Heathrow is the UK's largest airport and one of the busiest in the world, with more than 80 million passengers a year. It lies west of London, in the borough of Hillingdon, and is the home base of British Airways. Four terminals are in use (2, 3, 4 and 5), linked by free trains and shuttles: always check the terminal on your ticket before you set off.
Arrivals, departures and aircraft in flight
Below you will find today's arrivals and departures board, updated continuously, and a map of the aircraft flying right now within 110 km of the airport, with altitude, speed and distance. Times are UK local time.
Updated continuously. Always check with your airline.
Loading aircraft positions…
In red, aircraft below 2,400 m, that is taking off or landing. Open ADS-B data from adsb.lol (ODbL licence).
Getting to the city
- Elizabeth line: direct trains to Paddington, Tottenham Court Road and the City, about 30-40 minutes; pay with a contactless card.
- Heathrow Express: the fastest train, to Paddington in about 15 minutes, but also the most expensive; book ahead to save.
- Underground, Piccadilly line: the cheapest option, about an hour to the centre, handy for Kensington and Piccadilly.
- National Express coaches to Victoria and many English cities; black taxis are expensive, often over £100 to the centre.
Practical tips
- Documents: most visitors need a passport and an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), applied for before departure (see documents and ETA).
- Drop-off and pick-up: almost every UK airport charges even for a short stop outside the terminal; pre-booked car parks are cheaper.
- Security: rules on liquids and laptops in hand luggage depend on each airport's scanners; check the official website before you travel.
- Payments: contactless cards are accepted almost everywhere, including on trains and buses.
To choose between the capital's airports see also London's airports. See also all UK airports, getting there and trains and transport.