London Heathrow Airport

Airport Information

London Heathrow Airport

In 1930, British aero engineer and aircraft builder Richard Fairey paid the Vicar of Harmondsworth £15,000 for a 150-acre plot to build a private airport to assemble and test aircraft. Complete with a single grass runway and a handful of hastily erected buildings, Fairey’s Great West Aerodrome was the humble precursor to the world’s busiest international airport, Heathrow.

During World War II the government requisitioned land in and around the ancient agricultural village of Heath Row, including Fairey’s Great West Aerodrome, to build RAF Heston, a base for long-range troop-carrying aircraft bound for the Far East. An RAF-type control tower was constructed and a ‘Star of David’ pattern of runways laid, the longest of which was 3,000 yards long and 100 yards wide.

Work demolishing Heath Row and clearing land for the runways started in 1944. However, by the time the war had ended the RAF no longer needed another aerodrome and it was officially handed over to the Air Ministry as London’s new civil airport on 1 January 1946. The first aircraft to take off from Heathrow was a converted Lancaster bomber called Starlight that flew to Buenos Aires.

The early passenger terminals were ex‑military marquees which formed a tented village along the Bath Road. The terminals were primitive but comfortable, equipped with floral-patterned armchairs, settees and small tables containing vases of fresh flowers. To reach aircraft parked on the apron, passengers walked over wooden duckboards to protect their footwear from the muddy airfield. There was no heating in the marquees, which meant that during winter it could be bitterly cold, but in summer when the sun shone, the marquee walls were removed to allow a cool breeze to blow through.

By the close of Heathrow’s first operational year, 63,000 passengers had travelled through London’s new airport. By 1951 this had risen to 796,000 and British architect Frederick Gibberd was appointed to design permanent buildings for the airport. His plan saw the creation of a central area which was accessed via a ‘vehicular subway’ running underneath the original main runway. The focal point of Gibberd’s plan was a 122ft-high control tower.

There was also a passenger terminal called the Europa Building and an office block called the Queens Building.

By 1961 the old terminal on the north side had closed and airlines either operated from the Europa terminal (later renamed Terminal 2) or the Oceanic terminal (now Terminal 3).

Terminal 1 opened in 1969, by which time five million passengers a year were passing through the airport as the jet age arrived with Boeing 707s, VC10s and Tridents taking travellers from Heathrow to and from all parts of the world.

The 1970s marked the decade when the world became even smaller thanks to Concorde and wide-body jets such as the Boeing 747. As the decade drew to a close, 27 million passengers were using Heathrow annually. Demand for air travel also created the need for another terminal, Terminal 4, which opened for business in 1986.

Today Heathrow is the world’s busiest international airport and the hub of the civil aviation world. Over 67 million passengers travel through the airport annually on services offered by 90 airlines travelling to over 180 destinations in over 90 countries.

By the time Heathrow celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2006 it had handled around 1.4 billion passengers on over 14 million flights.

The start of operations at Terminal 5 in March 2008 marked the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Heathrow. The brand new Terminal 2: The Queen’s Terminal opened for business on 4 June 2014. The first airline to move in was United Airlines.

Airport News

Music for Heathrow: Grammy-nominated Jordan Rakei launches world's first track created entirely with sounds of an airport

Royal Albert Hall sell-out Jordan Rakei was given unprecedented access to the airport to create the seminal new summer soundtrack From the rhythm of baggage belts to the hum of escalators, the track is designed …

lululemon lands at Heathrow with first airport store in Europe

On Friday, July 4th, lululemon opened its doors in Heathrow Terminal 5. Marking an exciting milestone, it is the first lululemon store in a European airport. lululemon is known for its athletic and lifestyle apparel, footwear …

Kelly Review published into the circumstances related to the closure of Heathrow Airport on 21 March 2025.

Heathrow Chairman Lord Deighton said: “The Board would like to thank Ruth Kelly, Joan MacNaughton and Mark Brooker for their diligence in investigating Heathrow’s preparedness for the fire at the North Hyde substation and how …

Heathrow’s express courier handler says India trade deal is a big boost for UK businesses

CFL says deal will benefit UK’s small business exporters and grow ecommerce shipments between the two countries Heathrow Airport’s on-site express courier handler, CFL, has welcomed the UK’s recently announced trade deal with India, saying it …

Nature Traffic Control – Heathrow opens bird watching tower to launch Nature Positive Plan

Heathrow has built a bird hide in the shape of its iconic control tower, in one of its 13 biodiversity sites, free to visit from today Heathrow manages 170 hectares of land for biodiversity benefit, …

Saudia launches its New Lounge at London Heathrow Terminal 4

In line with the airline’s commitment to elevating guest experience globally Saudia, the national flag carrier of Saudi Arabia, has announced the opening of its new lounge at London Heathrow Airport, Terminal 4. This exclusive space …

Heathrow clears for take-off a multi-billion-pound plan to upgrade and expand UK’s Gateway to Growth

Heathrow is launching its largest investment programme in the airport’s history to upgrade and expand the ‘UK’s Gateway to Growth’ through 100% private funding   Multi-billion-pound phased investment beginning this year with a UK-wide supply chain …

Heathrow Airport reports successful start to 2025 with record-breaking January

Successful start to 2025 with record-breaking January Last month was Heathrow’s busiest January on record, with over 6.3 million passengers travelling through the UK’s only hub airport - up over 5 percent on the same …

Heathrow ends record-breaking year with busiest December ever

  Heathrow ends record-breaking year with busiest December ever Christmas and New Year raised the number of passengers travelling through Heathrow last month to over 7 million, making it the busiest ever December and bringing the …

