Heathrow Airport facts for kids

Quick facts for kids London Heathrow Airport
IATA: LHR ICAO: EGLL WMO: 03772
Summary
Airport type	Public
Owner/Operator	Heathrow Airport Holdings
Serves	London
Location	London, England, UK
Opened	25 March 1946; 79 years ago (1946-03-25)
Hub for	British Airways DHL Aviation Virgin Atlantic
Built	1929; 96 years ago (1929)
Elevation AMSL	83 ft / 25 m
Coordinates	51°28′39″N 000°27′41″W / 51.47750°N 0.46139°W / 51.47750; -0.46139
Map
LHR/EGLL Location in Greater London Show map of Greater London LHR/EGLL Location in England Show map of England LHR/EGLL Location in the United Kingdom Show map of the United Kingdom LHR/EGLL Location in Europe Show map of Europe
Runway
Runway Length Surface m ft 09L/27R 3,902 12,802 Grooved asphalt 09R/27L 3,660 12,008 Grooved asphalt
Statistics (2023)
Passengers 79,151,723 28.5% Aircraft movements 454,089 18.1% Cargo (tonnes) 1,387,060 2.7% Economic impact £4.7 billion Social impact 114,000 Land area 1,227 ha (3,030 acres)
Sources: CAA, Heathrow Airport Holdings

Heathrow Airport (LHR) is the main international airport for London, England. It used to be called London Airport until 1966. It's the biggest of London's six international airports. The others are Gatwick, City, Luton, Stansted, and Southend.

Heathrow Airport is owned and run by Heathrow Airport Holdings. In 2023, it was the busiest airport in Europe. It was also the fourth-busiest airport in the world for passengers. Heathrow has the most international flights of any airport worldwide.

Heathrow started as a small airfield in 1930. It grew much bigger after World War II. The airport is about 14 miles (23 km) west of Central London. It covers an area of about 4.74 square miles (12.27 km²). Over 75 years, it has expanded to have two parallel runways, four passenger terminals, and one cargo terminal. It is the main base for British Airways and Virgin Atlantic.

Where is Heathrow Airport?

Heathrow is located 14 miles (23 km) west of Central London. It is also 3 miles (5 km) west of Hounslow and 3 miles (5 km) north-east of Staines-upon-Thames.

The airport is entirely within the London Borough of Hillingdon. It is surrounded by small villages like Sipson and Harmondsworth. To the west, the M25 motorway separates it from towns like Slough and Windsor.

Because the airport is west of London and its runways run east-west, planes usually fly over the Greater London Urban Area when landing. This happens most of the time because the wind usually blows from the south-west.

A Brief History of Heathrow

Aerial photo of Heathrow Airport from the 1950s, before the main terminals were built.

Heathrow Airport began in 1929 as a small airfield called Great West Aerodrome. It was built on land that used to be farms and orchards. The airport got its name from a small village called Heathrow, which was located where Terminal 2 is now.

Major development of the airport started in 1944 during World War II. It was meant for military planes flying long distances to the Far East. But the war ended before the runways were fully ready. So, the UK Government decided to turn it into a civilian airport.

The airport officially opened on 25 March 1946 as London Airport. It was renamed Heathrow Airport in September 1966. This was done to avoid confusion with London's other airports, Gatwick and Stansted. The airport's original design was created by Sir Frederick Gibberd. He designed the first terminals and the central buildings.

How Heathrow Airport Works

A Qantas Boeing 747-400 flying over Myrtle Avenue as it approaches runway 27L at Heathrow.

Heathrow's control tower among departure gates at Terminal 3.

G-BOAB, a former British Airways Concorde preserved at Heathrow.

Airport Facilities

More than 89 airlines use Heathrow Airport. They fly to 214 places in 84 countries. Heathrow is the main hub (a central airport where many flights connect) for British Airways and Virgin Atlantic.

