Sachin Walls
London, England is served by six international airports and several smaller airports, making it the busiest airport system in the world by passenger numbers. The six international airports are Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton, London City, and Southend. London City Airport, for example, is located in the London Borough of Newham, about six miles (ten kilometres) east of the City of London. Heathrow Airport, on the other hand, is located in the London Borough of Hillingdon and is the largest of London's airports.
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What You'll Learn
Heathrow Airport is London's largest airport
Heathrow is one of six international airports serving the London metropolitan area, alongside London City Airport, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton, and London Southend Airport. Heathrow is by far the largest and busiest of these airports, handling over 70 million passengers in 2012, making it the third busiest airport in the world in terms of passenger numbers that year. Heathrow serves six continents and is the base for British Airways in Terminal 5. It is London's long-distance hub and the most popular arrival point for flights from the United States, including New York–JFK, with 13 million passengers.
Due to its location in London's western suburbs, Heathrow has faced challenges with expansion projects, often operating at full capacity. Various proposals have been made to address this issue, including the construction of a new airport in the Thames Estuary or on the Isle of Grain in north Kent. Heathrow's expansion plans have been a subject of debate, with concerns raised about bird strikes, economic impacts, and local opposition to increased noise and air pollution.
Despite these challenges, Heathrow remains a significant hub for international travel and plays a crucial role in connecting London and the United Kingdom to the rest of the world.
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London City Airport is 6 miles from the City of London
London is served by six international airports and several smaller airports, which together constitute the busiest airport system in the world by passenger numbers. The six international airports are Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton, London City Airport, and London Southend Airport.
London City Airport is located in the Royal Docks in the Borough of Newham, about six miles (or ten kilometres) east of the City of London and three miles (five kilometres) 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 relatively small, with a single 1,508-metre-long runway, and a steep approach at a 5.5° angle. Only multi-engine, fixed-wing aircraft up to a certain size are permitted to use the airport, and it is the only airport serving London that does not operate at night.
London City Airport is easily accessible from central London, with a light rail service from London City Airport DLR station, which adjoins the terminal building. The airport was first proposed in 1981 by Reg Ward, the Chief Executive of the London Docklands Development Corporation, and it was developed by the engineering company Mowlem between 1986 and 1987.
The airport has seen several expansions over the years, including the addition of new aircraft parking stands and gates in 2008, and a £344 million expansion plan approved in 2016. In 2009, British Airways commenced the first scheduled transatlantic flights from the airport, with a twice-daily service to New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport. London City Airport is the fifth busiest airport by passenger and aircraft movements serving the London area.
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London's airports are the busiest in the world by passenger numbers
London, England is served by six international airports and several smaller airports. In 2018, these airports handled a total of 177,054,819 passengers, constituting the busiest airport system in the world by passenger numbers. Heathrow, the largest of London's airports, is considered the main gateway to the United Kingdom for non-European visitors. It has consistently run at over 99% capacity and is often included on lists of the worst-rated airports globally. Heathrow has faced challenges with expansion due to its location in London's western suburbs, but a new northwest runway and terminal were approved by the government in 2016.
London's second-busiest airport, Gatwick, is located south of London in West Sussex and is the second-largest airport in the United Kingdom. It has two terminals and one main runway, with a second, shorter runway often used by smaller aircraft. Gatwick has also faced challenges with expansion due to concerns about increased noise and air pollution.
London Stansted Airport, the third-busiest airport in London, is located in Essex, northeast of London. It has one main terminal and one runway and is a base for several European low-cost carriers. Stansted has seen significant growth in recent years, with over 27 million passengers in 2018.
London Luton Airport, the fourth-busiest airport in London, is located in Luton, Bedfordshire, and is popular with budget travellers. It has one terminal and one runway and is a base for several low-cost carriers. Luton has also experienced growth, with over 16 million passengers in 2018.
London City Airport, the fifth-busiest airport in London, is located in the Royal Docks in the Borough of Newham. It is the closest airport to central London, with a single runway and a steep approach angle of 5.5 degrees. London City Airport is often used by business travellers and serves destinations across the UK and northern Europe.
