Manston Airport Taxi – Fixed-Price Transfers from Thanet to Every London Airport
Manston (Kent International Airport, MSE) has been closed to flights since May 2014 and is not due to reopen, as a cargo hub first, until 2029. If you are searching for a Manston Airport taxi you almost certainly need a car from Ramsgate, Margate, Broadstairs or Minster to Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, London City or Southend, or into London. Rushxo runs exactly that: a fixed price per car, saloon to 9-seater minibus, day or night.
Quick answer: from the Manston Airport area a Rushxo saloon (up to 4) is a fixed £225 to Heathrow, £196 to Gatwick, £180 to Stansted, £185 to London City and £254 to central London. A 7-seat MPV is £285 to Heathrow and £259 to Gatwick. Prices are per car, not per person, and fixed when you book.
Manston Airport in 2026: what is open, and where the flights are
Manston was Kent’s only commercial airport, with KLM flights to Amsterdam and holiday charters, until it closed on 15 May 2014. The 800-acre site is owned by RiverOak Strategic Partners (RSP), which won a Development Consent Order to reopen it as an air-freight hub. In January 2026 RSP put the cost at £750m and the reopening at 2029, with flight-path consultations for Ramsgate and Herne Bay running during 2026; passenger flights would follow only if an airline commits. Until then there are no departures from Manston, and the nearest passenger airports for Thanet are London Southend (42 road miles), London City (75), Stansted (80), Gatwick (88) and Heathrow (104).
The airfield itself still matters locally. The Spitfire & Hurricane Memorial Museum and the RAF Manston History Museum sit on Manston Road beside the runway, the Manston Airshow returns to the site, and RSP’s survey and construction teams, consultants and press visit regularly. We run cars and minibuses to all of them, and to the crew hotels in Ramsgate and Margate.
Fixed fares from the Manston Airport area
Quoted from Manston itself; Ramsgate, Margate, Broadstairs and Birchington have their own fares in the second table, and any other Thanet postcode is priced instantly on the booking page. Every fare is per vehicle, includes the Dartford Crossing and ULEZ where they apply, and does not change for traffic, the hour or a late flight.
| From the Manston Airport area to | Saloon | Executive | 7-seat MPV | 8-seater | 9-seater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heathrow Airport (104 mi) | £225 | £286 | £285 | £373 | £392 |
| Gatwick Airport (88 mi) | £196 | £249 | £259 | £324 | £341 |
| Stansted Airport (80 mi) | £180 | £229 | £238 | £298 | £313 |
| Luton Airport (108 mi) | £234 | £285 | £296 | £388 | £408 |
| London City Airport (75 mi) | £185 | £216 | £225 | £281 | £296 |
| Southend Airport (42 mi) | £136 | £168 | £174 | £204 | £213 |
| Central London (Westminster) (85 mi) | £254 | £292 | £301 | £375 | £391 |
| Canary Wharf (79 mi) | £243 | £291 | £287 | £357 | £372 |
| St Pancras / King’s Cross (86 mi) | £255 | £293 | £302 | £377 | £393 |
| Port of Dover (20 mi) | £84 | £110 | £110 | £136 | £136 |
| Southampton cruise terminals (163 mi) | £339 | £412 | £429 | £561 | £590 |
| Ashford International (32 mi) | £109 | £134 | £139 | £176 | £184 |
| Ebbsfleet International (59 mi) | £151 | £177 | £184 | £241 | £254 |
| Canterbury (16 mi) | £84 | £110 | £110 | £136 | £136 |
Fares checked against the Rushxo booking engine on 2026-09-14. Returns booked together are 1.8× the single fare.
