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.
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It could take 15 to 30 minutes after touchdown till you deplane. You then have to clear immigration & customs which can take anywhere from 15 minutes (on a very good day) to an hour (assuming you have to claim and recheck your luggage).
Unfortunately, due to the situation with Covid-19, we are currently unable to offer our Fast Track service. We apologise for any inconvenience and look forward to assisting you in the future.
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.
We recommend getting to the airport three hours before your flight if you're travelling internationally, or two hours if you're travelling domestically or to Europe.
We recommend that you allow the following minimum connection times: 1 hour for connections within the same Heathrow terminal. 1 hour 30 minutes for connections that require travel between terminals at Heathrow.
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.
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.
Most airlines recommend arriving at the airport three hours before departure for international flights. It's common for international flights to start boarding earlier than domestic flights (the aircraft are often larger and have higher passenger capacities), which accounts for the earlier recommendation.
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.
Terminal 5, which opened on March 27, 2008, was designed by Rogers, Stirk, Harbour & Partners. It was built at a cost of £4.3 billion. It is exclusively used by British Airways and Iberia and has the capacity to handle more than 30 million customers a year.
Unsurprisingly, Heathrow Terminal 5 took the top spot. As the main hub for long-haul flights from British Airways, Iberia and American Airlines (just to name a few), T5 recorded over 100,000 passengers in September alone. Heathrow's Terminals 3 and 2 ranked similarly highly, coming in at fifth and sixth respectively.
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.