The metropolitan area of London, England, United Kingdom, is served by six international airports and several smaller airports. Together, these airports constitute the busiest airport system in the world by passenger numbers and the second-busiest by aircraft movements. [1] In 2018, the six airports handled a total of 177,054,819 passengers. The London airports handle over 60% of all the UK's air traffic. The airports serve a total of 14 domestic destinations and 396 international destinations.
Airport | Airport codes | Distance to Central London [3] [4] | 2018 totals | Total of 2015 passengers [5] [6] | Change from 2011 [5] [6] | % of passengers | Cargo (tonnes) | Change from 2010 | Aircraft movements [7] | Change from 2011 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IATA | ICAO | Passengers | Aircraft movements | 2015 | 2011 | ||||||||
City | LCY | EGLC | 14 km (9 mi) | 4,820,292 | 78,036 | 4,319,301 | 0.8% | 2.78% | 2.23% | – | – | 70,781 | 2.9% |
Heathrow | LHR | EGLL | 26 km (16 mi) | 80,102,017 | 480,339 | 74,985,748 | 0.9% | 48.30% | 51.88% | 1,484,351 | 1% | 475,176 | 1.2% |
Gatwick | LGW | EGKK | 45 km (28 mi) | 46,075,400 | 283,926 | 40,269,087 | 1.7% | 25.94% | 25.36% | 88,085 | 15% | 256,987 | 1.6% |
Luton | LTN | EGGW | 55 km (34 mi) | 16,581,850 | 136,270 | 12,263,505 | 1.1% | 7.90% | 7.12% | 27,905 | 3% | 96,797 | 0.8% |
Stansted | STN | EGSS | 63 km (39 mi) | 27,995,121 | 185,660 | 22,519,178 | 3.2% | 14.50% | 12.94% | 202,593 | 0% | 143,511 | 3.2% |
Southend | SEN | EGMC | 64 km (40 mi) | 1,480,139 | 17,088 | 900,648 | 1,353.9% | 0.58% | 0.45% | 6 | 100% | 27,715 | 8.8% |
Total | — | — | — | 177,054,819 | 1,181,319 | 155,257,467 | 1.02% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 1,802,939 | — | 1,070,967 | 0.11% |
Located in the London Borough of Newham, London City Airport map5 is situated in London's Docklands, four miles from Canary Wharf, and is the closest to central London, which limits its size—the airport has a single runway, which is very short. Furthermore, the airport has a steep approach at a 5.5° angle (as opposed to the usual 3 degrees). [8] As a result, only the smallest aircraft are permitted to use the airport, which initially prevented all long-haul flights. However, from 2009 to 2020, British Airways had operated a flight to New York–JFK, via Shannon, using an Airbus A318 – the largest aircraft that can be handled at the airport. The largest aircraft currently operating from the airport is the Airbus A220-100, slightly smaller than the Airbus A318,[ citation needed ] with increased range and capable of taking off from London City fully loaded. Its first commercial flight completed in August 2017 from Zürich. [9]
The airport is often used by business travellers, with many flights serving destinations across the UK and northern Europe. The airport cannot easily be expanded due to the docks on either side. It is also the only airport serving London which does not operate at night.
A light rail service from London City Airport DLR station, which adjoins the terminal building of London City Airport, links it (among many other stations) to the financial district of the City of London at Bank and Monument stations, which offer interchanges with London Underground.
Located in the London Borough of Hillingdon, Heathrow map1 is by far the largest of London's airports and considered the main gateway into the United Kingdom for non-European visitors. Heathrow has four terminals and two parallel runways. Due to the location in London's western suburbs, Heathrow has had trouble trying to expand, with various expansion projects being cancelled. [10] As a result, the airport consistently runs at over 99% capacity and is often included on lists of the worst-rated airports in the world. [11] However, on 1 July 2015 Heathrow's expansion plan was suggested as the best option by the Airport Commission and on 25 October 2016 a new northwest runway and terminal was approved by the Government.
