What's the busiest hour for departures at LHR?

Departures from London Heathrow peak at 16:00 local time, averaging 202 flights per hour over the past 60 days.

What's the quietest hour to fly out of LHR?

The quietest hour with regular service is 05:00 local time, averaging 1 flights per hour.

How long are security wait times at LHR?

Average weekday security wait at London Heathrow is 3 minutes, and weekend wait is 3 minutes. This is a rolling average from public airport wait data.

Which airline operates the most flights from LHR?

British Airways (BA) is the largest operator at London Heathrow, with 31163 observed departures in the past 60 days.

What's the most popular destination from LHR?

New York (JFK) is the most-flown destination, with 7103 observed departures in the past 60 days.

🇬🇧

LHR Airport - London Heathrow

London, United Kingdom. Departures peak at 16:00 local, averaging 202 flights per hour.

Window: last 60 days. Last refreshed: 2026-07-02. Schedule coverage: 92 days observed.

Peak departure hour

16:00

202 flights/hr

Quietest active hour

05:00

1 flights/hr

Avg weekday wait

3 min

Security

Avg weekend wait

3 min

Security

Traffic score

77/100

Relative volume

Departures by hour (local time)

Avg per day, last 60 days

Total: 2755.4 avg departures per day.

Weekday vs weekend departure pattern

Weekday avg per hour

Weekend avg per hour

Arrivals by hour (local time)

Avg per day, last 60 days

Peak arrival hour: 09:00 local (217.6 flights/hr). Total: 2683.1 avg arrivals/day.

Top airlines

1. British Airways (BA) 31,163
2. American Airlines (AA) 18,249
3. Qatar Airways (QR) 10,063
4. Iberia - Lineas Aereas de Espana (IB) 8,590
5. Finnair (AY) 6,197

Top destinations

1. 🇺🇸 New York (JFK) 7,103
2. 🇳🇱 Amsterdam (AMS) 5,165
3. 🇮🇪 Dublin (DUB) 4,584
4. 🇵🇹 Lisbon (LIS) 4,413
5. 🇫🇷 Paris (CDG) 4,189

Frequently asked

What's the busiest hour for departures at LHR?: Departures from London Heathrow peak at 16:00 local time, averaging 202 flights per hour over the past 60 days.
What's the quietest hour to fly out of LHR?: The quietest hour with regular service is 05:00 local time, averaging 1 flights per hour.
How long are security wait times at LHR?: Average weekday security wait at London Heathrow is 3 minutes, and weekend wait is 3 minutes. This is a rolling average from public airport wait data.
Which airline operates the most flights from LHR?: British Airways (BA) is the largest operator at London Heathrow, with 31163 observed departures in the past 60 days.
What's the most popular destination from LHR?: New York (JFK) is the most-flown destination, with 7103 observed departures in the past 60 days.

Tracking a flight through LHR?

Forward your booking and TripWaffle alerts you to gate changes, delays, baggage carousels, and security wait spikes - so you don't have to keep refreshing.

Get realtime alerts Free to start. No card required.

<- All airports · Busiest by hour · Quietest mornings · Methodology