Heathrow's old star-shaped runways still hide inside its taxiways
In the 1950s Heathrow had six runways laid out in three pairs like a six-pointed star, so two always pointed within 30 degrees of the wind. Longer jets needed longer strips, and only two east-west runways survive, but from the air most of that star can still be traced in the taxiways.
Founded as a small airfield in 1930, the site 14 miles west of central London grew into a major airport after the Second World War and opened as London Airport on 25 March 1946. It took the name Heathrow in September 1966 to avoid confusion with Gatwick and Stansted. Architect Sir Frederick Gibberd planned the central area, including the control tower and St George's Chapel, which sits in an underground vault and is now joined by prayer rooms in every terminal.
Scale came with time. More than 89 carriers now link it with 214 cities across 84 countries, and it acts as the main base for British Airways and Virgin Atlantic. Traffic plunged to 19.4 million passengers in 2021, then hit a record 83.9 million in 2024. In 2025 it ranked as Europe's busiest airport. Its cargo holds carry more books, salmon and medicine than any other exports.
Managing noise shapes daily operations. By day, planes usually take off westward and land from the east over London, and when the wind blows from the west the two runways swap roles at 15:00 so neighbourhoods get a break. The noisiest aircraft cannot be scheduled between 23:00 and 04:00, and airlines agree not to land scheduled arrivals before 04:30. More than 25,000 noise complaints arrived over three months in summer 2016, though about half came from the same ten people.
Inbound flights circle at four holding points before controllers merge them into one line, sometimes just 2.5 nautical miles apart. Near the entrance tunnel, a model Emirates A380 has stood guard since 2008, replacing a scale Concorde.
Source: Heathrow Airport
