Heathrow does not have a formal night flight curfew. There is no hard cut-off banning every flight during a set window, but government-set restrictions cap the airport at 5,800 take-offs and landings a year in the 23:30 to 06:00 Night Quota Period, split into a 3,250 summer-season limit and a 2,550 winter-season limit. Heathrow itself goes further, currently scheduling no departures between 22:40 and 06:00 and no arrivals between 22:55 and 05:05. In everyday language people often still call this a "curfew", but the correct term is a night flight restriction regime. Re-checked directly against Heathrow's own night flights page, October 2026.
Is there a curfew at Heathrow?
Not a formal one. There's no hard cut-off that stops every flight during a set window, as some other airports impose. Instead, a government-set annual cap and a noise quota limit how many night movements Heathrow can operate, and Heathrow's own scheduling goes further by leaving no scheduled departures between 22:40 and 06:00, and no scheduled arrivals between 22:55 and 05:05. In everyday language people often call this a "curfew", but the correct term is a night flight restriction regime.
Heathrow's night flight restriction rules, in detail
Since 1962 the UK Government has placed restrictions on night flights at Heathrow, and the current regime has been in place since October 2022, under the Civil Aviation Act 1982. There are two overlapping restricted periods:
| Period | Hours | What it limits |
|---|---|---|
| Standard night period | 23:00 to 07:00 | Restrictions on certain noisier aircraft types |
| Night Quota Period (NQP), the stricter window | 23:30 to 06:00 | Hard annual cap on total movements and total noise |
How many night flights is Heathrow allowed?
Heathrow is limited to 5,800 night flights a year in the Night Quota Period, split by season:
| Season | Movement limit |
|---|---|
| Summer (British Summer Time) | 3,250 |
| Winter | 2,550 |
| Total per year | 5,800 |
Heathrow can carry over up to 10% of unused summer movements into winter, which is why the winter limit can vary slightly more than the summer one, but it cannot carry over any unused allowance from one year to the next.
What time do flights currently operate during the night at Heathrow?
As of this check, Heathrow has no scheduled departures between 22:40 and 06:00, and no scheduled arrivals between 22:55 and 05:05, meaning no scheduled flights at all between 22:55 and 05:05. On top of that, Heathrow runs a voluntary ban preventing flights scheduled for the 04:30-06:00 window from landing before 04:30, even if they're running early, to avoid disturbing residents any earlier than necessary. There are no scheduled freight flights in the Night Quota Period at all.
Why Heathrow still has flights in the early hours
Over 90% of all scheduled movements in the Night Quota Period are early-morning arrivals, concentrated in the window from around 04:30 to 06:00: an average of 16 aircraft a day, mainly long-haul flights from Asia, the Middle East and North America whose flight times mean landing before dawn is unavoidable given time zone differences. Transfer passengers depend heavily on this early-morning wave: an early landing gives connecting passengers a full day's onward travel or business, and lets Heathrow's hub network link long-haul arrivals to the first wave of short-haul European departures each morning.
Unscheduled night flights and the quota count system
Flights sometimes operate at night despite not being scheduled to, because of delays earlier in the day or a technical fault needing repair. These unscheduled movements are controlled by the quota count system, in place since 1993 and applied across London's major airports: every aircraft type is scored by how noisy it is, with the score counting against the night quota only if it flies in the 23:30-06:00 period. Noisier, older aircraft score higher and are more tightly restricted; the quietest modern aircraft score lowest. A movement limit and the quota count work together, so both the total number of night flights and the total noise generated stay capped. Heathrow reports its compliance with these restrictions to the Government and the Council for the Independent Scrutiny of Heathrow Airport (CISHA).
How the night quota is managed
The Department for Transport sets the total quota per scheduling season, and Airport Coordination Limited (ACL) allocates individual slots and quotas to airlines. The scheme respects "historic rights": 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 due to land in the very early hours, for example 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 the 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 in the 23:30-06:00 Night Quota Period, currently schedules no departures between 22:40 and 06:00 or arrivals between 22:55 and 05:05, and concentrates over 90% of its permitted night movements into early-morning arrivals. It is a managed, quota-based system rather than either a total ban or an unrestricted free-for-all. For the wider picture on getting to and from the airport, see our routes hub.
Heathrow Airport Guide is an independent travel guide, not affiliated with Heathrow Airport. Night flight rules are reviewed periodically by the Department for Transport and can change between scheduling seasons; this page reflects the restrictions in place as of the date checked above.