Heathrow Airport (LHR/EGLL) has reopened roads serving Terminals 2 and 3 after flooding caused significant disruption for passengers during one of the busiest periods of the summer getaway.
The flooding affected the airport’s central terminal area on Saturday, 15th of August, temporarily preventing passengers from reaching or leaving Terminals 2 and 3 by road.
The incident is understood to have been caused by a burst water main beneath Inner Ring Road West, rather than heavy rainfall, with water forcing the closure of roads serving the two terminals.
Heathrow initially warned passengers not to attempt to travel to Terminals 2 and 3 by car and strongly encouraged those heading to the airport to use public transport instead.
Passengers already travelling by road were advised to consider using park-and-ride facilities or travelling to Terminals 4 or 5 before making use of free rail connections across the airport.
Flights continue despite access problems
Despite the disruption on the ground, Heathrow remained operational and there was no indication that the flooding itself had caused widespread flight cancellations.
The main impact was instead on passengers attempting to reach the airport, particularly those being dropped off, collected or using car parking facilities around Terminals 2 and 3.
The timing of the incident added to the potential disruption, coming on a Saturday during the peak school summer holiday period when Heathrow is handling some of its highest passenger numbers of the year.
Passengers who had planned to travel to the airport by taxi, private car or airport transfer faced the prospect of having to change their plans at relatively short notice.
Heathrow Express, Elizabeth line and London Underground services offered alternative routes into the central terminal area while the affected roads remained closed.
Roads reopen
By Saturday afternoon, Heathrow confirmed that the affected roads had reopened and that the airport was continuing to operate normally.
In an update, Heathrow said: “Following earlier road flooding impacting access to Terminals 2 and 3, all roads have now reopened and the airport continues to operate as normal.
“We apologise for any inconvenience caused and we thank passengers for following the advisories we had put in place while our teams worked to resolve the situation as quickly as possible.”
Although road access has now been restored, passengers travelling through Heathrow today should still allow additional time for their journey, particularly following the earlier disruption around the central terminal area.
Rail passengers face separate disruption
Passengers travelling to Heathrow by public transport also need to check their journeys carefully, with separate disruption affecting parts of the rail network on Saturday.
National Rail is warning that some trains between London Paddington and Heathrow Terminals or Reading may be cancelled, revised or delayed by up to 45 minutes.
This disruption is separate from the flooding at Heathrow but could complicate journeys for passengers who switched from road transport to rail following the airport’s earlier advice.
Passengers should therefore check both their flight status and their chosen transport route before setting off.
Second Heathrow flooding incident this summer
Saturday’s incident follows another significant water main failure close to Heathrow earlier this year.
On 13th of May, a burst water main near Eastern Perimeter Road caused severe flooding at an off-airport car storage facility close to Terminal 4.
That incident developed rapidly, with large quantities of water entering the site and affecting vehicles belonging to airport users.
The latest flooding occurred in a different part of Heathrow and affected access rather than terminal operations, but it once again highlights the potential consequences of failures to major water infrastructure around such a large and complex airport.
For passengers travelling through Heathrow this weekend, the immediate situation has improved considerably following the reopening of the roads. However, with the airport in the middle of the summer holiday peak, passengers are still advised to allow extra time and check the latest travel information before beginning their journey.