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London Airports Compared: Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton and City

London has five scheduled-service airports — Heathrow (LHR), Gatwick (LGW), Stansted (STN), Luton (LTN) and London City (LCY). The right one depends on your airline, destination and where in London you start: for long-haul, usually Heathrow; for European low-cost, often Gatwick or Stansted; for speed to the City, London City.

London Airports Compared: Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton and City: questions people actually ask

How many airports does London have?

Five with scheduled service: Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton and London City.

Which London airport is closest to the city centre?

London City is closest to the financial district; Heathrow has the fastest frequent rail (Heathrow Express ~15 minutes to Paddington).

Which London airport is cheapest for Europe?

Stansted and Luton typically show the lowest base fares thanks to Ryanair, easyJet and Wizz Air; factor in the longer transfer.

Do any long-haul flights leave from Gatwick?

Yes — Emirates, Turkish Airlines, British Airways and others serve long-haul destinations from Gatwick.

Heathrow (LHR): the long-haul hub

The UK’s principal hub and one of the busiest airports in the world. Most full-service long-haul airlines use Heathrow: British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines and dozens more. Fast rail links: Elizabeth line, Heathrow Express from Paddington, Piccadilly line.

Gatwick (LGW): long-haul plus low-cost Europe

Gatwick mixes easyJet and other low-cost European routes with long-haul services including Emirates, British Airways and Turkish Airlines. The Gatwick Express reaches Victoria in about 30 minutes.

Stansted and Luton: the low-cost workhorses

Both are Ryanair and easyJet strongholds for European destinations, both 45–90 minutes from central London by train. Fares are often the lowest in the market; weigh the transfer cost and time before celebrating the ticket price.

London City (LCY): the business traveller’s shortcut

The smallest of the five, closest to the financial district, with a compact single terminal and fast check-in. Routes concentrate on European business destinations plus New York via a fuel-stop-free turnaround structure on select services.

Which should you choose?

Search the city, not the airport: our London pages compare every airport at once, and route pages show which airlines fly from each. The cheapest total journey often combines a low-cost terminal with a rail ticket.

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