The airport is connected to Great Britain's motorway network via the M4 and M25 motorways, to London Paddington station by Heathrow Express [12] and Elizabeth line trains and to other Central London destinations by London Underground trains on the Piccadilly line.
In April 2012 (before the 2012 Summer Olympics), Heathrow announced that for the first time in history it handled 70 million passengers in a calendar year, [13] making it the third busiest airport in the world in terms of passenger numbers, after Atlanta and Beijing–Capital. It also comes second behind Dubai–International in the busiest airport in the world in terms of international passenger numbers, as well as being the busiest airport in Europe by total passenger numbers.
Heathrow serves six continents around the world, and is the base for the flag carrier British Airways in Terminal 5. While it also serves short-haul flights, Heathrow is London's long-distance hub and is the most popular arrival point for flights from the United States of America (including New York–JFK), with 13 million passengers. However, because it is operating at capacity, Heathrow has been unable to increase service to cities in the newly industrialised countries such as China, falling behind European bases like Frankfurt, Amsterdam, and Paris–Charles de Gaulle.
Located in West Sussex, Gatwick map2 is the second-busiest airport in the United Kingdom, the eighth-busiest in Europe, and the second-busiest single-runway airport in the world. It handles flights to more destinations than any other UK airport [14] and is the main base of easyJet, [15] the UK's largest airline by number of passengers. [16] Also using it as a base are British Airways, Norse Atlantic Airways, TUI Airways and Wizz Air.
The airport has two terminals, North and South. It is connected to the motorway network via the M23 and has its own railway station, with Southern and Thameslink trains serving London Victoria and London Bridge stations respectively, as well as the dedicated Gatwick Express shuttle to and from London Victoria.
Located in Bedfordshire, Luton Airport map4 is London's fourth-largest airport, the fifth-busiest in the United Kingdom and the fourth-closest to central London, after Gatwick, Heathrow and City airports. The two airlines supplying most passenger capacity are the low-cost carriers, easyJet and Wizz Air.
Luton Airport Parkway railway station can be reached from London St Pancras in as little as 22 minutes via East Midlands Railway, while Thameslink is the primary operator, with slower but more frequent services. An automated people mover transit system, Luton DART, connects Luton Airport Parkway to the airport, a distance of just over a mile. [17]
Located in Essex, Stansted map3 is London's third-busiest airport, being the fourth-busiest in the United Kingdom, behind Manchester Airport, 22nd-busiest in Europe and the largest operational base for Ryanair, which is Europe's largest low-cost carrier and the world's largest international airline by number of international passengers. [18] Stansted serves more scheduled European destinations than any other airport in the UK, [19] as well as some destinations further afield. It is the home of Air Harrods, operated by Harrods Aviation, [20] allowing VIP aircraft to land there, such as Air Force One carrying the President of the United States, Barack Obama, in 2009 and also 2016, also President Donald Trump in 2017 and 2019. [21]
Stansted Airport railway station is situated in the terminal building directly below the main concourse. [22] Services to Central London are on the Stansted Express train to and from London Liverpool Street.
Located in Essex, Southend Airport map6 expanded commercial air transport operations to destinations in Ireland in 2011, and to mainland Europe in 2012 when easyJet commenced operations using the brand new terminal and railway station. Southend claims it only takes 15 minutes to go through arrivals from plane to train with hand luggage. It was the third-busiest airport in London from the 1960s until the end of the 1970s, when it was overtaken in passenger numbers by London Stansted Airport. [23] [24]
Southend Airport railway station is served by Abellio Greater Anglia trains, which connect the airport to London Liverpool Street station up to 8 times per hour. The journey to London takes about one hour. [25]
Though not generally considered London airports, Birmingham Airport and Southampton Airport have been suggested as alternative airports for London due to the existence of direct rail links serving Central London. [26] Birmingham Airport has argued that High Speed 2, once complete, would make it an attractive option for London passengers. [27]
A number of other airports also serve the London area.
