Heathrow has no formal ban on night flights, but government-set restrictions cap the airport at 5,800 take-offs and landings a year in the 23:30 to 06:00 night period. Heathrow itself goes further and does not schedule any departures at all between 23:00 and 06:00. Checked September 2026.
Is there an official curfew at Heathrow
Not in the sense of a hard cut-off with zero flights. Since the 1960s, the UK Government has placed restrictions on night flights at Heathrow, and the current regime sets a limit of 5,800 night-time take-offs and landings a year, alongside a night quota that caps the total noise the airport can generate in that window. Within those limits, some arrivals and a small number of departures do operate through the night.
Heathrow's night period and departure rules
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| Government-restricted night period | 23:30 to 06:00 |
| Annual movement cap in that period | 5,800 take-offs and landings |
| Heathrow's own scheduled departures | None between 23:00 and 06:00 |
| Voluntary early-landing ban | No flights land before 04:30, even if scheduled 04:30-06:00 |
| Share of night flights between 04:30-06:00 | About 80%, averaging 16 aircraft a day |
Why Heathrow still has flights in the early hours
Most of Heathrow's night activity is concentrated in the last 90 minutes of the restricted window, between 04:30 and 06:00, rather than spread evenly across the night. Around 80% of night flights land in that slot, an average of 16 aircraft a day, mainly long-haul arrivals from Asia, the Middle East and North America whose flight times mean landing before dawn is unavoidable given time zone differences. Heathrow also operates a voluntary ban preventing flights scheduled for the 04:30-06:00 window from landing before 04:30, even if they are running early, specifically to avoid disturbing residents any earlier than necessary.
Why night flights exist at all despite the noise impact
Transfer passengers depend heavily on this early-morning wave of arrivals. An early landing gives connecting passengers a full day's onward travel or business, and it lets Heathrow's hub network link long-haul arrivals to the first wave of short-haul European departures each morning. The Government's position, reflected in its noise restrictions notices for Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted, is that eliminating night flights entirely would be difficult in a globally interconnected schedule, so the policy instead limits and manages the noise rather than banning it outright.
How the night quota is managed
Heathrow's night quota is administered under Sections 78 and 80 of the Civil Aviation Act 1982, with the Department for Transport setting the total quota per scheduling season and Airport Coordination Limited (ACL) allocating individual slots and quotas to airlines. The scheme respects "historic rights", meaning airlines that operated a night slot the previous season generally keep priority for it, while some quota is reserved for off-schedule disruption recovery and new operators.
How to raise a noise complaint about a Heathrow flight
Heathrow's Community Relations team handles noise enquiries and complaints on Freephone 0800 344 844, and its WebTrak tool lets you look up a specific flight you heard overhead using the "Investigate" tab. You can also contact Heathrow by email through its noise contact form. Heathrow's own postal address for written correspondence is Heathrow Airport Limited, The Compass Centre, Nelson Road, Hounslow, Middlesex, TW6 2GW. Because overall noise and flight path policy for Heathrow is set by the Department for Transport, and air traffic control is run by NATS rather than Heathrow itself, persistent concerns about flight paths or the night quota more broadly can also be raised with the DfT or the Civil Aviation Authority, both of which are separate from the airport operator.
What this means if you are booking a Heathrow flight
For the vast majority of travellers, Heathrow's night restrictions are invisible day to day, since the airport's normal daytime and evening schedule runs on a completely different rhythm and the night quota affects only a small slice of total annual movements. If you are booking a long-haul arrival that is due to land in the very early hours, for example on a flight from Singapore, Hong Kong or the US West Coast, it is worth knowing this is a routine and expected part of Heathrow's schedule rather than an exception, and checking Heathrow's taxi pickup points by terminal or public transport start times for that early window is more useful preparation than worrying about whether the flight will be allowed to land. Anyone meeting an early arrival should also check the Heathrow arrivals meeting points and free pick-up guide.
Planning transport for a very early or very late Heathrow flight
If you are landing in that 04:30-06:00 window, public transport options into central London are limited at that hour since the Elizabeth line and Heathrow Express do not run a full overnight service, so it is worth comparing Heathrow Express against the Elizabeth line and a taxi in advance. The same applies in reverse for a very early check-in if your outbound flight departs shortly after Heathrow's terminals open for the day. Checking your specific flight's status the night before, rather than assuming standard daytime transport frequency applies, avoids an unexpectedly long wait, and it is worth knowing what to do if you miss your flight at Heathrow in case a very early departure catches you out.
The takeaway
Heathrow operates within a government-set annual cap of 5,800 night movements between 23:30 and 06:00, schedules zero departures after 23:00, and concentrates most of its permitted night activity into the 04:30-06:00 slot for long-haul arrivals. It is a managed, quota-based system rather than either a total ban or an unrestricted free-for-all.