The airport has four passenger terminals (numbered 2 to 5) and a cargo terminal. In 2021, Heathrow served 19.4 million passengers. The busiest year ever was 2019, with 80.9 million passengers. Heathrow is the UK's largest port by value. This means it handles the most valuable goods. The busiest single destination from Heathrow is New York. Over three million passengers flew between Heathrow and JFK Airport in 2021.

In the 1950s, Heathrow had six runways. They were arranged like a star. Now, it has only two parallel runways that run east-west. These are longer versions of two of the original runways. You can still see parts of the old runways from the air.

Heathrow Airport has chaplains from different religions. These include Anglican, Catholic, Free Church, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, and Sikh faiths. There is a multi-faith prayer room in each terminal. There is also St. George's Interdenominational Chapel for Christian services.

Cargo Operations

Heathrow handles a lot of cargo. In 2022, it moved 1.4 million tonnes of goods. The top places for cargo exports are the United States, China, and the United Arab Emirates. Popular items shipped include books, salmon, and medicine.

How Flights are Managed

Planes flying to Heathrow usually go to one of four holding points. Air traffic controllers then guide the planes to land. They bring planes from the four holding points into a single line. Sometimes, planes are as close as 2.5 nautical miles (4.6 km) apart.

To reduce noise, planes often use a "continuous descent approach" when landing. This is especially important at night. Once a plane is ready to land, control is given to Heathrow Tower.

To reduce noise for people living nearby, planes usually take off towards the west and land from the east. This means they fly over less populated areas when taking off. Heathrow's two runways usually work separately. One runway is for landings, and the other is for takeoffs. To further reduce noise, the runways used for landing and takeoff are swapped at 3 PM each day if the wind is from the west.

Night flights at Heathrow have rules. Between 11 PM and 4 AM, the noisiest planes are not allowed to fly. There are also limits on the number of flights and the total noise allowed between 11:30 PM and 6 AM. Airlines have also agreed not to schedule arrivals before 4:30 AM.

A trial was done to create "noise-relief zones." This meant concentrating flight paths into certain areas. This was supposed to give residents in other areas a break from noise. However, it was found that some people experienced more noise, so the trial was stopped. In 2016, Heathrow received over 25,000 noise complaints in three months. About half of these complaints came from just ten people.

Heathrow also has a "Fly Quiet & Green" program. It ranks the 50 busiest airlines based on how well they perform on environmental measures. This helps encourage airlines to be quieter and greener.

Future Expansion: A Third Runway?

For many years, there have been talks about adding a third runway at Heathrow. In 2015, a special commission supported building a third runway. The government approved this idea in 2016. However, a court later said the plan didn't consider climate change enough.

In December 2020, the UK Supreme Court allowed the third runway plan to go ahead. This means construction could start. This decision is controversial because some people worry about more greenhouse gases, noise, and air pollution. Others believe it's needed for more flights and economic growth.

Another idea for expansion is the "Heathrow Hub." This plan suggests extending the two existing runways and dividing them. This would create four shorter runways, allowing more planes to take off and land at the same time.

Airport Rules and Management

Heathrow Airport is very busy. Its facilities were originally designed for 55 million passengers a year. But in 2012, 70 million passengers used the airport. This led to overcrowding and delays.

However, when Terminal 5 opened in 2008, it helped a lot. It increased the airport's capacity to 90 million passengers per year.

Because Heathrow's two runways are used almost to their maximum, it's hard for airlines to get more landing slots. A "landing slot" is a specific time an airline is allowed to land or take off. To increase flights, Heathrow Airport Holdings has suggested using the runways in "mixed mode." This means planes could take off and land on the same runway. This would increase the airport's capacity.

Airport Security

The airport's security is handled by the Metropolitan Police's aviation security unit. Sometimes, the British Army also helps with security.

Full body scanners are used at the airport. If passengers don't want to use them, they have to have a hand search in a private room. The scanners show cartoon figures of passengers, highlighting any hidden items.

Heathrow has installed a drone-detection system. This helps prevent problems caused by illegal drones flying near the airport.

Heathrow's Terminals

Airport Layout

Heathrow Airport has four passenger terminals that are currently in use. The old Terminal 1 closed in 2015.

