Heathrow Airport terminals: which is which

Heathrow Airport operates four passenger terminals: Terminal 2, Terminal 3, Terminal 4 and Terminal 5. There is no Terminal 1 in service. Heathrow describes Terminal 2 as the Queen’s Terminal, Terminal 3 as home to the Virgin Atlantic hub and over 20 other airlines, Terminal 4 as newly refurbished, and Terminal 5 as British Airways’ main Heathrow hub. Airlines do move between terminals, so the terminal printed on your boarding pass is the one that counts, and Heathrow’s own flight search confirms it on the day you travel. One 2026 change is worth knowing: the Terminal 4 multi-storey car park closed on 23 June 2026 for redevelopment, and Heathrow now runs a free shuttle every five minutes between Park and Ride Zone A and the terminal. Terminal 4 itself is open and operating normally.

The terminals at Heathrow Airport

Terminal 2

Heathrow calls Terminal 2 the Queen’s Terminal and describes it as offering an award-winning passenger experience. It is the newest of the four buildings to open in its current form.

Terminal 3

Heathrow describes Terminal 3 as home to the Virgin Atlantic hub and over 20 other airlines, and notes it introduced the UK’s first moving walkways.

Terminal 4

Heathrow describes Terminal 4 as newly refurbished. Its multi-storey car park closed on 23 June 2026 for redevelopment, so parking now runs through Park and Ride Zone A with a free shuttle every five minutes. The terminal itself is open.

Terminal 5

Heathrow describes Terminal 5 as British Airways’ main Heathrow hub, and as an award-winning building.

Moving between terminals

Heathrow publishes a terminal transfer tool covering every pair of terminals, along with a downloadable transfer map. We do not reproduce journey times here, because Heathrow serves them through an interactive selector we cannot quote accurately, and a wrong figure on a connection is worse than no figure at all. Use Heathrow’s own transfer tool for the pair you actually need.

What the terminal means when a car is meeting you

At a four-terminal airport the terminal, not the airport, decides where your car meets you. Each Heathrow terminal has a designated chauffeur and private hire pickup area, separate from the taxi rank and the bus station, and your chauffeur confirms the exact meeting point by text before you land. The practical consequence is that a terminal change after you book matters more at Heathrow than anywhere else in the UK. Tell us and the pickup point moves with you.

Common questions

How many terminals does Heathrow have?

Heathrow has four operating passenger terminals: Terminal 2, Terminal 3, Terminal 4 and Terminal 5. There is no Terminal 1 in service.

Which terminal is British Airways at Heathrow?

Heathrow describes Terminal 5 as British Airways’ main Heathrow hub. British Airways does not operate exclusively from Terminal 5, so confirm your terminal on your boarding pass or through Heathrow’s flight search rather than assuming it.

Is Heathrow Terminal 4 still open?

Yes. Terminal 4 is open and operating. The closure announced for 23 June 2026 was the Terminal 4 multi-storey car park, not the terminal. Heathrow runs a free shuttle every five minutes between Park and Ride Zone A and the terminal building.

How do I know which Heathrow terminal my flight leaves from?

Your boarding pass states the terminal, and Heathrow’s flight search confirms it on the day. Airlines are reassigned between terminals from time to time, so a terminal you used on a previous trip is not reliable evidence for this one.

Sources

Terminal details on this page were checked against the airport operator on 1 August 2026. Airlines are reassigned between terminals from time to time, so confirm your terminal on your boarding pass before you travel.

Planning a car to or from Heathrow Airport? See Heathrow Airport chauffeur transfers, or browse all UK airports we cover.