Latest updates
RESOLVED Major flight delays at Heathrow Airport (Tue 22 Sept)
At Heathrow Airport, flights are experiencing significant delays, with 12 of 20 departures expected to be 45 minutes or more late in the next few hours. The airport remains operati
RESOLVED Major flight delays at Heathrow Airport (Mon 21 Sept)
At Heathrow Airport, flights are experiencing significant delays, with 4 of 20 departures expected to be 45 minutes or more late in the next few hours. There are currently no cance
RESOLVED Major flight delays at Heathrow Airport (Sun 20 Sept)
At Heathrow Airport, flights are experiencing significant delays, with 6 of 20 departures expected to be 45 minutes or more late in the next few hours. The airport remains operatio
RESOLVED Major flight delays at Heathrow Airport (Sat 19 Sept)
At Heathrow Airport, flights are experiencing delays, with 3 of 20 departures expected to be 45 minutes or more late in the next few hours. There are currently no cancellations rep
RESOLVED Major flight delays at Heathrow Airport (Fri 18 Sept)
At Heathrow Airport, flights are experiencing significant delays, with 4 of 20 departures expected to be 45 minutes or more late in the next few hours. The airport remains operatio
Heathrow Airport this morning: delays of up to 29 minutes (Sat 19 Sept)
Heathrow Airport is currently experiencing some delays, with 6 out of 20 morning departures delayed, the longest being 29 minutes. Between now and the next few hours, passengers ca
NATS confirms software defect caused air traffic failure that disrupted Heathrow flights
National Air Traffic Services (NATS) said on Friday 18 September that a software defect in its flight data system caused the air traffic control failure on 8 September that disrupt
Heathrow Airport running normally this morning (Fri 18 Sept)
Heathrow Airport is currently experiencing no disruptions to its morning departures, with all 20 flights showing on the board for the next few hours departing on time. Travellers a
RESOLVED Major flight delays at Heathrow Airport (Thu 17 Sept)
At Heathrow Airport, flights are experiencing significant delays, with 4 of 20 departures expected to be 45 minutes or more late in the next few hours. There are currently no cance
Heathrow loses top spot as world's most connected airport to Istanbul
Heathrow has dropped from first to second place in the world's most connected airports for 2026, overtaken by Istanbul Airport, according to rankings published on Thursday, 17 Sept
Heathrow Airport running normally this morning (Thu 17 Sept)
Heathrow Airport is currently experiencing a smooth morning with all 20 departures showing on the board for the next few hours on time. This is a positive start for travellers depa
RESOLVED Major flight delays at Heathrow Airport (Wed 16 Sept)
At Heathrow Airport, flights are experiencing significant delays, with 6 of 20 departures expected to be 45 minutes or more late in the next few hours. There are currently no cance
Heathrow Airport this morning: 1 departure cancelled (Wed 16 Sept)
Heathrow Airport is currently experiencing minimal disruption with 19 out of 20 morning departures on schedule between now and the next few hours, and 1 cancellation. The impact on
Heathrow Airport running normally this morning (Tue 15 Sept)
Heathrow Airport is currently experiencing no disruptions to its morning departures, with all 20 flights showing on the board for the next few hours departing on time. Located in t
RESOLVED Major flight delays at Heathrow Airport (Mon 14 Sept)
At Heathrow Airport, flights are experiencing significant delays, with 3 of 20 departures expected to be 45 minutes or more late in the next few hours. There are currently no cance
Heathrow passenger charge to rise to £28.66 from January, regulator confirms
The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) confirmed on Monday 14 September that Heathrow will be allowed to raise its maximum charge per passenger to £28.66 from 1 January 2027, a smal
Heathrow Airport this morning: 1 departure cancelled, 2 delayed (Mon 14 Sept)
Heathrow Airport is currently experiencing some disruptions to morning departures, with 2 flights delayed, the longest by 27 minutes, and 1 cancellation, out of 20 scheduled depart
RESOLVED Major flight delays at Heathrow Airport (Sun 13 Sept)
At Heathrow Airport, flights are experiencing significant delays, with 3 of 20 departures expected to be 45 minutes or more late in the next few hours. There are currently no cance
Air traffic system behind Heathrow chaos could be 'unfixable' after 2030, reports say
The technology behind the air traffic control failure that grounded flights at Heathrow earlier this month could become impossible to repair after 2030, according to reports publis
Heathrow Airport this morning: delays of up to 35 minutes (Sun 13 Sept)
Heathrow Airport is currently experiencing some delays, with 6 out of 20 morning departures delayed, the longest being 35 minutes. The majority of flights, 14, are on time. Passeng
Here are the recent changes at Heathrow Airport that affect how you travel, from new routes and price changes to construction and security rules. This page was last updated in August 2026. It covers what has changed, not today's live status.