Terminal 2: The Queen's Terminal

Terminal 2 central departures area

This is Heathrow's newest terminal. It is officially called the Queen's Terminal. It opened on 4 June 2014 and has 24 gates. It was built where the original Terminal 2 and the Queens Building used to be. The main building was finished in 2013. It has a satellite pier (T2B), a large car park, and many shops and restaurants.

Airlines moved into Terminal 2 gradually to avoid problems. United Airlines was the first to move in June 2014. Terminal 2 is mainly used by airlines that are part of the Star Alliance group. It also handles some UK and Irish domestic flights.

The original Terminal 2 opened in 1955. It was the airport's oldest terminal. It was designed for about 1.2 million passengers a year, but it handled up to 8 million in its last years. Over its lifetime, 316 million passengers passed through it. The old building was taken down in 2010.

Terminal 3

Terminal 3 from above

Terminal 3 opened on 13 November 1961. It was first called the Oceanic Terminal. It was built for long-haul flights to places like the United States and Asia. In 1968, it was renamed Terminal 3. It was expanded in 1970 with a new arrivals building and the UK's first moving walkways.

In 2006, a new part called Pier 6 was added. This was to fit the huge Airbus A380 superjumbo planes. Airlines like Emirates and Qantas use Terminal 3 for their A380 flights.

Terminal 3 has 28 gates. In 2011, it handled 19.8 million passengers. Most flights from Terminal 3 are long-haul flights to North America, Asia, and other non-European countries. It is home to many Oneworld and SkyTeam airlines. British Airways also flies some routes from here.

Terminal 4

Terminal 4 from above

Terminal 4 opened in 1986. It has 22 gates and is located south of the southern runway. It's connected to Terminals 2 and 3 by an underground tunnel. The terminal has been upgraded to handle 45 airlines.

Terminal 4 is now home to most SkyTeam alliance airlines and some Oneworld carriers like Malaysia Airlines and Qatar Airways. Most flights from Terminal 4 come from East Europe, Central Asia, North Africa, and the Middle East. It also handles some flights to Europe. New stands were built to fit the Airbus A380.

Terminal 5

Terminal 5 from above

British Airways aircraft at Terminal 5C

Central waiting area in Terminal 5

Terminal 5 is located at the western end of Heathrow. It was opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 14 March 2008. British Airways and its partner company Iberia use this terminal exclusively. It has 50 gates.

The terminal cost £4.3 billion to build. It has a main four-story building (Concourse A) and two smaller satellite buildings (Concourse B and C). These are connected by an underground train system called a "people mover." Concourse A is for British Airways' smaller planes flying around the UK and Europe. Concourse B is for their larger planes, and Concourse C has special stands for the A380.

Terminal 5 can handle 30 million passengers a year. It has over 100 shops and restaurants. It also has British Airways' special lounges for passengers.

The transport around Terminal 5 was also improved. New train lines, like the Heathrow Express and the London Underground's Piccadilly line, serve a new station at Terminal 5. There's also a special motorway link to the M25. A driverless "pod" system, called the Heathrow Pod, takes passengers from the terminal to a nearby car park.

Terminal Assignments

Here's how Heathrow's four passenger terminals are used by airlines:

After Terminal 5 opened in 2008, airlines started moving terminals. This was to group them by their airline alliances as much as possible. For example, all Star Alliance airlines moved to Terminal 2.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Heathrow had to reduce its services. Terminals 3 and 4 were temporarily closed. All remaining flights moved to Terminals 2 or 5. Terminal 3 reopened in July 2021, and Terminal 4 reopened in June 2022.

Former Terminal 1

Terminal 1 opened in 1968. It was used by British Airways for its UK and European flights. It also hosted most Star Alliance airlines.

Terminal 1 closed at the end of June 2015. The area is now being used to expand Terminal 2. British Airways was the last airline to use Terminal 1. Its last flights from the terminal were on 29 June 2015. British Airways flights from Terminal 1 moved to Terminals 3 and 5.