The following are mainly used by general aviation flights.
Airports are listed at their current borough, although the area may have been outside London at the time of construction.
There were several Royal Air Force stations in London. This list excludes those that are classed as non-flying stations.
Station are listed at their current borough, although the area may have been outside London at the time of construction.
Due to London's airports, particularly Heathrow, operating at full capacity, Boris Johnson, London's former mayor and former UK Prime Minister, and Sir Norman Foster historically proposed a new airport, either on a man-made island in the Thames Estuary, or on the Isle of Grain in north Kent. Foster's proposed Thames Hub Airport would have been very similar to the design of Hong Kong International Airport and Qatar's Hamad International Airport. The plans to have an airport able to handle 110 million passengers a year would have required the closure of Heathrow, and probably have made the new airport the busiest in the world.
The plans met with opposition from some people living nearby, warning the airport would cause a significant increase in bird strikes. [28] Some other people and local businesses, recognising the depressed levels of economic activity in north Kent, were supportive and argued that London needed a new airport in order to be able to compete in the world.
Given its position east of London, this airport would have been less accessible than Heathrow from most parts of central and southern England.
Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org. |
Updated: 28 April 2015. [29] |
Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton, City, Southend |
Year | Aircraft movements | Percentage change | Passenger numbers | Percentage change | Cargo tonnes | Percentage change |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2001 | 1,074,773 [30] | 1 | 113,790,381 | 2 | 1,649,437 | |
2002 | 954,570 [31] | 11.2 | 117,138,188 | 2.9 | 1,682,693 | 2.0 |
2003 | 967,270 [32] | 1.3 | 120,493,239 | 2.9 | 1,667,803 | 0.9 |
2004 | 1,005,256 [33] | 3.8 | 128,933,753 | 7.0 | 1,795,326 | 7.6 |
2005 | 1,038,241 [34] | 3.2 | 133,836,827 | 3.8 | 1,788,671 | 0.4 |
2006 | 1,060,831 [35] | 5.4 | 137,192,958 | 2.5 | 1,717,360 | 4.0 |
2007 | 1,087,703 [36] | 2.5 | 139,950,593 | 2.0 | 1,724,040 | 0.4 |
2008 | 1,077,448 [37] | 0.9 | 137,106,041 | 2.0 | 1,743,028 | 1.1 |
2009 | 1,003,616 [38] | 6.9 | 130,307,938 | 5.0 | 1,563,783 | 10.3 |
2010 | 954,371 [39] | 4.9 | 127,353,419 | 2.3 | 1,808,005 | 15.6 |
2011 | 1,072,126 [7] | 12.4 | 133,709,327 | 5.0 | 1,802,939 [40] | 0.3 |
2012 | 1,060,967 [7] | 1.0 | 134,914,412 | 0.9 | 1,805,761 [41] | 0.2 |
2013 | 1,067,992 [7] | 0.7 | 139,652,261 | 3.5 | 1,760,690 [41] | 2.5 |
2014 | 1,098,605 [7] | 2.9 | 146,631,158 | 5.0 | 1,819,587 [41] | 3.3 |
In total, there were 30 international destinations from London, and another 3 domestic routes, that handled more than 1 million passengers in 2011:
Destination | Passengers |
---|---|
Dublin, Ireland | 3,705,696 |
Amsterdam, Netherlands | 3,026,082 |
New York–JFK, United States | 2,700,613 |
Dubai–International, United Arab Emirates | 2,506,613 |
Madrid, Spain | 2,496,921 |
İstanbul–Atatürk, Turkey | 2,376,284 |
Geneva, Switzerland | 2,218,593 |
Málaga, Spain | 1,814,682 |
Frankfurt, Germany | 1,678,536 |
Barcelona, Spain | 1,661,301 |
Copenhagen, Denmark | 1,656,818 |
Zürich, Switzerland | 1,642,959 |
Munich, Germany | 1,546,441 |
Rome–Fiumicino, Italy | 1,530,810 |
Paris–Charles de Gaulle, France | 1,526,030 |
Hong Kong, Hong Kong | 1,412,749 |
Alicante, Spain | 1,302,237 |
Los Angeles, United States | 1,299,118 |
Chicago–O'Hare, United States | 1,207,424 |
Newark, United States | 1,197,847 |
Palma de Mallorca, Spain | 1,189,761 |
Toronto–Pearson, Canada | 1,186,783 |
Faro, Portugal | 1,186,358 |
Stockholm–Arlanda, Sweden | 1,185,848 |
Budapest, Hungary | 1,145,011 |
Nice, France | 1,134,396 |
Singapore, Singapore | 1,069,706 |
Lisbon, Portugal | 1,069,055 |
Boston, United States | 1,031,320 |
Delhi, India | 1,003,598 |
Heathrow Airport is a major hub for flights across the North Atlantic. In 2011, 11% of all north Atlantic flights originated or terminated at Heathrow, more than Paris and Frankfurt combined, and Heathrow is the European terminus for 11 of the 25 busiest north Atlantic routes.
