London’s Top Airports to Fly From: Gatwick or Heathrow?

When you’re planning to transfer to or from London, the two airports that come to the top of the list are London Gatwick (LGW) and London Heathrow (LHR) International Airport. Both airports provide state-of-the-art facilities; however, which airport is to be chosen for travel, depends on several factors.

Gatwick Airport is positioned in Central London while Heathrow Airport is situated in the London Borough. They differ in relevance to their size, location, distance to Downtown, and other parameters. In this post, we’re going to discuss all these major factors and how to decide on which airport to choose. But first…,

A Close Look at the London Heathrow International Airport

Situated west of Central London, London Heathrow International Airport or LHR is the UK’s busiest airport and the largest in Europe. Now, an international aviation hub, LHR started as a small airfield in 1930 and developed into a larger airport, post-World War II.

Heathrow handles more than 80 million passengers every year and is the most linked airport in the world, serving over 230 destinations in nearly 90 countries. The airport provides top-notch facilities, including restaurants, hotels, shopping malls, massive parking spaces, plus other amenities.

Inside London Gatwick International Airport

The UK’s second-largest and second-busiest airport, London Gatwick Airport is strategically located South of London. The airport currently manages 40 million passengers and serves over 200 destinations worldwide. You can certainly enjoy the best facilities of the highest standards, including elite lounges, shopping malls, restaurants, free Wi-Fi, and others.

The airport serves an extensive array of airlines (more than 40) that include both long-haul (45+) and low-cost carriers, such as Virgin, British Airways, and Easy Jet. It comprises a single 3316m long runway, while the other is 2565m. However, due to their proximity, both runways cannot be used simultaneously. The airport consists of two terminals, i.e. North and South, both comprising 31 stands each with 57 additional remote stands.

Let’s Do the Comparison: Heathrow vs. Gatwick

London Heathrow and Gatwick Airports showcase stark differences that any traveller would have to consider before traveling, as they can optimise your travel a lot:

Accommodation: LHR accommodates twice the passenger’s quantity, compared to LGW, and is equipped with all the required facilities to efficiently manage such a large flux of people. According to the stats provided by the CAA to understand the number of passengers at LHR and LGW, LHR accommodated around 80 million passengers on 470,000 flights, in a year. LGW, on the other hand, accommodated 45 million passengers on 280,000+ flights, half of that volume.

Miles from Downtown: When traveling by car, London Downtown is 16 miles and 28 miles from London Heathrow and London Gatwick respectively. Thus, there is a 30-minute time delay, as the former requires one hour, while the latter requires one and a half hour. Considering public transportation, the time required to reach LGW via the Gatwick Express/ District line from the Downtown area is 50 minutes. The Piccadilly line from London Heathrow Airport, in contrast, takes an hour to reach there.

Flight Selections: LHR provides a wide array of flight options from 89 airlines, including American Airlines, United, Delta, Emirates, ANA, Qantas, Cathay Pacific, and Qatar Airways. This means you can travel across 84 countries to 214 destinations. On the contrary, LGW offers fewer long-haul routes and is often preferred for short flights within Europe. The airport offers versatile travelling options with more than 40 airlines, which include British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, and Norwegian Airlines.

Travel & Transit Choices: Finding multiple transportation options, such as taxis, and railways, is easier from LHR in comparison to LGW. The reason is quite simple: LHR is 13 miles from Central London, so you can use Heathrow Express to reach the airport within 15-20 minutes. However, if you find this expensive for you then travel through Piccadilly Line or TFL Rail as the alternate options. LGW, on the other hand, is 24 miles away from Central London. Although you can reach the airport via Gatwick Express or mainline Thames link trains, it would take 30 minutes to get into London.

Runways & Terminals: LHR is significantly larger than LGW, featuring 5 terminals and 2 runways. On the other hand, there are 2 terminals and 2 runways of LHW. And only one terminal is fully operational, while the other runaway is utilized only when maintenance work is being done on the main runway.

Flight Fares: The overall airport taxes plus other charges cost more at LHR than at LGW so you can choose as per your budget.