Airlines and Destinations

Many different airlines fly to and from London Heathrow Airport. These include major international carriers and smaller regional airlines. They connect London to cities all over the world.

Airport Statistics

How passenger numbers, aircraft movements, and air freight changed at Heathrow between 1986 and 2014.

Heathrow is one of the busiest airports in the world. In 2022, it was the eighth busiest airport globally for passenger traffic. It was behind airports like Atlanta, Dallas/Fort Worth, and Dubai. In 2019, Heathrow was named the best-connected airport in the world. This means it has the most connections to other places.

In 2015, Heathrow was the busiest airport in Europe for passengers. It had 14% more passengers than Paris–Charles de Gaulle Airport.

In 2020, the number of passengers at Heathrow dropped by over 72%. This was due to the COVID-19 pandemic and travel restrictions. But by March 2023, Heathrow was again the busiest airport in Europe.

Busiest Routes

The busiest routes from Heathrow are to major cities around the world. In 2023, the top destination was New York–JFK in the United States. Other very busy routes include Dubai, Doha, and Dublin.

Many people also fly from Heathrow to other cities within the UK. In 2022, the busiest domestic routes were to Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Belfast-City.

Other Facilities at Heathrow

The Compass Centre, the main office of Heathrow Airport Holdings.

The main office of Heathrow Airport Holdings is in the Compass Centre. This building is near Heathrow's northern runway. It used to be a flight crew center for British Airways.

The World Business Centre Heathrow has three buildings. Offices for Heathrow Airport Holdings and the airport itself are located there.

The old British Airways head office was at Heathrow Airport. Now, their main office is at Waterside in Harmondsworth.

Along the Northern Perimeter Road, you'll find most of Heathrow's car rental companies. There are also many other car parks outside the airport. These are connected to the terminals by shuttle buses.

Getting Around Heathrow

Public Transport

Trains

There are three train services that connect Heathrow to Central London:

• Heathrow Express: This is a fast, non-stop train to London Paddington. It leaves every 15 minutes and takes about 15-21 minutes.
• Elizabeth line: This train service goes to Abbey Wood and Shenfield, passing through Paddington and central London. It runs six times an hour. The journey to Central London takes about 35 minutes.
• London Underground (Piccadilly line): The Underground has four stations at the airport. The journey from Heathrow Central to Central London takes about 40–50 minutes.

Buses and Coaches

Many bus and coach services operate from the Heathrow Central bus station. This station serves Terminals 2 and 3. There are also bus stations at Terminal 4 and Terminal 5.

Between Terminals

Terminals 2 and 3 are close enough to walk between them. To get between Terminals 2/3 and Terminals 4/5, you can use the Elizabeth line or Heathrow Express trains, or the London Underground Piccadilly line. There's also a free bus service (route H30) between Terminals 4 and 5.

If you are a connecting passenger and stay within the airport's secure area, you can use free dedicated transfer buses between terminals. These buses use special tunnels to avoid interfering with planes.

Terminal 5 has an underground "people mover" system called the Transit. It takes passengers between the main terminal building and its satellite buildings.

Other Transport Options

• Hotel Access: The Hotel Hoppa bus network connects all terminals to major hotels nearby.
• Taxis: Taxis are available at all terminals.
• Cars: Heathrow is easy to reach by car using the M4 motorway or A4 road (for Terminals 2–3), and the M25 motorway (for Terminals 4 and 5). There are drop-off and pick-up areas, as well as short- and long-stay car parks.
• Bicycles: There are bicycle routes to some terminals. You can park your bike for free at certain car parks. However, cycling is not allowed through the main tunnel to Terminals 2 and 3.

Incidents and Accidents at Heathrow

Over the years, Heathrow has had some incidents and accidents, like any large airport. These events are carefully investigated to improve safety.

