Heavy rain on Saturday caused flooding in the central terminal area at London Heathrow Airport, leading to the closure of all road routes to Terminals 2 and 3. The airport said: "Flooding in the central terminal area has resulted in on‑going road closures restricting access to Terminals 2 and 3."
Travel advice
Passengers destined for or departing from the affected terminals were told to avoid travelling by car. The preferred options are the Heathrow Express, the Elizabeth Line and the Piccadilly Line. Those who must drive can use the park‑and‑ride facilities at Terminals 4 or 5 and then take the free rail services, or change at a local railway station. The airport stressed that travellers should allow extra time for their journeys.
In a further statement the airport added: "Our teams are working to resolve the situation as quickly as possible, we apologise for any disruption caused."
Impact on international passengers
The disruption is likely to affect a number of Air Canada services and could ripple through connections for passengers travelling to or from Canada. US travellers who often transit via Heathrow are also advised to follow the rail recommendations.
Busy period for the hub
The flooding comes at a peak travel time. Heathrow recorded its busiest day of the year on 19 July, when 267,000 passengers moved through the airport. July passenger traffic totalled 7.86 million, a figure that placed Heathrow behind Istanbul Airport, which handled 8.15 million passengers in the same month.
Capacity and expansion plans
Heathrow continues to operate its two runways at near‑full capacity and is seeking government permission to build a third. The airport’s owners argue that a third runway would allow the hub to handle up to 150 million passengers annually; the airport handled 84.46 million passengers in 2025. In its statement the airport said it is operating at capacity and that the case for expansion has never been clearer.
This story is developing and will be updated as more information becomes available. The details were first reported by the airport’s own statement.