- Road access to Heathrow Terminals 2 and 3 has been blocked by flooding.
- Passengers are being advised to use rail and Tube services instead.
- The leak has been isolated, but repairs remain under way.
Passengers travelling through Heathrow Airport are being warned of disruption after flooding from a leaking pipe blocked road access to Terminals 2 and 3.
The flooding in Heathrow's central terminal area means passengers cannot currently travel to or from the two terminals by road. The airport is advising people to use rail and Tube services instead while repairs continue.
The problem also affects terminal car parks, creating difficulties for passengers who have already left vehicles there and those arriving to collect travellers.
Heathrow said the pipe leak had been isolated and teams were working to repair the damage.
“Our teams are working to resolve the situation as quickly as possible. We apologise for any disruption caused. The leak has been isolated and repairs are ongoing,” an airport spokesperson said, as quoted in a news report.
The timing could make the disruption particularly difficult for travellers. August falls within the school summer holidays, traditionally one of Heathrow's busiest periods.
The scale of traffic passing through the airport is considerable. Heathrow recorded its busiest day of 2026 on July 19, when more than 267,000 passengers travelled through the airport as many schools began their summer break.
The airport can also handle as many as 1,300 take-offs and landings a day.
Your flight may be running even if getting there is difficult
The flooding creates an unusual problem for passengers because the disruption is centred on access to the terminals rather than the flights themselves.
People being dropped off, collected or trying to reach terminal parking are therefore likely to face some of the biggest difficulties.
Passengers have been contacting Heathrow for advice, including those collecting people who require additional assistance.
In response to one traveller collecting a wheelchair passenger from Terminal 3, Heathrow reportedly advised them to park at Terminal 4 or 5 and transfer to Terminal 3. Assistance teams inside the terminal could then help with the return journey.
People with meet-and-greet parking reservations affected by the flooding have also been directed towards Terminal 5.
The disruption follows another recent water-related problem affecting Heathrow, when a leak led to the closure of a rail tunnel serving the airport.
Consumer group Which? has advised passengers not to make unnecessary journeys by road and to leave additional time if travelling to Heathrow.
Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, reportedly advised passengers worried about missing a flight to contact their airline as soon as possible because policies on missed departures, rebooking and refunds vary between carriers.
Passengers who have paid for parking that they can no longer access have also been advised to contact their parking provider about changing the booking or obtaining a refund.
Travel insurance policies may cover some additional costs caused by the disruption, depending on the individual policy.
For now, Heathrow's message is relatively straightforward: if you are travelling through Terminal 2 or Terminal 3, the flight may not be the problem, but getting to the terminal by road is.