• On 3 March 1948, a Sabena Douglas DC-3 crashed in fog, killing 22 people.
• On 31 October 1950, a BEA Vickers Viking crashed after hitting the runway during a landing attempt. 28 people died.
• On 1 October 1956, an Avro Vulcan bomber crashed at Heathrow during bad weather. Four people on board were killed.
• On 27 October 1965, a BEA Vickers Vanguard crashed while trying to land in poor visibility. All 36 people on board died.
• On 8 April 1968, a BOAC Flight 712 Boeing 707 had an engine fire after takeoff. The plane landed, but five people died in the fire. A flight attendant, Barbara Harrison, was honored for helping passengers escape.
• On 18 June 1972, a Trident plane, BEA548, crashed shortly after takeoff, killing all 118 people on board.
• On 17 January 2008, a British Airways Boeing 777-236ER crash-landed short of the runway. 18 people had minor injuries. The accident was caused by fuel icing.
• On 28 September 2022, a Korean Air Boeing 777 collided with an Icelandair Boeing 757 on the ground. No one was injured.
• On 6 April 2024, the wing of an empty Virgin Atlantic Boeing 787 hit a parked British Airways plane. No injuries were reported, but both planes were damaged.

Security Incidents

Heathrow has also been involved in some security incidents.

• On 6 September 1970, there was an attempted hijacking of El Al Flight 219.
• In May 1974, the IRA planted bombs in a car park, injuring two people.
• In 1994, the IRA fired mortars at Heathrow three times, causing disruptions.
• In February 2003, the British Army and police were deployed due to threats of missile attacks.
• In February 2008, Greenpeace activists protested against the third runway by climbing on a British Airways plane.
• In October 2010, there was an incident during a deportation that led to a person's death.
• In July 2015, climate change activists from Plane Stupid broke onto the northern runway, disrupting many flights.
• In December 2022, a small piece of uranium metal was found in a package at the airport, leading to a counter-terrorism investigation.

Other Incidents

• On 18 December 2010, heavy snowfall closed the entire airport. This caused many flights to be cancelled and thousands of passengers to be stranded.
• On 12 July 2013, a parked Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner caught fire due to an electrical short circuit. No one was injured.
• In September 2019, a climate change group called Heathrow Pause tried to disrupt flights by flying drones. They were unsuccessful, and many people were arrested.

Future Plans for Heathrow

British Airways aircraft waiting to take off.

There have been many ideas for expanding Heathrow over the years. In 2009, the British government supported building a third runway and a sixth terminal. However, this was a very controversial decision. Many people were against it because of concerns about greenhouse gases, noise, and pollution.

Before the 2010 general election, the Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties said they would stop the third runway plan. When they came into power, the expansion was cancelled. However, later on, some politicians changed their minds.

Another idea for expansion is the Heathrow Hub. This plan suggests making the two existing runways longer and dividing them. This would create four shorter runways, allowing more planes to take off and land at the same time. This could also help reduce noise.

In 2013, the airport submitted three new proposals for expansion to the Airports Commission. This commission was set up to look at airport capacity in southeast England. All three proposals involved building a third runway.

In July 2015, the commission recommended building a third runway to the north-west of the airport. On 25 October 2016, the government confirmed that Heathrow would be allowed to build a third runway. However, a final decision would be made later after more discussions. The earliest it could open would be 2025.

In June 2018, the UK Cabinet approved the third runway. The House of Commons also voted in favor of it. However, some local authorities and London Mayor Sadiq Khan launched a legal challenge.

In February 2020, a court ruled that the third runway plans were illegal. This was because they didn't properly consider the government's promises on climate change. But this ruling was later overturned by the Supreme Court in December 2020.

New Transport Ideas

All current train links to Heathrow run to and from central London. Over the years, many ideas have been suggested for new train links to other parts of London and beyond. The Elizabeth line, which is being built, will extend train service to central London and Essex.

Other ideas include:

• The Western Rail Approach to Heathrow: This would connect Heathrow to places like Reading, Slough, and parts of South West England and South Wales.
• Heathrow Southern Railway: This plan would connect Terminal 5 to places like Chertsey and London Waterloo.

Images for kids

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  Heathrow Airport from above.

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  The Heathrow Airport logo.

See also

In Spanish: Aeropuerto de Londres-Heathrow para niños