VistaJet Citation XLS+ lands at RAF Fairford by mistake, triggering security alert

A VistaJet-operated Cessna Citation XLS+ inadvertently landed at RAF Fairford after its crew apparently mistook the USAF-operated Gloucestershire base for nearby Cotswold Airport (Kemble).

The unexpected arrival triggered a security response at the military airfield before the aircraft was cleared to continue its short onward flight to its intended destination.

What is RAF Fairford?

Fairford is a US Air Force bomber base in England and is currently hosting Rockwell B-1B Lancers that took part in Operation Epic Fury against Iran.

At the peak in March 2026, RAF Fairford was hosting around 21 bombers, including around 15 B-1Bs and six B-52s. It is unclear what is currently deployed there, although it seems some B-1Bs remain.

The Cessna pilot soon realized the mistake and requested to depart immediately and fly to the correct airfield about 11 miles away. But the base’s security was activated, and the aircraft was held back for interviews and paperwork.

Black Cat Aviation photographed the aircraft, which landed on RAF Fairford’s runway 27. Flightradar24 shows that the aircraft took off from London City Airport (LCY) bound for Kemble.

Cleared to continue after safety checks

The Cessna remained at the base for about three hours (09:00 to 12:10) before taking off for Cotswold Airport. After departing Fairford, it took just six minutes to fly to Cotswold Airport.

After arriving at Kemble, flight data shows the aircraft has since flown to Gdansk, Amsterdam, London Biggin Hill, Frankfurt, and Farnborough.

Kemble is a famous general-use airport in Gloucestershire and is also a site for recycling old airliners, including British Airways’ former fleet of Boeing 747s.

The Cessna is available for private charter, was built in 2019, is configured with nine seats, and is operated by VistaJet.

Not the first time the mistake has been made

Kemble and Fairford are noted for having similar latitude, runway configuration, as well as close proximity, and this is not the first time pilots have landed at the wrong airport.

In April 2016, a Piper PA-30 Twin Comanche (registered G-ATXD) also landed in RAF Fairford by mistake. In that case, a government report noted that the pilot visited Kemble regularly and knew the aerodrome well, but still made the same mistake.

At the time, the pilot said he was partly distracted by passengers to whom he was explaining the pre-landing checks and procedures.

The government statement said, “He considered this ‘a classic case of confirmation bias,’ and that joining downwind had deprived him of the opportunity to realise his mistake in the overhead.”

Some pilots have also been known to confuse Kemble with the nearby Aston Down gliding site located a few miles to the northwest. That site is a former RAF airfield and is now Cotswold Gliding Club.