The busiest long-haul route in the world is between London (Heathrow and Gatwick) and New York (JFK and Newark), with a total of 3,898,460 passengers travelling between the two cities in 2011.[ citation needed ]
Heathrow Airport, called London Airport until 1966, and now known as London Heathrow, is the main international airport serving London, the capital and most populous city of England and the United Kingdom. It is the largest of the six international airports in the London airport system. The airport is owned and operated by Heathrow Airport Holdings. In 2023, Heathrow was the busiest airport in Europe, the fourth-busiest airport in the world by passenger traffic and the second-busiest airport in the world by international passenger traffic. As of 2023, Heathrow is the airport with the most international connections in the world.
Stansted Airport is the tertiary international airport serving London, the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It is located near Stansted Mountfitchet, Uttlesford, Essex, 42 mi (68 km) northeast of Central London.
London Gatwick, also known as Gatwick Airport, is the secondary international airport serving London, the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It is located near Crawley, West Sussex, England 29.5 miles (47.5 km) south of Central London. In 2022, Gatwick was the second-busiest airport by total passenger traffic in the UK, after Heathrow Airport, and was the 8th-busiest in Europe by total passenger traffic. It covers a total area of 674 hectares.
London Luton Airport is an international airport located in Luton, Bedfordshire, England, situated 1.7 miles (2.7 km) east of the town centre, and 29 miles (47 km) north of Central London. The airport is owned by London Luton Airport Ltd (LLAL), a company wholly owned by Luton Borough Council, and operated by London Luton Airport Operations Ltd (LLAOL).
Heathrow Airport Holdings is a company that operates and manages Heathrow Airport based in London, England. It was formed by the privatisation of the British Airports Authority as BAA plc as part of Margaret Thatcher's privatisation of government-owned assets, and was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.
London has an extensive and developed transport network which includes both public and private services. Journeys made on its integrated transport network account for 37% of London's journeys while private services accounted for 36% of journeys, walking 24% and cycling 2%, according to numbers from 2017. London's public transport network serves as the central hub for the United Kingdom in rail, air and road transport.
The London Terminal Control Centre (LTCC) was an air traffic control centre based in West Drayton, in the London Borough of Hillingdon, England, approximately 2.5 miles (4.0 km) north of London Heathrow Airport. Operated by National Air Traffic Services (NATS) it provided air traffic control services to aircraft arriving and departing from six London airports, one Royal Air Force station, plus en-route services to other aircraft that entered its airspace. Internally within NATS it is usually known by the initials TC. The civilian part of the West Drayton site closed in November 2007, when its functions moved to Swanwick, Hampshire. 'TC' and 'AC' remain separate organisations but now share the same site.