Heathrow accelerates Sustainable Aviation Fuel adoption

Heathrow increases pioneering Sustainable Aviation  Fuel (SAF) incentive scheme - targeting 3% SAF in 2025.  £86m is available to airllines to support the swap to cleaner fuels, cutting 500,000 tonnes of carbon from flights Heathrow …

DHL Partners With Oxa for Autonomous Vehicle Project at Heathrow Airport

DHL Supply Chain has completed its first deployment of an autonomous vehicle in live airport traffic at Heathrow, safely completing 1300km of autonomous driving in 14 days. The project builds on DHL’s Strategic Partnership with Heathrow, …

New No1 Lounge opens at London Heathrow Terminal 2, offering a premium sanctuary for travellers

– –   Airport Dimensions, a global leader in developing airport lounges and travel experiences, together with joint venture partner Swissport, expands its award-winning No1 Lounges portfolio with the opening of the No1 Lounge at London Heathrow …

Heathrow prepares for busiest Christmas after record-breaking year

Last month Heathrow served over 6.5 million passengers, the highest ever November. Heathrow continues to be the UK’s largest port by value, connecting businesses to over 234 destinations globally. We have now surpassed 2023’s cargo volumes …

Hark! The Heathrow Choir Sings: Multilingual carols bring festive cheer to arrivals

A live choir surprised passengers in Heathrow Terminal 5 yesterday with festive carols and holiday greetings in the languages of Heathrow’s top travel destinations  Northants Sings Out choir, finalists on Britain’s Got Talent this year, …

Heathrow hosted its annual Business Summit in celebration of local SMEs in November

The 26th Heathrow Business Summit, which took place on 14 November, welcomed a record-breaking attendance of over 500 participants from the local area and beyond.    This annual event brings together local business leaders to celebrate …

Heathrow reveals seasonal surprises as Christmas kicks off at the airport

Free festive gift-wrapping service across all terminals, for last minute present-purchasers  Surprise visits from Santa, his elves and a North Pole polar bear  Hundreds of prizes to be won at Heathrow, including gifts from Charlotte …

Half term boost lifts Heathrow into new passenger record

Last month more than 7.2 million passengers flew through Heathrow. Helped by the half term peak, the busiest ever October saw Heathrow reach a sixth consecutive month of more than seven million passengers, another first …

Polar Nights begin at Heathrow: from Northern Lights to city sights, new winter routes and enhanced connectivity

As the clocks go back and the season changes, Heathrow announces nine new airline routes and expanded services for passengers  Those looking for winter sun or a festive break can choose from a range of destinations …

Plaza Premium Group Opens New Lounge in London Heathrow Terminal 4

Plaza Premium Group, the leading global airport hospitality services provider, has announced the opening of its brand-new state-of-the-art lounge in Heathrow’s Terminal 4 – a key part of the group’s global expansion plan after 10 …

SSP debuts The Vinery, its first premium bar at Heathrow

Passengers travelling through Heathrow Terminal 2 are now able to enjoy a bite to eat or a glass of wine at a striking new wine bar and restaurant from SSP – The Vinery. Designed to …

SSP opens UK’s busiest Starbucks at Heathrow

SSP, Starbucks and Heathrow have opened their busiest store in the UK at Terminal 5. At 252sq ft, the store has 50 seats and nine coffee machines able to serve hundreds of customers every hour …

Soaring Talent: Heathrow Airport Launches Live Music Stage to Spotlight Emerging Artists in its Busiest Summer Ever

Heathrow has partnered with global music community Sofar Sounds, renowned for launching the careers of Billie Eilish and Leon Bridges, to curate a line-up of talent to play on new Terminal 5 stage throughout …

Star Alliance Commemorates 10 Years at Heathrow Terminal 2

Star Alliance member airlines operate at Heathrow T2 – popularly referred to as Star Alliance terminal by passengers – facilitating over 120 departures every day. Celebrates with complimentary sweet treats for passengers travelling on Star …

Heathrow marks ten years of Terminal 2 by celebrating the wonderful habits Brits embrace when on ‘airport time’.

Heathrow Terminal 2 is celebrating its ten-year anniversary with an indulgent nod to the ‘no rules at the airport’ TikTok trend, which has racked up over six million views in the last six months, by …

From Dundee to Tennessee: Heathrow launches Whisky Festival to celebrate holidaymakers’ favourite spirits

Heathrow’s annual Whisky Festival kicks off on 15 April with a line-up of immersive events Travellers will have front-row seats to expert-led masterclasses and exclusive product launches from iconic whisky brands Whisky is the favourite …

Heathrow announces changes to Executive team

This morning, we are announcing several changes to Heathrow’s Executive team as we move forward with the next chapter of our strategy to be an extraordinary airport, fit for the future.   After 15 years at Heathrow, …

Additional Airline Routes with British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Vueling Coming to Heathrow this Summer

As the season changes, Heathrow is delighted to announce 6 new airline routes available to passengers this summer  As of 31 March, our summer season kicks off and passengers will have more options than ever …

Heathrow leaps into record February with busiest winter half-term

Heathrow served a record number of passengers in February as 5.8m people flew through the UK’s hub airport last month. The busiest ever February half-term saw more than 2m passengers at Heathrow. Winter sun won over …

Heathrow Airport reports strong start to the year

6 million people travelled through Heathrow in January, including 196,661 passengers on Blue Monday (15 January) who were seeking a jet-setting start to 2024. 2024 has got off to a smashing start with Heathrow being named …

Contact

Heathrow Airport
London
United Kingdom
TW6
  • 0844 335 1801

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