The United Kingdom has a very dense network of airports: as well as London's major hubs, almost every important city has its own airport with European flights. Choosing the right one can save time and money, because connections to the centre and transfer costs vary greatly.
London's airports
- Heathrow (LHR): Europe's busiest airport by passenger numbers, west of the city. You reach the centre on the Heathrow Express to Paddington in about 15 minutes, the fastest but also the most expensive option, on the Elizabeth line, which runs directly into the heart of the City in about 35 minutes, or on the Underground's Piccadilly line, the cheapest but slowest, about an hour.
- Gatwick (LGW): to the south, the country's second airport. The Gatwick Express reaches Victoria in about 30 minutes; Thameslink and Southern trains are cheaper and also serve London Bridge and St Pancras. Convenient for Brighton.
- Stansted (STN): to the north-east, the base of low-cost airlines. The Stansted Express reaches Liverpool Street in about 50 minutes; there are also cheap coaches.
- Luton (LTN): to the north, linked by an automated shuttle to Luton Airport Parkway station and then by train to St Pancras in about 35-45 minutes in total.
- London City (LCY): a small airport in Docklands, very close to the City, served by the DLR light railway; ideal for business trips.
- Southend (SEN): a small airport in Essex, with seasonal flights.
For arriving in London see also our London guide.
Regional airports
- Manchester: the largest airport outside London, with its own railway station; convenient for the whole of northern England (see Manchester).
- Edinburgh and Glasgow: the gateways to Scotland, linked to the centre by tram and bus (see Edinburgh and Glasgow).
- Birmingham: with a station linked by an air-rail shuttle, at the heart of the Midlands.
- Bristol: for the south-west, Bath and Cornwall (see Bristol).
- Newcastle, Liverpool, Leeds Bradford and East Midlands: useful for the north and the Midlands.
- Belfast has two airports: Belfast International and George Best Belfast City, closer to the centre (see Belfast).
- Cardiff, Southampton, Exeter, Aberdeen and Inverness complete the network, with flights to the Scottish islands from Glasgow, Edinburgh and Inverness.
Individual airport guides
For each airport you will find the live arrivals and departures board, the radar of aircraft in flight and connections with the city: Heathrow Airport (LHR), Gatwick Airport (LGW), London City Airport (LCY), Southend Airport (SEN), Manchester Airport (MAN), Birmingham Airport (BHX), Edinburgh Airport (EDI), Glasgow Airport (GLA), Glasgow Prestwick Airport (PIK), Bristol Airport (BRS), Belfast International Airport (BFS), Belfast City Airport (BHD), Newcastle Airport (NCL), Liverpool Airport (LPL), East Midlands Airport (EMA), Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA), Aberdeen Airport (ABZ), Cardiff Airport (CWL), Southampton Airport (SOU), Exeter Airport (EXT), Inverness Airport (INV), Bournemouth Airport (BOH), Newquay Airport (NQY), Norwich Airport (NWI), Teesside Airport (MME), Humberside Airport (HUY), City of Derry Airport (LDY).
Stansted and Luton have dedicated websites: aeroportodistansted.com and aeroportodiluton.info.
Tips
- Security: many British airports have new scanners that let you leave liquids and laptops in your hand luggage, but the rules are not yet the same everywhere: check those of your departure airport.
- Drop-off: almost all airports charge even just to drop a passenger off outside the terminal.
- Train tickets: buy them online or with a contactless card; for Heathrow, the Elizabeth line and the Underground accept contactless cards just like Oyster.
- ETA and passport: without an approved ETA the airline may refuse boarding (see documents and ETA).
See also getting there and trains and transport.