Air transport in the United Kingdom is the commercial carriage of passengers, freight and mail by aircraft, both within the United Kingdom (UK) and between the UK and the rest of the world. In the past 25 years the industry has seen continuous growth, and the demand for passenger air travel in particular is forecast to increase from the current level of 236 million passengers to 465 million in 2030. One airport, Heathrow Airport, is amongst the top ten busiest airports in the world. More than half of all passengers travelling by air in the UK currently travel via the six London area airports. Outside London, Manchester Airport is by far the largest and busiest of the remaining airports, acting as a hub for the 20 million or so people who live within a two-hour drive. Regional airports have experienced the most growth in recent years, due to the success of low-cost carrier airlines over the last decade.
The London Area Control Centre (LACC) is an air traffic control centre based at Swanwick near Fareham in Hampshire, southern England. It is operated by National Air Traffic Services (NATS), starting operations on 27 January 2002, and handles aircraft over much of England and Wales. The Swanwick facility replaces that of the former site at West Drayton.
A potential Thames Estuary Airport has been proposed at various times since the 1940s. London's existing principal airports, Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, and Luton are each sub-optimally located in various ways, such as being too close to built-up areas or requiring aircraft to fly low over London. In the case of Heathrow, the growth of air traffic has meant that the airport is operating at 98% capacity. Several locations for a new airport have been proposed in the Thames Estuary, to the east of London. These include Maplin Sands off Foulness on the north side of the estuary; Cliffe and the Isle of Grain in Kent on the south side; and artificial islands located off the Isle of Sheppey such as the "Boris Island" proposal championed by Boris Johnson, the then Mayor of London. Economic considerations have so far ruled out a new coastal airport, while political considerations have ruled out a new inland airport, leaving planners with an as-yet-unresolved dilemma.
Heathrow Central bus station is a large bus station that serves terminals 2 and 3 of Heathrow Airport, in London, England. It provides urban bus and long-distance coach services to destinations in London and to regional destinations across Britain. It is the UK's busiest bus and coach station with over 1,600 services each day to over 1,000 destinations. An estimated 13% of air passengers using Heathrow Airport use bus and coach services from Heathrow Central bus station.
Hounslow Heath Aerodrome was a grass airfield, operational 1914–1920. It was in the London borough of Hounslow, and hosted the British Empire's first scheduled daily international commercial flights, in 1919. The site today includes the main remaining part of Hounslow Heath.
The Great West Aerodrome, also known as Harmondsworth Aerodrome or Heathrow Aerodrome, was a grass airfield, operational between 1930 and 1944. It was on the southeast edge of the hamlet of Heathrow, in the parish of Harmondsworth. The Fairey Aviation Company owned and operated it, for assembly and flight testing of Fairey-manufactured aircraft. The area was to later be the site of London Heathrow Airport.
Airport policing in the United Kingdom has taken many forms since the rise of scheduled airline services in the post-war period. Policing at major civilian airports was the responsibility of specialist constabularies operated by three central government departments until 1974, when the rise in international terrorism saw armed police from territorial police forces deployed to major airports under the provisions of the Policing of Airports Act. As more minor airports grew in size, they too switched to armed police provided by local police forces. However, the funding agreements for the provision of such services varied wildly from airport to airport, leading to disagreements between airport operators and chief constables. A new regime, the Airport Security Planning Framework, came into force in January 2010, and brought airport operators, airlines and police forces together to develop joint security and policing plans for all passenger airports.
Heathwick is an informal name for a 2011 proposal to create a high-speed rail link between London's Heathrow and Gatwick airports, in effect to combine them into a single aviation travel hub. Proponents argue this would balance their capacity and so reduce the need to add more runways to Heathrow, or more airports in the south-east of England. In 2018 the similar project HS4Air was proposed.
The expansion of Gatwick Airport has involved several proposals aimed at increasing airport capacity in south east England and relieving congestion at the main hub airport Heathrow.
Gatwick Airport was in Surrey until 1974, when it became part of West Sussex as a result of a county boundary change. The original, pre-World War II airport was built on the site of a manor in the parish of Charlwood. The land was first used as an aerodrome in the 1920s, and in 1933 commercial flights there were approved by the Air Ministry.