Airports of London

This article is about airports serving London, England. For other uses, see London Airport.

Heathrow

Gatwick

Stansted

Luton

City

Southend

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London's six international airports

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.

International airports

International airports in the London airport system^[2]

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%

City (LCY)

Main article: London City Airport

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.

Heathrow (LHR)

Main article: Heathrow Airport

London Heathrow is the busiest airport in the UK and in Europe and one of the busiest in the world.

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.

Gatwick (LGW)

Main article: Gatwick Airport

Side view of the North Terminal of Gatwick Airport

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.

Luton (LTN)

Main article: Luton Airport

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]

Stansted (STN)

Main article: London Stansted Airport

Aerial view of the main terminal and the satellite buildings of London Stansted Airport

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.

Southend (SEN)

Main article: London Southend Airport

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]

Other airports

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]

Other civil airports

Locations of OXF, LHR, LTN, LGW, LCY, STN, SEN and LYX

A number of other airports also serve the London area.

Open airports

The following are mainly used by general aviation flights.

• London Biggin Hill Airport^map7, in the London Borough of Bromley
• Blackbushe Airport^map8, in Hampshire
• Damyns Hall Aerodrome^map9, in the London Borough of Havering
• Denham Aerodrome^map10, in Buckinghamshire
• Elstree Airfield^map11, in Hertfordshire
• Fairoaks Airport^map12, in Surrey
• Andrewsfield Aerodrome in Essex
• Farnborough Airport^map13, in Hampshire
• London Heliport^map14, in the London Borough of Wandsworth
• Lydd Airport (London Ashford Airport)^map15, in Kent
• North Weald Airfield^map16, in Essex
• London Oxford Airport^map17, in Oxfordshire
• Redhill Aerodrome^map19, in Surrey
• Rochester Airport^map20, in Kent
• Stapleford Aerodrome^map21, in Essex
• White Waltham Airfield^map22, in Berkshire
• Wycombe Air Park^map23, in Buckinghamshire

Closed airports

Airports are listed at their current borough, although the area may have been outside London at the time of construction.

• Panshanger Aerodrome^map18, in Hertfordshire
• Cricklewood Aerodrome^map24, in the London Borough of Barnet
• Croydon Airport^map25, in the London Borough of Croydon
• Great West Aerodrome^map26, in the London Borough of Hillingdon
• Hendon Aerodrome^map27, in the London Borough of Barnet
• Heston Aerodrome^map28, in the London Borough of Hounslow
• Hounslow Heath Aerodrome^map29, in the London Borough of Hounslow
• London Air Park (Hanworth Air Park)^map30, in the London Borough of Hounslow
• Stag Lane Aerodrome^map31, in the London Borough of Barnet

Royal Air Force stations

There were several Royal Air Force stations in London. This list excludes those that are classed as non-flying stations.

Operational

• RAF Northolt^map32, in the London Borough of Hillingdon, also handles civil flights

Non-operational

Station are listed at their current borough, although the area may have been outside London at the time of construction.

• RAF Biggin Hill^map7, in the London Borough of Bromley
• RAF Fairlop^map33, in the London Borough of Redbridge
• RAF Hendon^map27, in the London Borough of Barnet
• RAF Heston^map28, in the London Borough of Hounslow
• RAF Hornchurch^map34, in the London Borough of Havering
• RAF Kenley^map35, in the London Borough of Croydon
• RAF St Pancras^map36, in the London Borough of Camden
• RAF Uxbridge^map37, in the London Borough of Hillingdon

Proposed airports

Thames Estuary

Main article: Thames Estuary Airport

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.

Traffic and statistics

Passengers numbers

Annual passenger traffic at LGW LCY LHR LTN STN SEN airports. See Wikidata query.

Airports of London passenger totals, 2004–2014 (millions)

Updated: 28 April 2015.[29]

Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton, City, Southend

Cargo numbers

Statistics from 1990 to 2011

Change

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

Busiest routes

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]}

Maps

• ^map1 Heathrow, 51°28′39″N 000°27′41″W
• ^map2 Gatwick, 51°08′53″N 000°11′25″W
• ^map3 Stansted, 51°53′06″N 000°14′06″E
• ^map4 Luton, 51°52′28″N 000°22′06″W
• ^map5 City, 51°30′19″N 000°03′19″E
• ^map6 Southend, 51°34′13″N 000°41′36″E
• ^map7 Biggin Hill, 51°18′51″N 000°01′47″E
• ^map8 Blackbushe, 51°19′26″N 000°50′51″W
• ^map9 Damyns Hall, 51°34′43″N 000°14′44″E
• ^map10 Denham, 51°35′18″N 000°30′47″W
• ^map11 Elstree, 51°39′21″N 000°19′33″W
• ^map12 Fairoaks, 51°20′53″N 000°33′31″W
• ^map13 Farnborough, 51°16′31″N 000°46′39″W
• ^map14 Heliport, 51°28′12″N 000°10′46″W
• ^map15 Lydd, 50°57′22″N 000°56′21″E
• ^map16 North Weald, 51°43′18″N 000°09′15″E
• ^map17 Oxford, 51°50′13″N 001°19′21″W
• ^map18 Panshanger, 51°48′07″N 000°09′30″W
• ^map19 Redhill, 51°12′49″N 000°08′19″W
• ^map20 Rochester, 51°21′07″N 000°30′10″E
• ^map21 Stapleford, 51°39′09″N 000°09′22″E
• ^map22 White Waltham, 51°30′03″N 000°46′28″W
• ^map23 Wycombe, 51°36′42″N 000°48′30″W
• ^map24 Cricklewood, 51°33′47″N 000°12′47″W
• ^map25 Croydon, 51°21′23″N 000°07′02″W
• ^map26 Great West, 51°28′39″N 000°27′41″W
• ^map27 Hendon, 51°36′00″N 000°14′46″W
• ^map28 Heston, 51°29′15″N 000°23′00″W
• ^map29 Hounslow Heath, 51°27′41″N 000°23′20″W
• ^map30 London Air Park, 51°26′18″N 000°23′45″W
• ^map31 Stag Lane, 51°35′49″N 000°16′26″W
• ^map32 RAF Northolt, 51°33′11″N 000°25′06″W
• ^map33 RAF Fairlop, 51°36′16″N 000°06′10″E
• ^map34 RAF Hornchurch, 51°32′19″N 000°12′17″E
• ^map35 RAF Kenley, 51°18′12″N 000°05′41″W
• ^map36 RAF St Pancras, 51°32′01″N 000°07′29″W
• ^map37 RAF Uxbridge, 51°32′29″N 000°28′19″W

See also

• Transport in London
• List of airports in the United Kingdom and the British Crown Dependencies
• List of cities with more than one commercial airport

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