Which London Airport Should You Choose? The Complete Guide to Avoid Costly Mistakes

Five, or even six airports associated with a single city—is that really necessary? And what does this mean for travelers, both in terms of cost and travel time to reach the city center, depending on which airport you choose or are stuck with?

Gatwick Airport

This is London’s second-largest airport, and the second busiest in the UK, handling around 45 million passengers annually. With its two terminals, it hosts numerous major airlines, primarily British Airways, along with budget carriers like EasyJet and Vueling, as well as some vacation charter operators. While it offers some long-haul flights, particularly with British Airways, its schedule focuses mainly on medium-haul routes.

Code: LGW
Distance: 30 miles south of London (between the capital and Brighton)
Key features: Quite far from the capital with correspondingly high transport costs. Primarily specializes in medium-haul flights. Limited availability from US cities, though some seasonal routes exist with carriers like British Airways and easyJet.
More information: www.gatwickairport.com

Heathrow Airport

Heathrow is the UK’s largest airport and London’s primary gateway, ranking among the world’s busiest for international long-haul traffic. British Airways has its main base here and uses it as a major hub for connecting flights. Approximately 75 million passengers pass through annually.

Code: LHR
Distance: 15 miles west of London
Key features: Not too far from the capital. Specializes in long-haul flights, particularly with British Airways, making it the most common connection point for transatlantic travelers.
Generally speaking, Heathrow often remains the best value entry point to London for international travelers. While you might find cheaper flights to other London airports (especially with budget carriers), remember that onward transport costs can easily eliminate any savings from landing at a more distant airport.
More information: www.heathrow.com

London City Airport

This is the closest airport to central London, just 7 miles from the city center. City Airport primarily serves business travelers with intra-European flights (plus some vacation destinations in summer when business traffic decreases). Its single runway accommodates smaller aircraft only. It handles around 5 million passengers annually.

Code: LCY
Distance: 7 miles east of London
Key features: Excellently located geographically. Specialized in business travel with prices to match. Rarely offered to leisure travelers from North America.
More information: www.londoncityairport.com

London Stansted Airport

London’s third-busiest airport by passenger numbers, handling 25-30 million travelers annually. It specializes in charter, seasonal, and budget flights, with Ryanair establishing a major base here. While the airport is dynamic and has found its market, it’s quite far from the capital, with transport costs that shouldn’t be overlooked.

Code: STN
Distance: 42 miles northeast of London
Key features: Geographically very far from London. Specializes in seasonal and budget flights (particularly Ryanair), which means it may appear as an option for US travelers… though it’s not always the best deal (especially compared to Heathrow or Luton) once you factor in the cost and time of reaching central London.
More information: www.stanstedairport.com

Luton Airport

The fourth-busiest airport serving London and fifth in the country, with around 18 million annual passengers. Like Stansted (but closer to the capital), it specializes in vacation and budget flights, particularly with industry leaders easyJet and Ryanair. It’s in this context that it serves several transatlantic routes.

Code: LTN
Distance: 28 miles north of London
Key features: Geographically closer to the capital than competitor Stansted (though farther than Heathrow). Specializes in seasonal and budget flights (including Ryanair and easyJet), making it an option for budget-conscious travelers from various US cities.
More information: www.london-luton.co.uk

London Southend Airport

This airport, located in Southend-on-Sea about 40 miles east of London, has been “revived” in recent years to ease congestion at the capital’s other airports, particularly for vacation and budget traffic. However, the number of carriers and passenger volume (under 2 million annually) remain modest, even though Ryanair and formerly easyJet have operated routes here.

Code: SEN
Distance: 40 miles east of London
Key features: Geographically far from the capital (though accessible by train). Focused on seasonal and budget flights to relieve traffic at other specialized local airports. While theoretically an option for budget travelers… traffic has always been light, with very few carriers present, and the Covid crisis hasn’t helped matters.
More information: southendairport.com

Don’t forget that London and England are also quickly and conveniently accessible from Paris and other European cities via the Eurostar high-speed train—an option worth considering and comparing with air travel in terms of value, duration, and price.