London's Commercial Airports: How Many Are There?

London is a sprawling metropolis with thousands of transport links reaching all corners of the globe. The city is served by six international airports and several smaller airports, making it one of the most accessible city hubs in the world. These airports make London the busiest airport system in the world by passenger numbers and the second busiest by aircraft movements. In this article, we will be exploring each of London's six international airports and their transport links.

Heathrow Airport: the largest airport in the UK, with 5 terminals and 80+ airlines

Heathrow Airport is the largest airport in the United Kingdom, serving over 80 million passengers annually and operating with more than 80 airlines. It is one of six international airports in the London airport system, and it is the primary and largest international airport serving London, the capital of England and the United Kingdom. Heathrow is located 14 miles (23 kilometres) west of Central London and falls entirely within the boundaries of the London Borough of Hillingdon.

Heathrow Airport has five terminals in total, including four passenger terminals (numbered 2 to 5) and one cargo terminal. Terminal 2, also known as the Queen's Terminal, offers an award-winning passenger experience and is home to the UK's first moving walkways and the Virgin Atlantic hub. Terminal 3, which opened in 1961, has been expanded over the years and features the UK's first moving walkways. Terminal 4, which opened in 1986, has also undergone upgrades and can accommodate 45 airlines. Terminal 5, which opened in 2008, is exclusively used by British Airways and its partner company, Iberia.

Heathrow Airport is easily accessible via public transport, with the Piccadilly line running to Terminals 2, 3, and 5, and the Elizabeth line running to Terminals 2, 3, and 4. Additionally, there are taxi ranks and taxi information desks at all terminals, and Heathrow Express offers non-stop train services to London Paddington.

Heathrow Airport is a major hub for international travel, serving as a gateway to London and the United Kingdom for non-European visitors. It offers flights to numerous destinations worldwide, including North America, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. With its extensive network of airlines and destinations, Heathrow Airport plays a crucial role in connecting London to the rest of the world.

Gatwick Airport: the second-busiest airport in the UK, with 2 terminals and 200+ destinations

London is served by six international airports and several smaller airports, making it the busiest airport system in the world by passenger numbers. Heathrow is the largest airport in the UK, with Gatwick Airport being the second-busiest airport in the country. Located in West Sussex, Gatwick Airport is 29.5 miles (47.5 km) south of Central London and has been in use for commercial flights since 1933. The airport has two terminals, North and South, which cover areas of 98,000 m2 (1,050,000 sq ft) and 160,000 m2 (1,700,000 sq ft) respectively. It is the main base of easyJet, the UK's largest airline by number of passengers.

Gatwick Airport is accessible from a motorway spur road at junction 9A of the M23, which links to the main M23 motorway. The M23 connects with London's orbital motorway, the M25, providing access to Greater London, the South East and beyond. The airport is also accessible from the A23, which serves Horley and Redhill to the north, and Crawley and Brighton to the south. The A217 provides access northwards to the town of Reigate.

Gatwick Airport railway station is located adjacent to the South Terminal and has been serving the airport since 1958. It is mainly served by Southern, Thameslink, and Gatwick Express. It also receives a half-hourly service operated by Great Western Railway via the North Downs Line. To the south, Southern, Thameslink, and Gatwick Express provide direct connections to Brighton, Eastbourne, Littlehampton, Bognor Regis, and Portsmouth Harbour. To the north, Thameslink provides connections to London Bridge, and Gatwick Express provides non-stopping connections to London Victoria. Thameslink trains continue further north through the Thameslink Core to St Pancras International, Bedford, Peterborough, and Cambridge.

The airport has Anglican, Catholic, and Free Church chaplains, and there are multi-faith prayer and counselling rooms in each terminal. A daily service is led by one of the chaplains. Both terminals have shops and restaurants landside and airside, and all areas are accessible to disabled passengers. There are facilities for baby changing and feeding, and specialised lounges for business travellers. The North and South Terminals are connected by a 0.75-mile (1.21 km) elevated, two-way automated people mover landside.

In 2022, 46.1 million passengers passed through Gatwick Airport, a 1.1% increase compared to 2017. The two terminals serve more than 40 million passengers per year and offer connections to more than 200 destinations worldwide.

