Rail disruption - 4 & 8 October 2023

Due to planned industrial action and engineering works, there will be disruption to rail and London Underground services between Heathrow and Central London on Wednesday 4 and Sunday 8 October 2023.

 

Over this period, there will be disruption to Heathrow Express and Elizabeth line services

 

Please note, the London Underground (Tube) strikes that would have affected the Piccadilly line on Wednesday 4 and Friday 6 October 2023 have now been suspended, and the Piccadilly line will be running as normal throughout this period. 

 

Passengers should plan their journeys before travelling, and allow for additional time where necessary as services will be busier than normal.

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ULEZ expansion - 29 August 2023

London's Ultra Low Emission Zone, or ULEZ, is expanding to encompass all of Greater London, including Heathrow Airport, from the 29 August 2023.

 

The initiative, implemented by Transport for London (TfL), is aimed at reducing air pollution in London, therefore all vehicles entering the airport must meet certain emissions standards in order to avoid paying a daily charge.

 

The daily charge for non-compliant vehicles is £12.50 for most vehicles, including cars, vans, and motorcycles.

 

The charge will be in addition to any other fees or charges associated with entering the airport. The charge only applies when a vehicle is driven within the ULEZ zone, and does not apply to stationary vehicles including when cars are parked at Heathrow.

 

Please note, if you have booked Meet & Greet or Valet Parking with a non-compliant vehicle, and have selected a different exit terminal to your entry terminal, you will be liable for payment of a ULEZ charge to transfer your vehicle to another terminal.

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NAVAID rationalisation

Heathrow

Heathrow, like most UK airports, has traditionally relied upon ground-based navigational aids (or ‘beacons’) to direct aircraft. These aeronautical beacons are located at sites around the UK, including at some airports, and provide radio signals to aircraft as reference points for arrival, departure and en-route procedures. However, they use old technology and are coming to the end of their serviceable life. NATS En-Route (NERL), as the provider of air traffic control services for aircraft flying ‘en-route’ in UK airspace, is leading a UK-wide programme to remove the beacons, known as NAVAID Rationalisation.

Aircraft arriving and departing Heathrow do not currently use these ground-based navigational aids, and instead rely upon coded “overlays” within the aircraft’s Flight Management System (FMS). These overlays are designed to replicate the same track over the ground the aircraft would have taken if it relied on the beacons. Instead of using information gleaned from the beacons, GPS waypoints are coded into the aircraft’s FMS and this method of navigation is known as Area Navigation or “RNAV”. Aircraft have been using this method of navigation for many years across the UK, including at Heathrow, and NERL’s rationalisation programme requires Heathrow to now formalise the use of RNAV overlays.

To formalise the use of RNAV overlays, airports are required to submit an Airspace Change Proposal (ACP) under the CAA’s formal airspace change process, known as CAP1616. Our ACP will not change the routes used by arriving or departing traffic at Heathrow.

This new ACP is separate to our current airspace change proposal for airspace modernisation at Heathrow, and our intention is that the formalised RNAV overlays will be introduced as a temporary measure ahead of the more significant changes envisaged under our Airspace Modernisation Programme.

Further information is available in the CAA’s Guidance for the use of RNAV Substitution (CAP1781).