How busy is London Heathrow airport?

London Heathrow Airport (LHR) continues to be the busiest airport in Europe with 4.4 million seats in October 2023. Istanbul Airport (IST) is the second busiest airport with 4.1 million seats.



People Also Ask

London Heathrow Airport (LHR) continues to be the Busiest Airport in Europe with 4 million seats in November 2023. Istanbul Airport (IST) is the second busiest airport with 3.6 million seats.

MORE DETAILS

The peak times at London Heathrow Airport is from 10 AM to 1 PM, and 5 PM to 8 PM. Since London Heathrow Airport is the busiest airport in the UK, you'll find it jam-packed with passengers 24/7.

MORE DETAILS

We recommend that you allow at least 3 hours if you're connecting between these airports. Your baggage will not be automatically forwarded so please collect all your bags before leaving Heathrow or Gatwick airport.

MORE DETAILS

Everyone who boards an aircraft at Heathrow has to be security screened to UK government standards. Even if you've already been through security checks at another airport, we're obliged to screen you again before you fly from Heathrow.

MORE DETAILS

London's Heathrow Airport has launched a six-month trial—aptly called “Heathrow Timeslot”—where travelers can pre-book a security slot, meaning that you may be able to avoid facing any lines whatsoever at security and effortlessly zoom straight through to the lounge.

MORE DETAILS

What is the quietest day at Heathrow? People like to go away for weekends, which means bigger crowds at the airport. “It also means higher airfares so if you're looking to score a deal, be willing to travel mid-week.” Flights on Tuesdays and Wednesdays are normally the quietest and often the cheapest options as well.

MORE DETAILS

Check-in closes 60 minutes before long haul flights depart and 45 minutes before short haul flights depart. Pass through security at least 35 minutes before your flight departs. Be at the boarding gate at least 20 minutes before your flight departs. See the 'Boarding' section, below.

MORE DETAILS

95% of arriving passengers should be processed within 45 minutes - but as said above, there are so many variables...

MORE DETAILS

The Non-EEA immigration waiting time is meant to be 45 minutes or less. In March 2022, Terminal 2 was running at 76.48 per cent efficiency whilst Terminal 3 was running at 76.68 per cent and Terminal 5 at 78.41 per cent.

MORE DETAILS

The General Guideline for How Early You Should Get to the Airport. Generally speaking, most airlines advise that you arrive at the airport at least 2 hours prior to a domestic flight, and at least 3 hours prior to an international flight.

MORE DETAILS

Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport remains the busiest airport in the world with 5.2 million seats in September 2023. The composition of the Global Top 10 Busiest Airports is also the same as last month but there are a few changes to the rankings.

MORE DETAILS

Generally, Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the best weekdays to fly. Thursday is a bit more expensive but still reasonable. Saturday is usually the cheapest weekend day to fly. That does not mean you cannot find great flight prices on the other days of the week.

MORE DETAILS

Data has revealed that some Heathrow Airport passengers however have been hit with the average delays of 68 minutes.

MORE DETAILS

Currently unavailable to book
We are currently unable to offer our Fast Track service to customers online. However, please do check with your airline if you are eligible to use the Fast Track departure service provided on behalf of our airline partners.

MORE DETAILS

All passengers need to go through security search. This is where you and your belongings are checked to make sure that you are not carrying anything considered to be dangerous. Read the “Pre-Security Preparation” section within this guide.

MORE DETAILS

' No. Has the person who told you this ever been to Heathrow? Not only is the concept of precheck rarely to never seen outside the States, it's not in use at UK airports, period.

MORE DETAILS

The fastest way to pass immigration quickly is to use the electronic gates wherever possible. I recently passed through Terminal 5 in less than two minutes this way. U.S. passport holders have been able to use U.K. ePassport gates at major U.K. airports including all London Heathrow terminals since 2019.

MORE DETAILS

Use the eGates for quicker entry a national of an EU country, Australia, Canada, Iceland, Japan, Liechtenstein, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland or the USA.

MORE DETAILS