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Airports of London
The metropolitan area of London, England is served by six international airports and several smaller airports. Together, these airports constitute the busiest airport system in the world by passenger numbers and the second-busiest by aircraft movements. IATA airport code shared by all airports in the metropolitan area is LON.
In 2024, the six airports handled a total of more than 177 million passengers. The London airports handle over 60% of all the UK's air traffic. The airports serve a total of 14 domestic destinations and 396 international destinations.
Located in the London Borough of Newham, London City Airportmap5 is situated in London's Docklands, four miles from Canary Wharf, and is the closest airport to central London, which limits its size—the airport has a single runway, which is very short. Furthermore, the airport has a steep approach at a 5.5° angle (as opposed to the usual 3 degrees). As a result, only the smallest aircraft are permitted to use the airport, which initially prevented all long-haul flights. However, from 2009 to 2020, British Airways had operated a flight to New York–JFK, via Shannon, using an Airbus A318 – the largest aircraft that can be handled at the airport. The largest aircraft currently operating from the airport is the Airbus A220-100, slightly smaller than the Airbus A318,[citation needed] with increased range and capable of taking off from London City fully loaded. Its first commercial flight completed in August 2017 from Zürich.
The airport is often used by business travellers, with many flights serving destinations across the UK and northern Europe. The airport cannot easily be expanded due to the docks on either side. It is also the only airport serving London which does not operate at night.
A light rail service from London City Airport DLR station, which adjoins the terminal building of London City Airport, links it (among many other stations) to the financial district of the City of London at Bank and Monument stations, which offer interchanges with London Underground.
Located in the London Borough of Hillingdon, Heathrowmap1 is by far the largest of London's airports and considered the main gateway into the United Kingdom for non-European visitors. Heathrow has four terminals and two parallel runways. Due to the location in London's western suburbs, Heathrow has had trouble trying to expand, with various expansion projects being cancelled. As a result, the airport consistently runs at over 99% capacity and is often included on lists of the worst-rated airports in the world. However, on 1 July 2015 Heathrow's expansion plan was suggested as the best option by the Airport Commission and on 25 October 2016 a new northwest runway and terminal was approved by the Government.
The airport is connected to Great Britain's motorway network via the M4 and M25 motorways, to London Paddington station by Heathrow Express and Elizabeth line trains and to other Central London destinations by London Underground trains on the Piccadilly line.
In April 2012 (before the 2012 Summer Olympics), Heathrow announced that for the first time in history it handled 70 million passengers in a calendar year, making it the third busiest airport in the world in terms of passenger numbers, after Atlanta and Beijing–Capital. It also comes second behind Dubai–International in the busiest airport in the world in terms of international passenger numbers, as well as being the busiest airport in Europe by total passenger numbers.
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Airports of London
The metropolitan area of London, England is served by six international airports and several smaller airports. Together, these airports constitute the busiest airport system in the world by passenger numbers and the second-busiest by aircraft movements. IATA airport code shared by all airports in the metropolitan area is LON.
In 2024, the six airports handled a total of more than 177 million passengers. The London airports handle over 60% of all the UK's air traffic. The airports serve a total of 14 domestic destinations and 396 international destinations.
Located in the London Borough of Newham, London City Airportmap5 is situated in London's Docklands, four miles from Canary Wharf, and is the closest airport to central London, which limits its size—the airport has a single runway, which is very short. Furthermore, the airport has a steep approach at a 5.5° angle (as opposed to the usual 3 degrees). As a result, only the smallest aircraft are permitted to use the airport, which initially prevented all long-haul flights. However, from 2009 to 2020, British Airways had operated a flight to New York–JFK, via Shannon, using an Airbus A318 – the largest aircraft that can be handled at the airport. The largest aircraft currently operating from the airport is the Airbus A220-100, slightly smaller than the Airbus A318,[citation needed] with increased range and capable of taking off from London City fully loaded. Its first commercial flight completed in August 2017 from Zürich.
The airport is often used by business travellers, with many flights serving destinations across the UK and northern Europe. The airport cannot easily be expanded due to the docks on either side. It is also the only airport serving London which does not operate at night.
A light rail service from London City Airport DLR station, which adjoins the terminal building of London City Airport, links it (among many other stations) to the financial district of the City of London at Bank and Monument stations, which offer interchanges with London Underground.
Located in the London Borough of Hillingdon, Heathrowmap1 is by far the largest of London's airports and considered the main gateway into the United Kingdom for non-European visitors. Heathrow has four terminals and two parallel runways. Due to the location in London's western suburbs, Heathrow has had trouble trying to expand, with various expansion projects being cancelled. As a result, the airport consistently runs at over 99% capacity and is often included on lists of the worst-rated airports in the world. However, on 1 July 2015 Heathrow's expansion plan was suggested as the best option by the Airport Commission and on 25 October 2016 a new northwest runway and terminal was approved by the Government.
The airport is connected to Great Britain's motorway network via the M4 and M25 motorways, to London Paddington station by Heathrow Express and Elizabeth line trains and to other Central London destinations by London Underground trains on the Piccadilly line.
In April 2012 (before the 2012 Summer Olympics), Heathrow announced that for the first time in history it handled 70 million passengers in a calendar year, making it the third busiest airport in the world in terms of passenger numbers, after Atlanta and Beijing–Capital. It also comes second behind Dubai–International in the busiest airport in the world in terms of international passenger numbers, as well as being the busiest airport in Europe by total passenger numbers.