| Heathrow | Gatwick | Stansted | Notes | ||
| Date commenced operation | 1946 | 1958 | 1985 | 1 | |
| Types of Passenger Traffic Handled | Business/ | Leisure/ | Low-cost | 2 | |
| Leisure | Business | Airlines | |||
| Runways | 2 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Terminals | 4 | 2 | 1 | ||
| Traffic | |||||
| - Aircraft movements (000's) | 458 | 256 | 155 | ||
| - Passengers (million) | 62 | 30.5 | 9.5 | 3 | |
| - Cargo (million tonnes) | 1.3 | 0.3 | 0.2 | ||
| Total Planned Capacity | 80 | 40 | 15 | 4 | |
| (million passengers) | |||||
| Road distance from Central London (kms) | 28 | 45 | 56 | ||
| Travel to Central London (minutes) | |||||
| - by train | 15 | 35 | 45 | ||
| - by underground | 45 | - | - | ||
| Journey times between airports | Car | Bus | Train & | 5 | |
| Underground | |||||
| - Heathrow/Gatwick (70 kms) | 45 mins | 45 mins | 60/90 mins | ||
| - Heathrow/Stansted (110 kms) | 75 mins | 75 mins | 90 mins | ||
| - Gatwick/Stansted (120 kms) | 75 mins | 120 mins | 105 mins | ||
| Notes | |||||
| 1. Stansted was operational from the early 60's, but became the formal 3rd airport in 1985 | |||||
| 2. All airports handle a mix of traffic; these are general indications of specialisations | |||||
| 3. Also non-BAA Airports at Luton and London City (5 & 1.5m passengers respectively) | |||||
| 4. Assumes new Terminal 5 at Heathrow; Stansted capacity limited by planning permission | |||||
| 5. Optimum timings; actual journey times dependent on traffic conditions | |||||
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