Ramsgate, Margate, Broadstairs and Birchington to the airports
| From | Heathrow (saloon / MPV) | Gatwick (saloon / MPV) | Central London (saloon / MPV) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ramsgate | £250 / £311 | £221 / £287 | £279 / £328 |
| Margate | £246 / £306 | £219 / £284 | £274 / £322 |
| Broadstairs | £235 / £297 | £207 / £273 | £263 / £313 |
| Birchington | £220 / £291 | £193 / £255 | £248 / £294 |
| Westgate-on-Sea | £223 / £282 | £196 / £260 | £251 / £298 |
| Sandwich | £226 / £286 | £193 / £256 | £255 / £303 |
Which car from Thanet: saloon, executive Mercedes, 7-seat MPV or minibus?
- Saloon (sedan) – up to 4 passengers with luggage; the entry fare on every run above.
- 7-seat MPV / people carrier – up to 6 with full luggage or 7 with hand luggage; the most-booked Rushxo car for family holidays from Thanet and for cruise luggage.
- Executive chauffeur car – a Mercedes E-Class with a chauffeur for business travel to London City, Heathrow or the City; the Mercedes S-Class chauffeur is the VIP option.
- 8-seater minibus taxi and 9-seater minibus – groups, crews and larger families on one fixed fare. Sixteen seats and coaches on request for airshow and film-crew moves.
How a Thanet airport transfer works
Book online, on WhatsApp or by phone with the flight number. For departures we set the pick-up from the check-in time and live traffic on the A299, M2 and M25, and text the driver’s details the evening before. For arrivals the driver tracks the flight, meets you in the arrivals hall with a name board and the fare stays fixed if the aircraft is late. Child seats are fitted free; tell us about golf bags, bikes or a wheelchair when you book.
By rail, Ramsgate to St Pancras is about 1 hour 15 minutes on the high-speed service, but a family with cases then faces the Underground or a second taxi to the airport. Door to door, a 7-seat MPV to Heathrow at £285 is about £48 a head for six — usually less than six rail fares.
Manston Airport taxi: questions
Is Manston Airport open for flights?
No. Manston (Kent International Airport, MSE) closed to all flights in May 2014. Its owner, RiverOak Strategic Partners, holds a Development Consent Order to reopen it as an air-freight hub, with passenger flights possible later, and the reopening is currently planned for 2029. Until then the nearest passenger airports for Thanet are London Southend, London City, Gatwick, Heathrow and Stansted.
Which airport is closest to Ramsgate and Margate?
By road, London Southend and London City are the nearest passenger airports, then Stansted, Gatwick and Heathrow. Most Thanet passengers fly from Gatwick or Heathrow because of the routes on offer; a Rushxo saloon from the Manston area is a fixed £196 to Gatwick and £225 to Heathrow.
How much is a taxi from Ramsgate to Heathrow?
From the Manston Airport area a saloon (up to 4 passengers) is a fixed £225 to Heathrow, an executive Mercedes E-Class £286, a 7-seat MPV £285 and an 8-seater minibus £373. The fare is per car, agreed before you book, and includes the Dartford Crossing and ULEZ where they apply.
How long does it take from Thanet to Gatwick or Heathrow?
Allow about 1 hour 45 minutes to Gatwick and 2 hours to Heathrow outside the peaks, via the A299 Thanet Way, M2 or A2 and the M25. For an early flight we plan the pick-up around the check-in time and current traffic, not a rule of thumb.
Do you run from Thanet to the Port of Dover and Southampton cruise terminals?
Yes. Dover is about 20 miles from Manston (fixed £84 for a saloon) and Southampton cruise terminals are £339 for a saloon or £429 for a 7-seat MPV with the luggage for a fortnight at sea.
Can I book a 9-seater minibus from Margate to Heathrow?
Yes. The 9-seater minibus from the Manston area to Heathrow is a fixed £392 per vehicle, the 8-seater £373. One booking, one price, split however you like.
Related Thanet and Kent pages
- Ramsgate taxi
- Margate taxi
- Taxi from Minster-in-Thanet
- Margate to Heathrow 9-seater group transfer
- Margate to Stansted for a connecting flight
- Dreamland Margate concert taxi
- Ramsgate chauffeur service
- Margate chauffeur service
- Kent taxi hub
- Biggin Hill Airport chauffeur
- Southampton cruise transfers
- All airport transfers