Checking live delays and departures today
For today's delays, cancellations and live departure boards, check the official Heathrow Airport website and your airline app, or a flight tracker such as Flightradar24. This page tracks the changes that stick, not minute-by-minute status.
Security rule changes
- 23 January 2026 Heathrow removed the 100ml cabin liquids limit across all four terminals after a £1bn upgrade to next-generation CT security scanners. Passengers may now carry containers up to 2 litres and can leave liquids and laptops/tablets inside their bags; the clear plastic bag requirement is gone. Note many other airports (including Luton and Manchester) still enforce the old 100ml rule, so check the rules at your return airport too. (source) (source) (source)
Construction / expansion
- 29 July 2026 Airlines and passengers face higher charges to fund early costs of Heathrow's expansion. The Civil Aviation Authority's draft decision capped recovery of early planning and design costs at £320m (2024 prices) for 2025 to 2026, expected to add roughly 15p to the maximum charge per passenger in 2028, rising to around 30p in later years, spread over 20 to 25 years. (source) (source) (source)
- 18 June 2026 The government published its draft Heathrow Expansion National Policy Statement (a revised, Heathrow-only successor to the Airports National Policy Statement), the planning framework for a third runway. A public consultation runs to 1 September 2026, and a parliamentary scrutiny period runs from 22 June to 26 November 2026. Heathrow welcomed the draft as a critical milestone towards its target of planning permission by 2029. (source) (source) (source)
- 19 December 2025 Heathrow confirmed a £1.3bn investment programme for 2026, following record 2025 growth and punctuality. It funds a phased Terminal 4 revamp (new multi-storey car park and upgraded check-in, completing 2031), a new Terminal 2 baggage system handling 31,000 bags a day, accessibility upgrades, and an AI camera network across aircraft stands (full coverage by end of 2026). (source) (source)
New routes / airlines
- Summer 2026 New Heathrow services announced for the summer season include Rome and Seattle, plus connections to St Louis, Seville, Tivat, Guernsey, Islamabad and Lahore; new entrant airlines this year include ITA Airways, Alaska Airlines and Riyadh Air. (source) (source)
Parking, drop-off and fares
- 23 July 2026 RAC analysis found average drop-off fees at the UK's busiest airports have risen by about a third since last summer, and the last free major-airport drop-off disappeared as London City introduced charges; all 10 of the EU's busiest airports remain free. Heathrow charges £7 with a 10-minute maximum at terminal forecourts; free drop-off remains at its Park & Ride car parks. (source) (source)
- 1 January 2026 Heathrow raised its terminal Drop-Off Charge from £6 to £7 per visit and introduced a strict 10-minute maximum stay at all terminal forecourts (T2, T3, T4, T5). Unpaid drop-offs trigger a Parking Charge Notice of £80 (reduced to £40 if paid within 14 days). Free drop-off and pick-up remain available at the Park & Ride car parks. (source) (source)
Passenger records / milestones
- 11 August 2026 Heathrow reported its busiest day of 2026 so far: 267,000 passengers on 19 July, within a July total of 7.85 million. 98.5% of passengers cleared security in under five minutes, new entrants ITA Airways, Alaska Airlines and Riyadh Air carried over 136,000 passengers in the month, and 12 July was the busiest cargo day of the year at 5,000 tonnes. Heathrow noted it was overtaken by Istanbul as Europe's busiest hub in July and repeated its case for expansion. (source) (source)
- 23 July 2026 Heathrow's half-year results showed a record 40 million passengers in the first six months of 2026 (up from 39.9 million a year earlier), with Asia-Pacific traffic up 7.9% and transfer passengers up 5.4%. Revenue was £1.729bn (up 0.3%) and adjusted EBITDA £915m (down 4.6%), with higher costs blamed partly on increased government taxes. (source) (source)
- Full year 2025 Heathrow set an all-time record of 84.5 million passengers, its busiest year ever and Europe's busiest hub. 1 August 2025 was its busiest-ever single day at around 270,000 travellers, and December 2025 was its busiest December at 7.2m. The airport forecasts around 85m passengers in 2026 with a £1.3bn investment programme. (source)
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Last verified August 2026 by the Heathrow Airport Guide editorial team. Prices and timetables change, so confirm the specifics on the official Heathrow Airport website before you travel.