Heathrow Terminal 4: the SkyTeam terminal

Heathrow Terminal 4 opened on 1 April 1986 and sits south of the central terminal area, separated from T2 and T3 by the main runway pair. It is the SkyTeam alliance hub at Heathrow and the home of Qatar Airways, Etihad, and several other Middle East and Asia carriers outside the three big alliances. The terminal carries the smallest passenger share of the four operating terminals at Heathrow. It closed during the pandemic and reopened in June 2022.

The honest catch with Terminal 4 is access. Heathrow Express does not stop here, so passengers on the express service change at the central Heathrow station for the free Elizabeth Line shuttle (about five minutes) or the free inter-terminal coach (about 15 minutes). Direct trains do reach T4 on the Elizabeth Line and the Piccadilly Line, both stopping at the Heathrow Terminal 4 station underneath the terminal.

Terminal 4 hosts the SkyTeam alliance carriers plus a cluster of Middle East and Asia airlines outside the three main alliances. Qatar Airways uses T4 as its main UK hub, with multiple daily flights to Doha. The full list of airlines at Heathrow by terminal shows which carrier uses which terminal; the live departure board on the day is the safest source if you are unsure.

SkyTeam carriers all depart from T4. oneworld members and Virgin Atlantic use Terminal 3; Star Alliance members use Terminal 2; British Airways and Iberia use Terminal 5.

The Heathrow Terminal 4 train station sits directly under the terminal, with lifts and escalators bringing you up into the check-in hall. Two services stop here: the Elizabeth Line, which runs four trains an hour direct between T4 and Paddington (and onward through central London to Abbey Wood), and the Piccadilly Line, which runs every 10 to 15 minutes from central London via South Kensington, Hammersmith, and Acton Town. Heathrow Express does not call at Terminal 4; passengers from Paddington who book Heathrow Express change at the central Heathrow station and ride the free Elizabeth Line shuttle the rest of the way.

By car, Terminal 4 sits off the Southern Perimeter Road, reached from M25 junction 14 via the A3113 Airport Way. The sat nav postcode for the kerbside drop-off forecourt is TW6 3YD; TW6 3XA is the terminal building's postal address, not a driving destination. For parking, the Park & Ride entrance is on Scylla Road at TW6 3XL. There are no tolls on the approach roads. National Express and other long-distance coaches stop directly outside Terminal 4 on the forecourt; local TfL buses 285, 482, and 490 also call at T4 at the standard £1.75 flat fare.

Terminal 4 parking changed on 23 June 2026: the Terminal Parking multi-storey attached to the building closed for a multi-year redevelopment of the forecourts and car park, and Meet & Greet at T4 closed with it. All T4 passenger parking now uses the Park & Ride on Scylla Road, where Zone A next to the reception is free for up to 2 hours and the shuttle runs every 5 minutes (04:00 to 23:30), around 10 minutes door to door. There is no Priority Park & Ride at Terminal 4 either, so the Park & Ride carries everything.

Park & Ride drive-up gate prices are higher: £46.80 for the first day then £37.40/day; pre-book for the lower rate. Full pricing, the redevelopment detail, and how to book on the Terminal 4 parking page.

The Terminal 4 drop-off zone sits on the departures level forecourt, directly outside the main entrance. Every entry is charged at £7 per visit, with a 10-minute maximum stay; the free period that used to apply ended on 1 January 2026. Number plates are read automatically and the charge is billed online before, during, or by 23:59 the day after the visit.

For free drop-off and pick-up, the T4 Park & Ride is the answer, and since the multi-storey closed it is the only on-airport option: Zone A next to the reception is free for up to 2 hours, other zones keep the standard 29-minute free window, and the shuttle to the terminal runs every 5 minutes. Pick-up is officially closed on the forecourt but the ANPR cameras still trigger the same £7 charge on any entry. See Heathrow drop-off charges for the full table including the other three terminals.

Terminal 4 security is usually faster than at T3 or T5 because the terminal carries less passenger volume. Wait times average four to eight minutes off-peak, rising to ten to eighteen minutes during the morning long-haul departure peak between 06:00 and 09:00. See current Heathrow security wait times by terminal for the latest published guidance and any reported delays.

Fast Track at Terminal 4 is included with Qatar Airways Business and First fares, SkyTeam Elite Plus status holders on SkyTeam departures, and several lounge packages. It can also be bought separately from £12.99 per person, though the time saved at T4 averages around 15 minutes at peak, less than at T3 or T5.

Terminal 4 is the most awkward terminal to reach from the other three on foot, but free transport links all four. The Elizabeth Line reaches T2/T3, T4, and T5 directly; T4 trains run east to Abbey Wood and T5 trains run east to Shenfield, so a T4-to-T5 hop means changing at the central T2/T3 station. Travel between Heathrow stations on the Elizabeth Line is free. The free inter-terminal coach is the road alternative, around 15 minutes between T4 and the central area, with separate buses linking T5 from the same hub.

For connecting passengers on a single ticket with through-checked bags, allow at least 90 minutes between flights and longer if changing terminals. Bags are re-tagged at check-in; you do not collect them between flights. For separate tickets with no through-check, the minimum is three hours: you clear UK immigration on arrival, collect bags, exit landside, re-check bags for the onward flight, and re-clear security. See transferring between Heathrow terminals for the full picture and connecting flights at Heathrow for minimum connection times by airline.

The Terminal 4 departure lounge is more compact than T5 but covers the staples: a World Duty Free flagship, several fashion and beauty shops, and a mix of restaurants and cafes including Wagamama, Pret, Caffè Nero, and a few sit-down options near the gates. Lounges include the SkyTeam Lounge (for SkyTeam Elite Plus and Business Class passengers), the Qatar Premium Lounge (for Qatar Business and oneworld Sapphire), the Plaza Premium Lounge (paid entry or Priority Pass), and the Aspire Lounge. Full coverage on the Terminal 4 lounges and Terminal 4 restaurants pages. The Terminal 4 map shows where the shops, lounges, and gates sit in the departure lounge.

Special assistance covers every step from car park to gate. Request it through your airline at least 48 hours before departure. Heathrow's mobility team meets you at one of the designated assistance points at Terminal 4: the train station, the bus and coach stops, the Terminal Parking lifts, or the drop-off zone. See reduced mobility for the full process and how to book.

Arriving at Terminal 4 follows the standard sequence: airbridge or bus to the immigration hall, eGates or staffed desks, baggage reclaim, customs, then out into the meeters and greeters area. The whole sequence usually takes 25 to 45 minutes including the walk from the gate. UK, Republic of Ireland, EU/EEA, Swiss, plus Australian, Canadian, Japanese, New Zealand, Singaporean, South Korean, and US passport holders from age 10 use the eGates; other passengers use the staffed desks. See immigration and passports and baggage reclaim for the detail.

The Terminal 4 meeting point is in the arrivals hall, signed from baggage reclaim, landside in the public area. The arrivals hall connects directly to the Terminal Parking car park lifts, the bus and coach stops, and the rail station via covered walkways.