Stansted Airport: the third-largest airport in London, with 1 terminal and low-cost flights

London Stansted Airport is the third-busiest airport in London and the fourth-busiest in the United Kingdom. Located in Essex, Stansted is approximately 68 kilometres northeast of London. The airport is the largest operational base for Ryanair, Europe's largest low-cost carrier and the world's largest international airline by number of international passengers.

Stansted Airport has one main passenger terminal, which opened in 1991. The terminal was designed by Foster and Partners and is regarded as an influential work of architecture for airports. The terminal has three passenger satellites containing the departure gates. The "floating" roof, supported by a space frame of inverted-pyramid roof trusses, creates the impression of a stylised swan in flight. The base of each truss structure is a "utility pillar", which provides uplighting and houses outlets for air-conditioning, water, telecommunications, and electricity. The layout of the airport was designed to provide an unobstructed flow for passengers, from the short-stay car park to the departure gates, all on the same level.

Stansted Airport serves over 180 destinations across Europe, Asia, and North Africa. It is a base for a number of European low-cost carriers, including being the largest base for Ryanair, with over 150 destinations served by the airline. The airport has a variety of parking options, including long-stay, mid-stay, short-stay, valet, and meet-and-greet services.

The Stansted Airport railway station is located in the terminal building, providing direct services to London Liverpool Street. The Stansted Express train runs to and from London Liverpool Street every hour, with a journey time of approximately 45 to 53 minutes. Additionally, Abellio Greater Anglia operates train services to Liverpool Street and Stratford stations. National Express and Terravision also run coach services to and from Victoria, Liverpool Street, and Stratford.

Luton Airport: a popular airport for budget travellers, with 1 terminal and 16 million+ passengers in 2018

London is served by six international airports: Heathrow, Stansted, Gatwick, Luton, London City, and Southend. Together, these airports form the busiest airport system in the world by passenger numbers. Luton Airport is London's fourth-largest airport, the fifth-busiest in the UK, and the fourth-closest to central London.

Luton Airport is a popular airport for budget travellers, with flights offered by low-cost carriers such as Ryanair, EasyJet, and Wizz Air. In 2018, the airport was ranked as the fifth busiest in the UK, with over 16.5 million passengers passing through. The airport has a single terminal, which provides an array of amenities, including duty-free shopping areas, dining options, lounges, currency exchange services, and convenient transport links.

The airport is located approximately 45 kilometres north of central London and is named after the nearby town of Luton. It can be easily accessed by airport bus or local train, among other transport options. Luton Airport also has a multi-faith room that is open 24 hours and offers facilities such as prayer mats, books, and other equipment.

In terms of infrastructure, Luton Airport possesses a single runway and a two-storey passenger terminal building, which has been expanded and rearranged several times. The ground floor of the terminal features a main hall with 62 check-in desks, a security screening hall, shops, service counters, and arrivals facilities. The upper floor houses the departures lounge, with additional stores, restaurants, and 30 departure gates.

London City Airport: the closest airport to central London, with a growing number of passengers each year

London is served by six international airports and several smaller airports. The six international airports are Heathrow, Stansted, Gatwick, Luton, Southend, and London City Airport. Together, these airports form the busiest airport system in the world by passenger numbers and the second-busiest by aircraft movements.

London City Airport is the closest airport to the city centre of London, located about 6 miles (9.7 km) east of the City of London and 3 miles (4.8 km) east of Canary Wharf. These are the two centres of London's financial industry, which is a major user of the airport. The airport is small compared to several other airports serving London, such as Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Southend, and Luton. It has a single, two-story passenger terminal building with 18 gates, all hardstands.

London City Airport had over 5.1 million passenger movements in 2019, and passenger numbers have been growing each year. It is the fifth-busiest airport by passengers and aircraft movements serving the London area. The airport is easily accessible by public transport, with the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) running to the airport every 10 minutes from Canary Wharf (18 minutes) and Bank (22 minutes).

The airport has stringent rules to limit the noise impact from aircraft operations due to its proximity to Central London. This, along with the physical dimensions of the 1,508-metre-long runway and the steep glideslope, limits the types of aircraft that can use the airport. The airport is busiest during the winter months when airlines fly to ski resort gateway destinations like Zurich, Geneva, and Milan.

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