landside or at the validation point in your heliport terminal before driving to the exit. Without validation, standard rates apply.
Crew change days
Crew change days are busy at the heliports and in the car parks.
Arrive early on those days, especially on Monday mornings, when offshore, business and holiday traffic overlap.
Long rotations
For two or three weeks away, the daily rate matters.
The airport's offshore page shows the daily rate falling for longer trips. Check the rate for your rotation at validation.
Leaving a car for weeks
Prepare the car before a long rotation.
Check the battery, remove valuables, and consider a steering lock. On return, check the tyres and lights before the drive home.
When the offshore rate does not apply
Holiday trips from the main terminal pay standard rates.
For those, pre-book Long Stay or Short Stay with our code. The offshore rate is only for heliport users.
Park and Depart
Park and Depart suits OHS terminal users, who can walk to their terminal.
It is one of the two car parks where the offshore rate applies. Number plate recognition opens the barrier, and validation on return unlocks the rate.
Family drop-offs
A lift to the heliport avoids parking.
Family members can use the free hour at Long Stay when dropping off or collecting a crew member, subject to the airport's conditions.
Questions to ask before a rotation
A few checks save trouble on return.
Confirm which heliport terminal you fly from, where the nearest validation point is, and whether your employer covers parking. Keep the car's registration handy for validation.
Leaving a car for weeks
The airport lists CCTV and patrols at its car parks.
For a long rotation, remove valuables, keep the car locked and leave it with a healthy battery and fuel. Check it over before the drive home.
About Dyce and the airport
Aberdeen International Airport sits at Dyce, about seven miles north-west of the city centre.
It is the main airport for the North East of Scotland and one of the busiest helicopter bases in the world, thanks to the North Sea energy industry. That mix of offshore crews, business travellers and holidaymakers shapes the car parks: Monday mornings are busy, and demand is steadier through the year than at most holiday airports.
The airport is reached from the A96 and the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route, and Dyce railway station is a short ride away.
In short
The offshore rate is built for crews; standard bookings are built for holidays.
Use the offshore rate when flying from a heliport terminal, and book Long Stay or Short Stay with our code for trips from the main terminal.
Planning around a rotation
Check your heliport and flight time the day before.
Helicopter schedules can change with the weather. Arrive with time to park and walk or ride to your terminal, and keep the car's registration handy for validation on return.
When a flight is cancelled after you have parked, keep the car where it is and validate on return as usual; check with the airport if you are unsure.
Questions about the rate
The airport's parking team handles offshore rate questions.
Contact details are on the airport's website. For standard bookings through us, call our team on the number below.
Offshore workers on holiday
For a family holiday from the main terminal, the offshore rate is not the right product.
Book Long Stay, Short Stay or an Express car park with our code instead, and keep the offshore rate for rotations from the heliports. That way the booking covers the dates you are away, and cancellation cover up to 72 hours before arrival applies.
Offshore parking at Aberdeen: your questions
Offshore workers flying from the Bristow, CHC, OHS and NHV heliport terminals.
No. The airport says you can just turn up, and validate the parking on return.
Long Stay, near the Bristow heliport, or the Park and Depart car park for OHS terminal users.
At Travelex landside or at the helicopter terminal validation points, per the airport.
The airport advertises offshore parking from £4.00 a day; its offshore page lists daily rates that fall for longer trips.
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