While London's airports are collectively the busiest in the world by passenger numbers, individually, they do not rank as the top busiest airports globally. In 2024, London Heathrow was ranked as the fifth busiest airport in the world, with 83.9 million passengers. However, London has the busiest city airport system by passenger count.
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Heathrow Airport is the primary hub for British Airways
Heathrow Airport, located 14 miles (23 kilometres) west of Central London, is the primary hub for British Airways. It is the largest airport in the UK and is considered the main gateway into the country for non-European visitors. Heathrow has four terminals and two parallel runways. It is the busiest airport in Europe in terms of total passenger traffic and the fourth busiest in terms of cargo traffic. In 2019, it was noted as the best-connected airport globally, with British Airways holding a 51% share of flights.
Heathrow Airport is served by over 89 airlines, flying to 214 destinations in 84 countries. It is the base for British Airways and Virgin Atlantic. The airport has a connectivity score of 317, with a network of over 218 destinations worldwide. Heathrow is also the busiest airport in Europe by total passenger numbers, serving as both a short-haul and long-distance hub. In 2012, Heathrow handled 70 million passengers in a calendar year, making it the third busiest airport in the world in terms of passenger numbers.
Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport, which opened in 2008, is exclusively used by British Airways as its global hub. British Airways also operates from Terminal 3, offering a range of restaurants, shops, facilities, and services. Heathrow Airport provides easy connections to Central London, with travel to Paddington Station taking just 15 minutes. The airport is connected to the M4 and M25 motorways and is accessible by train from Paddington Station and by London Underground trains on the Piccadilly line.
Heathrow Airport has faced challenges with expansion due to its location in London's western suburbs. Various expansion projects have been cancelled, and the airport consistently operates at over 99% capacity. However, in 2015, Heathrow's expansion plan was approved by the Airport Commission, and a new northwest runway and terminal were approved by the government. Heathrow is surrounded by villages and neighbourhoods and offers religious services with chaplains from various faiths available.
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London's former mayor proposed a new airport in the Thames Estuary
London, England, is served by six international airports and several smaller airports, including London City Airport, Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton, and London Southend Airport. The IATA airport code shared by all airports in the metropolitan area is LON.
London's former mayor, Boris Johnson, proposed a new airport in the Thames Estuary, which was nicknamed "Boris Island" by the press. Johnson led scoping studies for a further airport in north Kent, with suggestions including the development of a major international hub at Cliffe. The proposal was for a four-runway hub airport to be located on the Isle of Grain in Kent, built on a platform straddling the land and sea. The airport would have had an initial handling capacity of 110 million passengers per annum and would have required the closure of Heathrow.
The idea of building a new airport in the Thames Estuary gained traction due to the ongoing debate about the capacity needed to meet future air travel demand in the UK, especially in the South East of England near London. Heathrow, London's largest airport, has had trouble expanding due to its location in London's western suburbs. As a result, the airport consistently runs at over 99% capacity.
The proposal for the Thames Estuary Airport was not without opposition. Some people living nearby warned that the airport would cause a significant increase in bird strikes. Additionally, opponents described the project as "financially, geographically, and environmentally wrong". The Airports Commission (AC) rejected the plans in 2014, and in 2016, the government delayed its decision on airport expansion in the South East, citing the need to further assess the potential environmental impact.
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Frequently asked questions
The IATA airport code for all airports in the London metropolitan area is LON. Heathrow Airport, for example, has the code LHR. London City Airport has the code LCY.
London City Airport (IATA: LCY, ICAO: EGLC) is an international airport in London, England. It is located in the Royal Docks in the Borough of Newham, about six miles (ten kilometres) east of the City of London.
Heathrow Airport is the largest of London's airports and is considered the main gateway into the United Kingdom for non-European visitors. It is located in the London Borough of Hillingdon, 14 miles (23 kilometres) west of Central London. Heathrow has four terminals and two parallel runways.
